Civics and Economics Vocabulary – Flashcards
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civics
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The study of the rights and duties of citizens
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citizenship
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rights and duties of members of a state dating back to 2,500 years to Greece and Rome
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citizen
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community member who owes loyalty to the government and is entitled to protection from it
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service economy
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Where the majority of people earn their living by providing a service rather than manufacturing a product.
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value
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general principles or beliefs people use to make their judgements/decisions
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popular sovereignty
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the notion that power lies with the people
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institution
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sets of ideas that people have about relationships, obligations, roles, and functions of society
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naturalization
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a legal process to obtain citizenship
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alien
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a noncitizen
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immigrant
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a person who moves permanently to a new country
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deport
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To send an alien or immigrant back to his or her own country
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government
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the ruling authority for a community
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public policy
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the course of action the government takes in response to an issue or problem.
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budget
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a plan for making and spending money
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democracy
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a government in which citizens hold the power to rule
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direct democracy
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a form of democracy in which the people vote firsthand
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representative democracy
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a government in which citizens choose a smaller group to govern on their behalf
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republic
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a representative democracy where citizens choose their lawmakers
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values
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broad ideas about what is good or desirable shared by people in a society
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monarchy
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a government with a hereditary, single leader
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majority rule
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political principle providing that a majority of the members of a community has the power to make laws binding upon all the people
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authoritarian
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a government in which one leader or group of people holds absolute power
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totalitarian
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a system in which government control extends to almost all aspects of peoples lives
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Enlightenment
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movement that spread the idea that reason and science could improve society
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monarch
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King or queen
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legislature
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a group of people chosen to make laws
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precedent
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A ruling that is used as the basis for a judicial decision in a later, similar case
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common law
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a system of law based on precedent and customs
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natural rights
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freedoms people possess relating to life, liberty, and property
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social contract
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an agreement among people in a society with a government
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colony
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a group of people in one place who are ruled by a parent country elsewhere
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joint-stock company
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investors provide partial ownership in a company organized for profit
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charter
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a written document granting land and the authority to set up colonial governments
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compact
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an agreement or contract among a group of people
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proprietary colony
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area with owner-controlled land and government
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royal colony
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a colonial area of land controlled directly by a king or other monarch
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religious dissenter
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those who followed a religious faith other than the official religion of England
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Puritans
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religious dissenters who came to the colonies to purify, or reform, the Anglican church
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Pilgrims
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colonial puritans who considered themselves people on a religious journey
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toleration
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acceptance of other groups, such as religious groups
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indentured servants
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workers who contracted with American colonists for food and shelter in return for their labor
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plantation
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a large estate
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triangular trade
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pattern of trade that developed in colonial times among the Americas, Africa, and Europe
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adapt
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to change or alter in order to fit or conform
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assist
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to aid; to help
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mercantilism
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the theory that a country should sell more goods to other countries than it buys.
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boycott
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the refusal to purchase certain goods
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repeal
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to cancel an act or law
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delegate
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a representative to a meeting
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independence
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self-reliance and freedom from outside control
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tidewater
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Areas of low, flat plains near the seacoast of Virginia and North Carolina
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egalitarianism
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the philosophy or spirit of equality
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constitution
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a detailed, written plan for government
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bicameral
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a legislature consisting of two parts, or houses
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confederation
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a group of individuals or state governments
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ratify
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to vote approval of
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Constitutional Convention
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meeting of state delegates in 1787 leading to adoption of new Constitution
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Great Compromise
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agreement providing a dual system of congressional representation
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Three-Fifths Compromise
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agreement providing that enslaved persons would count as three-fifths of other persons in determining representation in congress
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Electoral College
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a group of people named by each state legislature to select the president and vice president
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Federalists
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Supporters of the Constitution.
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federalism
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a form of government in which power is divided between the federal, or national, government and the states
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Anti-Federalists
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those who opposed ratification of the Constitution
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Preamble
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The opening section of the Constitution
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legislative branch
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the lawmaking branch of government
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executive branch
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the branch of government that carries out laws
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judicial branch
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The branch of government that interprets laws
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amendment
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A change to the Constitution
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rule of law
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principle that the law applies to everyone, even those who govern
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separation of powers
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The split of authority among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.
