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division of powers

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Constitutional division of powers among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, with the legislative branch making law, the executive applying and enforcing the law, and the judiciary interpreting the law. ; sovereignty should be divided between federal government and the state

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delegated powers

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Those powers, expressed, implied, or inherent, granted to the National Gov. by the Constitution.

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expressed powers

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Powers the Constitution specifically grants to one of the branches of the national government.

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implied powers

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Powers inferred from the express powers that allow Congress to carry out its functions.

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reserved powers

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Those powers that the Constitution does not grant to the National Gov. and does not, at the same time, deny to the states.

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exclusive powers

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those powers that can be exercised by the National Gov. alone.

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concurrent powers

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Powers that the Constitution gives to both the national and state governments, such as the power to levy taxes.

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enabling act

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A congressional act directing the people of a U.S territory to frame a proposed State constitution as a step towards admission to the Union.

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act of admission

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A congressional act admitting a new State to the Union

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grants-in-aid program

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Grants of federal money or other resources to States, cities, counties, and other local units.

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revenue sharing

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Form of federal monetary and under which Congress gave a share of federal tax revenue, with virtually no restrictions, to the States, cities, countries, and townships.

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categorical grant

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One type of federal grants-in-aid ; made for some specific, closely defined, purpose.

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block grant

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These are broad state grants to states for prescribed activities—welfare, child care, education, social services, preventive health care, and health services—with only a few strings attached. States have greater flexibility in deciding how to spend block grant dollars, but when the federal funds for any fiscal year are gone, there are no more matching federal dollars.

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project grant

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Congress appropriates a certain sum, which is allocated to state and local units and sometimes to nongovernmental agencies, based on applications from those who wish to participate. Examples are grants by the National Science Foundation to universities and research institutes to support the work of scientists or grants to states and localities to support training and employment programs.

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interstate compact

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An agreement among two or more states. Congress must approve most such agreements.

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Full Faith and Credit Clause

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Clause in the Constitution (Article 4, Section 1) requiring each state to recognize the civil judgments rendered by the courts of the other states and to accept their public records and acts as valid.

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extradition

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Legal process whereby an alleged criminal offender is surrendered by the officials of one states to officials of the state in which the crime is alleged to have been committed.

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Privileges and Immunity Clause

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Constitution's stipulation (Article IV, Sect. 2) that all citizens are entitles to certain "privileges and immunities," regardless of their State of residence; no State can draw unreasonable distinctions between its own residents and those persons who happen to live in other States.

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federalism

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A system of government in which a written constitution divides power between a central gov. and several local governments.

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government

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The institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies.

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public policy

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All of the goals a government sets and the various courses of action it pursues as it attempts to realize these goals.

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legislative power

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The power to make a law and to frame public policies.

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executive power

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The power to execute, enforce, and administer law

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judicial power

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The power to interpret laws, to determine their meaning, and to settle disputes within the society.

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constitution

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The body of fundamental laws setting out the principles, structures, and processes of a government

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dictatorship

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A form of government in which the leader has absolute power and authority

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democracy

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Government by the people, both directly or indirectly, with free and frequent elections.

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state

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A body of people living in a defined territory who have a government with the power to make and enforce law without the consent of any higher authority.

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sovereign

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Having supreme authority within its own territory; neither subordinate nor responsible to any other authority

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autocracy

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A form of government in which a single person holds unlimited political power.

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oligarchy

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A form of government in which the power to rule is held by a small, usually self appointed elite.

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unitary government

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A centralized government in which all governmental powers belong to a single, central agency.

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federal government

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A form of government in which powers are divided between a central government and several local governments.

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division of powers

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Constitutional division of powers among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, with the legislative branch making law, the executive applying and enforcing the law, and the judiciary interpreting the law.

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confederation

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Constitutional arrangement in which sovereign nations or states, by compact, create a central government but carefully limit its power and do not give it direct authority over individuals.

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presidential government

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A form of government in which the executive and legislative branches of government are separate, independent, and coequal.

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parliamentary government

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A form of government in which the executive branch is made up of the prime minister, or premier, and that official's cabinet

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compromise

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An adjustment of opposing principles or systems by modifying some aspect of each

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free enterprise system

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An economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of capital goods; investments that are determined by private decision rather than by state control, and determined in a free market.

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law of supply and demand

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A law which states that when supplies of goods and services become plentiful, prices tend to drop. When supplies become scarcer, prices tend to rise.

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mixed economy

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An economy in which private enterprise exists in combination with a considerable amount of government regulation and promotion.

