American Government Final Study Guide – Flashcards
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Criteria for Democracy
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Active citizen participation, Widespread education, Strong civil society, Favorable economy, and Social consensus
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4 Essential Features of a State
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Population, Territory, Sovereignty, and Government
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Social Contract Theory
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A voluntary agreement between the government and the governed. Opinions of social contract from Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Rousseau
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Purposes of Government
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Maintain social order, Provide public services, Provide national security, and Make economic decisions
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6 Principles of Government
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Popular sovereignty, Federalism, Separation of powers, Checks & balances, Judicial review, and Limited government
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Separation of Powers
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Constitutional authority is shared by three different branches of government
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Virginia Plan
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A plan for a new national government that the Virginia delegation proposed at the Constitutional Convention. It called for a strong, unitary national government, with separate executive and judicial branches, and a two-house legislative branch with representation based on each state's population
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James Madison
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"Father of the Constitution"; he took detailed notes and suggested many important ideas
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Mayflower Compact
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1620 - The first agreement for self-government in America. It was signed by the 41 men on the Mayflower and set up a government for the Plymouth colony
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Constitution
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A nation's basic law. It creates political institutions, assigns or divides powers in government, and often provides certain guarantees to citizens
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John Locke
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1632-1704. English philosopher whose Treatises of Government espousing natural rights, consent of the governed, and social compacts greatly influenced the Founding Fathers. People are born with natural rights, (Life, Liberty, and Property)
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Montesquieu
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Stresses the importance of moderate government; suggests that there should be 3 separate branches to check and balance each other
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Antifederalist
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A person who opposed the adoption of the United States Constitution. Believed a Bill of Rights was needed.
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Democracy
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Ruled by the people
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Article 6
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States that the Constitution shall be the supreme law of the land
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Double Jeopardy
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Being tried more than once for the same crime
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Implied Powers
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Powers not specifically mentioned in the constitution
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Federalist
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A term used to describe supporters of the Constitution during ratification debates in state legislatures
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President check on Judicial Branch
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Appoint federal judges
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Judicial Branch check on Legislative Branch
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Judicial Review
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Governor's term
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4 years
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# of Amendments
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27
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Branches of Missouri Government
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Legislative (General Assembly) - Executive (Governor) - Judicial (MO Supreme Court)
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Governor term limit
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2 terms
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MO Representative term
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2 year term
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Missouri Senator term
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4 year term
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Supremacy Clause
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Article VI of the Constitution, which makes national law supreme over state law when the national government is acting within its constitutional limits
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Totalitarian Government
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Leader is glorified and controls all aspects of life
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Enumerated Powers
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Powers given to the national government alone
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Magna Carta
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Signed document that forced King John into a Limited Government; no longer an absolute monarchy
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Judicial Review
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Allows the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) to review laws and executive orders for constitutionality
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First Constitution of the U.S.
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Articles of Confederation
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Eminent Domain
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Allows the govt to take property for public use but also requires the govt to provide just compensation for that property
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Federalism
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The division of power between States and National Governments
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Preamble
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A statement in a constitution that sets forth the goals and purposes of government
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Thomas Hobbs
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1651 Leviathan. People are selfish, self-serving, and brutal. Without control, society would be chaotic
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Interstate Trade
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Congress would control trade between states, states would control trade within their own borders
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McCulloch v Maryland
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Maryland was trying to tax the national bank and Supreme Court ruled that federal law was stronger than the state law
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14th Amendment
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Grants citizenship to all born or naturalized in the U.S
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19th Amendment
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The rights for citizens to not be infringed on the basis of sex
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26th Amendment
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Voting age lowered to 18
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Bill of Rights
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The first 10 amendments; also what the Antifederalists requested during the creation of the Constitution
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Duties of the Executive Branch
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Enforce the laws and appoint Ambassadors, Judges, and other officials
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Marbury v Madison
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This case establishes the Supreme Court's power of Judicial Review
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Elastic Clause
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Clause in Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution that gives Congress to make all laws "necessary and proper" to carry out the powers expressed in the other clauses of Article 1
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Establishment Clause
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The First Amendment guarantee that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion."
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13th Amendment
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Abolished slavery, and unvoulintary servitude
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5,6,7 & 8th Amendments
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All the Amendments giving you the rights to a public and speedy trial with an unbiased jury, and fair fines and bails. Also protects the rights of the accused
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Checks and Balances
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the system in the american government where the other branches have power over the others so no branch is too powerful; Ensures that one branch of government doesn't become too powerful
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Popular Sovereignty
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The people hold the ultimate authority
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Duties of the Judicial Branch
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Interprate laws
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Duties of the Legislative Branch
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Make laws
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Initiative
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Petition the government
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Referendum
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Vote on a specific political question,
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General Assembly
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Policy making government body.
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Duties of the Governor
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Passing voted bills to legislator
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Authoritarian Government
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A government that lacks individual freedom
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1st Amendment
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Protects citizen's right to worship any religion they want too
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President's check over Congress
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Can propose and veto laws from Congress
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Dictatorship
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Government entirely controlled by one dictator by which that dictator holds absolute power
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Governor of Missouri
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Jay Nixon
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Soft Money
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Money raised by a political party for general purposes, not designated for a candidate
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Voting Rights Act
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Got rid of literacy tests, prevented racial discrimination during voting
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24th Amendment
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Got rid of Poll Taxes
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12th Amendment
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Changed how the president and the vice president were voted for from how Article 2, Section 1, Clause 3 stated
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Open Primary
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All voters may participate in the vote for a candidate
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Closed Primary
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Only party members can vote for a candidate
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Electoral College
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Provides each state the ability to choose the electors that would vote for the president. Winner take all.
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No majority in Electoral vote
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Top three candidates go to the House of Representatives (occurred in 1800 and 1824) and vote from there
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How are number of Electors determined
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The Electoral College has 538 electors that's based on th state's total number of Congressional members and 3 for the District of Columbia; and each state gets the same number of electors as it does in Senate and Congress
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Election Day
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The Tuesday after the first Monday in November
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# of Electoral votes to win
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270 electoral votes
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PACs
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Direct donations to candidate or political parties, established by interest groups to collect money and provide financial support to favor
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15th Amendment
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Attempted to give African Americans the right to vote
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Iowa Caucus
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Electoral event in which residents of the U.S. state of Iowa meet in caucuses in all of Iowa's 1,774 precincts and elect delegates
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Political Spectrum
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A political spectrum is a way of visualizing different political positions. Left Liberal/Democratic, Middle Independent, Right Conservative/Republican
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Individual Contribution
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Individuals can pay $2,600 to a canidate, $25,000 to a national party, and $5,000 to a PAC