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checks and balances
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a system in which each branch of government is able to check, or restrain, the power of the others
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expressed powers
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Powers that Congress has that are specifically listed in the Constitution.
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reserved powers
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powers that the Constitution does not give to the national government that are kept by the states
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concurrent powers
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powers shared by the state and federal governments
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civil liberties
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the freedoms we have to think and act without government interference or fear of unfair treatment
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censorship
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the banning of printed materials or films due to alarming or offensive ideas
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petition
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a formal request for government action
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slander
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spoken untruths that are harmful to someone's reputation
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libel
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written untruths that are harmful to someone's reputation
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search warrant
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A court order allowing law enforcement officers to search a suspect's home or business and take specific items as evidence
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indictment
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a formal charge by a grand jury
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grand jury
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a group of citizens that decides whether there is sufficient evidence to accuse someone of a crime
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double jeopardy
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putting someone on trial for a crime of which he or she was previously acquitted
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due process
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following established legal procedures
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eminent domain
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the right of government to take private property for public use
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bail
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a sum of money used as a security deposit to ensure that an accused person returns for his or her trial
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suffrage
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right to vote
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poll tax
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a sum of money required of voters before they are permitted to cast a ballot
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discrimination
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unfair treatment based on prejudice against a certain group
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segregation
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the social separation of the races
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civil rights
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the rights of full citizenship and equality under the law
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affirmative action
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programs intended to make up for past discrimination by helping minority groups and women gain access to jobs and opportunities
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racial profiling
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singling out an individual as a suspect due to appearance of ethnicity
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responsibility
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an obligation that we fulfill voluntarily
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duty
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things we are required to do
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draft
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to call up; to create and outline
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tolerance
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respecting and accepting others, regardless of their beliefs, practices, or differences
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bureaucracy
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complex systems with many departments, many rules, and many people in the chain of command
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welfare
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the health, prosperity, and happiness of the members of a community
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volunteerism
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the practice of offering your time and services to others without payment.
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census
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a population count taken by the census bureau
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constituent
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a person from a legislator's district
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gerrymander
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an oddly shaped district designed to increase the voting strength of a particular group
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majority party
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in both The House Of Representatives and the Senate, the political party to which more than half the members belong
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minority party
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in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, the political party to which fewer than half the members belong
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standing committee
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permanent committee that continues its work from session to session in Congress
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seniority
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years of service, which is used as a consideration for assigning committee members
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expressed powers
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powers that congress has that are specifically listed in the constitution
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implied powers
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powers that congress has that are not stated explicitly in the constitution
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elastic clause
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clause in Article I, section 8 of the Constitution that gives Congress the right to make all laws "necessary and proper" to carry out its expressed powers
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impeach
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to accuse government officials of misconduct in office
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writ of habeas corpus
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a court order that requires police to bring a prisoner to court to explain why they are holding the person
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bill of attainder
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a law that punishes a person accused of a crime without a trial or a fair hearing in court
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ex post facto law
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a law that would allow a person to be punished for an action that was not against the law when it was committed
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franking privilege
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The right of senators and representatives to send job-related mail without paying postage
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lobbyist
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representative of an interest group who contacts lawmakers or other government officials directly to influence their policy making
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casework
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the work that a lawmaker does to help constituents with a problem
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pork-barrel project
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Government projects and grants that primarily benefit the home district or state
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joint resolution
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a resolution that is passed by both houses of congress
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special-interest group
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An organization of people with some common interests who try to influence government decisions
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filibuster
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a tactic for defeating a bill in the Senate by talking until the bill's sponsor withdraws it
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cloture
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a procedure used in the senate to limit debate on a bill
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voice vote
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a voting method in which those in favor say "Yea" and those against say "No"
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standing vote
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in congress, when members stand to be counted for a vote on a bill
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roll-call vote
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a voting method in the Senate in which members voice their votes in turn
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veto
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refusal to sign a bill or resolution
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pocket veto
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President's power to kill a bill, if Congress is not in session, by not signing it for 10 days
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elector
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person appointed to vote in presidential elections for the major candidates
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executive order
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a rule or command that has the force of law
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pardon
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a declaration of forgiveness and freedom from punishment
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reprieve
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an order to delay a person's punishment until a higher court can hear the case
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amnesty
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A pardon to a group of people
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foreign policy
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a nations overall plan for dealing with other nations
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national security
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ability to keep the country safe from attack or harm
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treaty
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a formal agreement between the governments of two or more countries
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executive agreement
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An agreement between the President and the leader of another country.