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limited government

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government is restricted in what it may do and each individual has certain rights that government cannot take away

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representative government

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system of government in which public policies are made by officials selected by voters and held accountable in periodic elections.

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magna carta

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the great charter--at Runnymede in 1215. The power of monarchy was not absolute and guaranteed. Trial by jury and due process of law to the nobility. First document to limit the power of England's Monarch.

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Petition of Right

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limited the King's power. Monarch was subject to the law of the land.

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English Bill of Rights

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designed to prevent abuse of power by English Monarch; agreed on by William and Mary of England in 1689.

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charter

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a written grant of authority from the king.

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bicameral

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The principle of a two-house legislature.

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unicameral

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a legislative body composed of one chamber (one house

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proprietary

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a person to whom the king had made a grant of land

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Albany Plan of Union

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meeting to discuss the problems of colonial trade and the danger of attacks by the French and their Native American allies.

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delegate

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An official who is expected to represent the views of his or her constituents even when personally holding different views; one interpretation of the role of legislator.

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boycott

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a refusal to buy or sell certain products or services

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repeal

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Withdrawn or cancelled

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popular sovereignty

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government can exist only with the consent of the governed

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Articles of Confederation

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The first governing document of the confederated states drafted in 1777, ratified in 1781, and replaced by the present Constitution in 1789.

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ratification

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formal approval

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presiding officer

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the person chosen by congress to be their chair person of president. (Not of the U.S.)

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Framers

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the group of delegates who attended the Philadelphia Convention

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Virginia Plan

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Initial proposal at the Constitutional Convention made by the Virginia delegation for a strong central government with a bicameral legislature dominated by the big states.

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New Jersey Plan

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Proposal at the Constitutional Convention made by William Paterson of New Jersey for a central government with a single-house legislature in which each state would be represented equally.

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Connecticut Compromise

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Compromise agreement by states at the Constitutional Convention for a bicameral legislature with a lower house in which representation would be based on population and an upper house in which each state would have two senators.

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Three-Fifths Compromise

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Compromise between northern and southern states at the Constitutional Convention that three-fifths of the slave population would be counted for determining direct taxation and representation in the House of Representatives.

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Commerce and Slave Trade Commerce

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no export taxes; 20 year right to trade slaves

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Federalists

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Supporters of ratification of the Constitution and of a strong central government.

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Anti-Federalists

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Opponents of ratification of the Constitution and of a strong central government, generally

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quorum

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Least number of members who must be present for a legislative body to conduct business; majority.

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Preamble

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a brief introductory statement of the Constitution's fundamental purposes and guiding principles

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7 Articles

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The main body of the Constitution. The Articles explain how the government works. They also carefully describe the rules for electing government officials, like Senators and the President.

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constitutionalism

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Government in which power is distributed and limited by a system of laws that must be obeyed by the rulers.

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rule of law

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the influence and authority of law within society, especially as a constraint upon behavior, including behavior of government officials

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checks and balances

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each of the three branches of government can limit the powers of the others. so no one branch becomes too powerful. Each branch "checks" the power of the other branches to make sure that the power is balanced between them.

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veto

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a constitutional right to reject a decision or proposal made by a law-making body. (President can refuse to sign a proposed law.

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judicial review

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the doctrine under which legislative and executive actions are subject to review by the judiciary (courts)

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unconstitutional

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not in accordance with a political constitution or with procedural rules.

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federalism

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a system of government in which a written constitution divides power between a central or national government and several local governments.

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amendment

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a change or addition to a constitution or law.

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formal amendment

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the changes or additional laws that become part of the country's constitution

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informal amendment

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a change of the constitution, changing an amendment of the constitution without going into the normal process, only the formal amendment is read.

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Bill of Rights

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the first ten amendments to the Constitution that gave people the basic rights that were not already defined in the constitution.

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executive agreement

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An agreement made between the executive branch of the U.S. government and a foreign government without ratification by the Senate.

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treaty

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formally concluded and ratified agreement between countries

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electoral college

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electoral system use in electing the president and vice president, in which voters vote for electors pledged to cast their ballots for particular party's candidates.

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cabinet

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advisory council for the president consisting of the heads of the executive departments, the vice presidents, and a few other officials selected by the president.

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senatorial courtesy

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an unwritten political custom (or constitutional convention) in the U.S. whereby the president consults the senior U.S. Senator of his political party of a given state before nominating any person to a federal vacancy within that Senator's state.

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separation of powers

answer

Under this model, the state is divided into branches, each with separate and independent powers and areas of responsibility so that no branch has more power than the other branches. The normal division of branches is into a legislative, an executive, and a judiciary.

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