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50 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Alienable Rights |
A right that is capable of being sold or transferred or denied |
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Inalienable Rights |
A right according to natural law, a right that cannot be taken away, denied, or transferred |
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Authority |
the power to determine, adjudicate, or otherwise settle issues ordisputes; jurisdiction; the right to control, command, or determine. |
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Bill of Rights |
The first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution, adopted in 1791. The Bill of Rights ensures certain rights and liberties to the people |
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Constitutional Democracy |
A system of government based on popular sovereignty in which the structures, powers, and limits of government are set forth in a constitution
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Democracy |
A system of rule that permits citizens to play a significant part in the governmental process, usually through the selection of key public officials |
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Direct Democracy |
A form of democracy in which people decide policy initiatives directly
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Ex-post facto law |
A law that makes illegal an act that was legal when committed, increases the penalties for an infraction after it has been committed, or changes the rules of evidence to make conviction easier
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Federalists |
A member or supporter of the Federalist party
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government |
The institutions and procedures through which a land and its people are ruled |
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Great (Connecticut) Compromise |
An agreement reached at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that gave each state an equal number of senators regardless of its population but linked representation in the House of Representatives to population |
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The Federalist Papers |
A series of 85 essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and Jonh Jay in the late 1780s to persuade the voters of New York to adopt the Constitution. The essays are considered a classic defense of the American system of government, as well as a classic practical application of political principles
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James Madison |
An American statesman and Founding Father who served as the 4th President of the United States from 1809 to 1817
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majority rule |
The principle that the greater number should exercise greater power
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politics |
Conflict, struggle, cooperation, and collaboration over the leadership, structure, and policies of government |
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power |
The possession of control or command over others; authority
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ratification |
To confirm by expressing consent, approval, or formal sanction |
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representative democracy |
A type of democracy founded on the principle of elected officials representing a group of people, as opposed to direct democracy |
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republic |
A state in which the supreme power rests in the body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by representatives chosen directly or indirectly by them |
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Roger Sherman |
An early American lawyer and statesman, as well as a Founding Father of the United States
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autocracy |
A form of government in which a single individual rules |
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oligarchy |
A form of government in which a small group of landowners, military officers, or wealthy merchants controls most of the governing decisions` |
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constitutional government |
A system of rule in which formal and effective limits are placed on the powers of the government |
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authoritarian government |
A system of rule in which the government recognizes no formal limits but may nevertheless be restrained by the power of other social institutions |
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totalitarian government |
A system of rule in which the government recognizes no formal limits on its power and seeks to absorb or eliminate other social institutions that might challenge it |
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instrumental |
Done with purpose, sometimes with forethought, and even with calculation |
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institutions |
The rules and procedures that provide incentives for political behavior, thereby shaping politics |
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jurisdiction |
The domain over which an institution or member of an institution has authority |
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agenda power |
The control over what a group will consider for discussion |
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veto power |
The ability to defeat something even if it has made it onto the agenda of an institution |
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decisiveness rules |
A specification of when a vote may be taken, that sequence in which votes on amendments occur, and how many supporters determine whether a motion passes or fails |
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delegation |
The transmission of authority to some other official body for the latter's use (though often with the right of review and revision) |
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principal-agent relationship |
The relationship between a principal and his or her agent. This relationship may be affected by the fact that each is motivated by self-interest, yet their interests may not be well aligned |
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transaction costs |
The cost of clarifying each aspect of a principal-agent relationship and monitoring it to make sure arrangements are complied with |
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collective action |
The pooling of resources and the coordination of effort and activity by a group of people (often a large one) to achieve common goals |
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free riding |
Enjoying the benefits of some good or action while letting others bear the costs |
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public good |
A good that, first, may be enjoyed by anyone if it is provided and, second, may not be denied to anyone once it had been provided |
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tragedy of the commons |
The idea that a common-access facility, owned by no one because it is available to everyone, will be overutilized |
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path dependency |
The idea that certain possibilities are made more or less likely because of the historical path taken |
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Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union |
America's first written constitution. Adopted by the Continental Congress in 1777, the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union were the formal basis for America's national government until 1789, when they were superseded by the Constitution |
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Three-Fifths Compromise |
An agreement reached at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 stipulating that for purposes of the apportionment of congressional seats, every slave would be counted as three-fifths of a person |
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bicameralism |
The division of a legislative assembly into two chambers, or houses |
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expressed power |
The powers enumerated in the Constitution that are granted to the federal government |
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necessary and proper clause |
Article I, Section 8, of the COndtitution, which enumerates the powers of Congress and provides Congress with the authority to make all laws "necessary and proper" to carry them out; also referred to as the elastic clause |
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judicial review |
The power of the courts to declare actions of the legislative and executive branches invalid or unconstitutional. The Supreme Court asserted this power in Marbury v. Madison (1803) |
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supremacy clause |
A clause of Article VI of the Constitution that states that all laws passed by the national government and all treaties are the supreme laws of the land and superior to all laws adopted by any state or any subdivision |
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separation of powers |
The division of governmental power among several institutions that must cooperate in decision-making |
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federalism |
The system of government in which a constitution divides power between a central government and regional governments |
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checks and balances |
The mechanism through which each branch of government is able to participate in and influence the activities of the other branches |
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tyranny |
Oppressive government that employs the cruel and unjust use of power and authority |