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ambassador
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an official representative of a country's government
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trade sanction
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An effort to punish another nation by imposing trade barriers.
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embargo
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an agreement among a group of nations that prohibits them all from trading with a target nation
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cabinet
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a group of advisers to the president that includes the heads of 15 top-level executive departments
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federal bureaucracy
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the collective agencies and employees of the Executive Branch
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independent agency
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federal board or commission that is not part of any cabinet department
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government corporation
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a business owned and operated by the federal government
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political appointee
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person appointed to a federal position by the president
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civil service worker
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a person hired into a government position
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spoils system
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rewarding people with government jobs on the basis of their political support
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merit system
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hiring people into government jobs on the basis of their qualifications
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circuit
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the area of jurisdiction of a federal court of appeals
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jurisdiction
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a court's authority to hear and decide cases
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exclusive jurisdiction
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authority of only federal courts to hear and decide cases
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concurrent jurisdiction
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authority for both state and federal courts to hear and decide cases
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district court
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federal court where trials are held and lawsuits are begun
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original jurisdiction
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Power to hear the case in full for the first time
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appeals court
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a court that reviews decisions made in lower district courts
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appellate jurisdiction
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authority held by a court to hear a case that is appealed from lower court
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remand
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to send a case back to a lower court to be tried again
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opinion
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a detailed explanation of the legal thinking behind a court's decision in a case
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precedent
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A ruling that is used as the basis for a judicial decision in a later, similar case
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judicial review
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the power of the Supreme Court to say whether any federal, state, or local law or government action goes against the Constitution
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constitutional
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in accordance with the constitution
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docket
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a court's calendar, showing the schedule of cases it is to hear
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brief
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a written document explaining the position of one side or the other in a case
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majority opinion
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a statement that expresses the views of the majority
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unanimous opinion
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the Supreme Court rules on a case in which all justices agree on the ruling
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concurring opinion
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a statement written by a justice who votes with the majority, but for different reasons
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dissenting opinion
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a statement written by a justice who disagrees with the majority opinion, presenting his or her opinion
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stare decisis
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the practice of using earlier judicial rulings as a basis for deciding cases
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political party
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an association of voters with broad common interests who want to influence or control decision making in government by electing the party's candidates to public office
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two-party system
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a system of government in which two parties compete for power
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third party
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a party that challenges the two major parties
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platform
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a series of statements expressing the party's principles, beliefs, and positions on election issues.
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plank
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each individual part of a political party's platform
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national committee
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representatives from the 50 state party organizations who run a political party
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caucus
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a meeting of political party members to conduct party business
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precinct
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a geographic area that contains a specific number of voters
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ward
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several adjoining precincts making up a larger election unit
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political machine
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a strong party organization that can control political appointments and deliver votes
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direct primary
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an election in which party members select people to run in the general election
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closed primary
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an election in which only the declared members of a party are allowed to vote for that party's nominees
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open primary
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An election in which voters need not declare their party preference to vote for the party's nominees.
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plurality
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the most votes among all those running for a political office
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majority
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a number that is more than 50% of the total
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petition
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A process by which candidates who are not affiliated with one of the two major parties can get on the ballot for the general election in most states
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polling place
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the location where voting is carried out
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ballot
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The list of candidates on which you cast your vote on.
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absentee ballot
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One that allows a person to vote without going to the polls on election day
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returns
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ballots and results of an election
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exit poll
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A survey taken at polling places of how people voted
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electorate
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all the people who are eligible to vote
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apathy
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lack of interest
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initiative
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a procedure by which voters can propose a law or a constitutional amendment
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proposition
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a petition asking for a new law
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referendum
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a way for citizens to vote on state or local laws
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recall
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a special election in which citizens can vote to remove a public official from office
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winner-take-all system
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a system in which the candidate who wins the popular vote in a state usually receives all of the state's electoral votes
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propaganda
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certain ideas that may involve misleading messages designed to manipulate people
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political action committee
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political organization established by a corporation, labor union, or other special interest group designed to support candidates by contributing money
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soft money
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donations given to political parties and not designated for a particular candidate's election campaign
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incumbent
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a politician who has already been elected to office
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statute
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a law written by a legislative branch
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plaintiff
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a person or party filing a lawsuit
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defendant
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an individual or group being sued or charged with a crime
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felony
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a serious crime such as murder, rape, kidnapping, or robbery
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misdemeanor
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a relatively minor offense such as vandalism or stealing inexpensive items
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larceny
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the unlawful taking away of another person's property with the intent never to return it
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robbery
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the taking of property from a person's possession by using force or threats
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burglary
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unlawful entry into any dwelling or structure
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lawsuit
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a legal action in which a person or group sues to collect damages for some harm that is done
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tort
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a wrongful act, other than breach of contract, for which an injured party has the right to sue
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constitutional law
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branch of law dealing with formation, construction, and interpretation of constitutions
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plea bargaining
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Negotiation between the defense attorney and the prosecutor
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complaint
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a formal notice that a lawsuit is being brought
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discovery
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process by which attorneys have opportunity to check facts and gather evidence
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summons
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a formal notice directing someone to appear in court to answer a complaint or a charge
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settlement
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in a legal case, the amount of money the defendant agrees to pay the plaintiff
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prosecution
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party who starts the legal proceedings against another party for a violation of the law
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crime
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an act that breaks a law and causes harm to people or society in general
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penal code
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a state's written criminal laws
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parole
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to grant a prisoner an early release from prison, with certain restrictions
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mandatory sentencing
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punishment that judges must impose according to what the law directs
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arraignment
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a hearing in which a suspect is charged and pleads guilty or not guilty
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testimony
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the statement a witness makes under oath
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cross-examine
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to question a witness at a trial or a hearing to check or discredit the testimony
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acquittal
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a vote of not guilty
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hung jury
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a jury that cannot reach a verdict
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juvenile
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a person not yet legally an adult
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juvenile delinquent
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a child or teenager who commits a serious crime or repeatedly breaks the law
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rehabilitate
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To correct a person's behavior
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commute
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To reduce a criminal's sentence
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civil case
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person or group taking legal action against another person or group
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defendant
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an individual or group being sued or charged with a crime
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county
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normally the largest territorial and political subdivision of a state
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county seat
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a town where the county courthouse is located
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ordinance
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A law, usually of a city or county
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incorporate
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to receive a state charter, officially recognizing the government of a locality
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home rule
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allow cities to write their own charters, choose their own type of government, and manage their own affairs
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at-large election
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an election for an area as a whole; for example, statewide
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special district
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A unit of local government that deals with a specific function, such as education, water supply, or transportation
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balanced budget
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Annual budget in which expenditures equal revenues
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need
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requirement for survival, such as food, clothing, and shelter
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want
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a thing we would like to have, such as entertainment, vacation, or an item, that makes life comfortable and enjoyable
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economics
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the study of how individuals and nations make choices about ways to use scarce resources to fulfill their needs and wants
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microeconomics
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the economic behavior and decision-making by individuals and small businesses
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macroeconomics
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economic behavior and decision-making by government or whole industries or societies
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economic model
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simplified representation of the real world that economists develop to describe how the economy behaves and is expected to perform in the future
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economic system
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nations way of producing things its people want and need
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resource
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wealth
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scarcity
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not having enough resources to produce all of the things we would like to have
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trade-off
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the alternative you face if you decide to do one thing rather than another
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opportunity cost
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Cost of the next best alternative use of money, time, or resources when one choice is made rather than another
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marginal cost
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the additional or extra opportunity cost associated with an action
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marginal benefit
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the additional or extra benefit associated with an action.
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cost-benefit analysis
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Economic model that compares the marginal costs and marginal benefits of a decision.
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goods
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tangible products that we use to satisfy our wants and needs
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services
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work performed by a person for someone else
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factors of production
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resources necessary to produce goods and services
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natural resources
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gifts of nature that make production possible
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labor
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human effort directed toward producing goods and services
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capital
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previously manufactured goods used to make other goods and services
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entrepreneur
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individual who starts a new business, introduces a new product, and improves a management technique
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Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
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total dollar value of all final goods and services produced in a country during a single year
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standard of living
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the material well-being of an individual, group, or nation measured by how well their necessities and luxuries are satisfied
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market
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free and willing exchange of goods and services between buyers and sellers
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factor market
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a market where productive resources are bought and sold
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product market
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a market where producers offer goods and services for sale
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productivity
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the degree to which resources are being used efficiently to produce goods and services
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specialization
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when people, businesses, regions, and/or nations concentrate on goods and services that they can produce better than anyone else
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division of labor
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the breaking down of a job into separate, smaller tasks to be performed individually
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economic interdependence
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A reliance on others, as they rely on you, to provide goods and services to be consumed.
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capitalism
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a system in which private citizens own most, if not all, of the means of production and decide how to use them within legislated limits
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free enterprise
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economic system in which individuals and businesses are allowed to compete for profit with a minimum of government interference
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consumer sovereignty
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the role of consumer as the ruler of the market, determining what products will be produced
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private property rights
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the freedom to own and use our own property as we choose as long as we do not interfere with the rights of others
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competition
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the struggle that goes on between buyers and sellers to get the best products at the lowest prices
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profit
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the money a business receives for its products or services over and above its costs
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profit motive
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the driving force that encourages individuals and organizations to improve their material well-being
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voluntary exchange
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the act of buyers and sellers freely and willingly engaging in market transactions.
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laissez-faire economics
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economic system in which government should not interfere in the marketplace
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consumer
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someone who buys goods and services
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disposable income
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money income left after all taxes on it have been paid
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discretionary income
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money income left after necessities have been bought and paid for
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consumerism
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A movement to educate buyers about the purchases they make and to demand better and safer products from manufacturers
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comparison shopping
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buying strategy to get best buy for the money
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warranty
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promise made by a manufacturer or a seller to repair or replace a product within a certain time period if it is found to be faulty
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income
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money received from labor, business, or property
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expense
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Money spent on goods and services
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credit
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money borrowed to pay for a good or service
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annual percentage rate (APR)
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annual cost of credit expressed as a percentage of the amount borrowed
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collateral
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Property or valuable item serving as security for a loan
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bankruptcy
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inability to pay a debt
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save
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to set aside income for a period of time so that it can be used later
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interest
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The payment people receive when they lend money or allow someone else to use their money
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principal
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the amount of money initially deposited in a bank account
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return
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Profit earned through investing
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stock
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ownership share of a corporation
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dividend
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Payment of a portion of a company's earnings
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bond
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Contract to repay borrowed money with interest at a specific time in the future
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mutual funds
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pools od money from many people who are invested in a selection of individual stocks and bonds chosen by financial experts
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impulse buying
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purchasing an item on the spot because of an emotional rather than planned decision
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demand
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the desire, willingness, and ability to buy a good or service
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demand schedule
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table showing quantities demanded at different possible prices
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demand curve
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Downward sloping line that shows in graph form the quantities demanded at each possible price
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law of demand
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the concept that people are normally willing to buy less of a product if the price is high and more of it if the price is low
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market demand
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the total demand of all consumers for a product or service
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utility
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the amount of satisfaction one gets from a good or service
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marginal utility
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additional use that is derived from each unit acquired
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substitute
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a competing product that consumers can use in place of another
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complement
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product often used with another product
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demand elasticity
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measure of responsiveness relating change in quantity demanded to a change in price
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supply
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the amount of goods and services that producers are able and willing to sell at various prices during a specified time period
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law of supply
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the principle that suppliers will normally offer more for sale at higher prices and less at lower prices
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supply schedule
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table showing quantities supplied at different possible prices
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supply curve
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Upward sloping line that shows in graph form the quantities supplied at each possible price.
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profit
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the money a business receives for its products or services over and above its costs
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market supply
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the total of all the supply schedules of all the businesses that provide the same good or service
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productivity
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the degree to which resources are being used efficiently to produce goods and services.
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technology
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the methods or processes used to make goods and services
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subsidy
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a government payment to an individual, business, or group in exchange for certain actions
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supply elasticity
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responsiveness of quantity supplied to a change in price.
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surplus
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a situation in which quantity supplied is greater than quantity demanded; situation in which government spends less than it collects in revenues
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shortage
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situation in which quantity not quality demanded is greater than the quantity supplied
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equilibrium price
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the price at which the amount producers are willing to supply is equal to the amount consumers are willing to buy
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price ceiling
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Maximum price that can be charged for goods and services, set by the government
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price floor
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minimum price that can be charged for goods and services, set by the government
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minimum wage
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the lowest legal wage that can be paid to most U.S. workers
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sole proprietorship
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a business owned and operated by a single person
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financial capital
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money used to buy the tools and equipment used in production
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partnership
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a business owned by two or more people
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articles of partnership
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formal legal papers specifying the arrangement between partners
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corporation
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Type of business organization owned by many people but treated by law as though it were a person; it can own property, pay taxes, make contracts, etc.
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charter
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a government document that gives permission to create a corporation
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stockholder
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an individual who has invested in a corporation and owns some of its stock
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board of directors
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people elected by the shareholders of a corporation to act on their behalf
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cooperative
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A voluntary association of people formed to carry on some kind of economic activity that will benefit its members
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labor union
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association of workers organized to improve wages and working conditions for its members
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right-to-work laws
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state laws forbidding unions from forcing workers to join.
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collective bargaining
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process by which unions and employers negotiate the conditions of employment
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mediation
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situation in which union and company officials bring in a third party to try to help them reach an agreement
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arbitration
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situation in which union and company officials submit the issues they cannot agree on to a third party for a final decision
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strike
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when worker deliberately stop working in order to force an employer to give in to their demands
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boycott
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the refusal to purchase certain goods
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transparency
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Process of making business deals more visible to everyone
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discrimination
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an act of unfair treatment directed against an individual or a group
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social responsibility
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The obligation a business has to pursue goals that benefit society as well as themselves
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private goods
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Goods that, when consumed by one individual, cannot be consumed by another
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externality
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the unintended side effect of an action that affects someone not involved in the action
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public goods
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economics goods that are consumed collectively, such as highways and national defense
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monopoly
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When the market creates a sole provider for a good or service
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antitrust laws
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Legislation to prevent new monopolies from forming and police those that already exist
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merger
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a combination of two or more companies to form a single business
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natural monopoly
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a market situation in which the costs of production are minimized by having a single firm produce the product
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recall
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situation in which a company pulls a product off the market or agrees to change it to make it safe
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real GDP
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GDP after adjustments for inflation
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business cycle
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alternating periods of growth and decline that the economy goes through
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civilian labor force
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All civilians 16 years old or older who are either working or looking for work
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unemployment rate
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The percentage of people in the civilian labor force who are not working but are looking for jobs
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fiscal policy
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the federal government's use of spending and taxation policies to affect overall business activity
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inflation
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sustained increase in the general level of prices
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consumer price index
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Measure of change in price over time of specific group of goods and services
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food stamps
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government coupons that can be used to purchase food
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Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
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a program that provides help for nutrition and health care to low-income women, infants, and children up to age 5
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workfare
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programs that require welfare recipients to exchange some of their labor in return for benefits
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progressive income tax
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a tax that takes a larger percentage of higher incomes than lower incomes
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Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
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a program that gives tax credits and even cash payments to qualified workers
