Government Semester Exam Study Guide Words – Flashcards
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Public Policy
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the fundamental policy on which laws rest, especially policy not yet enunciated in specific rules.
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Legislative Power
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is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws
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Executive Power
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part of government that has sole authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state
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Judicial Power
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system of courts that interprets and applies the law in the name of the state
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Constitution
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a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed
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Democracy
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a form of government in which all eligible citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives
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State
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organized political community, living under a government
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Force Theory
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States that either a small group or a single person took domination over an area. Then, the residents residing in this area are forced to succumb to that person or group's law
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Divine Right Theory
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You have been appointed by God to rule
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Evolutionary Theory
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The natural development of government out of early family units
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Social Contract Theory
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holds that in earliest history man lived in a "state of nature." No government existed.
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Dictatorship
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form of government in which the leader has absolute power and authority
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Sovereign
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a nation's ruler or head of state usually by hereditary right
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Autocracy
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a political system governed by a single individual
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Oligarchy
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form of government in which a few people have the power
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Unitary Government
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a centralized government in which all government 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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the seperation of duties and responsibilities between the states and the national government
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Confederation
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the act of forming an alliance or confederation
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Presidential Government
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a form of government in which the executive and legislative branches of the 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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Mixed Economy
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an economic system that combines private and state enterprises
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Federal Government
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a government with strong central powers
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Bicameral
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consisting of two chambers
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Unicameral
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composed of one legislative body
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Proprietary
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an unincorporated business owned by a single person who is responsible for its liabilities and entitled to its profits
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Free Enterprise System
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an economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of capital goods
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Law of Supply and Demand
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the claim that the price of any good adjusts to bring the quantity supplied and the quantity demanded for that good into balance
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Limited Government
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a system in which government powers are carefully spelled out to prevent government from becoming too powerful
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Charter Colonies
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colony established by a group of settlers who had been given a formal document allowing them to settle
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First Continental Congress
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Delagates from all colonies except georgia met to discuss problems with britain and to promote independence
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Declaration of Independence
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the document recording the proclamation of the second Continental Congress (4 July 1776) asserting the independence of the colonies from Great Britain
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Connecticut Compromise
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Legislative branch-2 houses-one based on population, one based on equal representation
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3/5 Compromise
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the decision at the Constitutional convention to count slaves as 3/5 of a person for the purpose of deciding the population and determining how many seats each state would have in Congress
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Quorum
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a gathering of the minimal number of members of an organization to conduct business
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Delegated Power
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a power given to the federal government by the Constitution
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Reserved Powers
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Powers not specifically granted to the federal government or denied to the states belong to the states and the people
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Exclusive Powers
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Those powers that can be exercised by the National Government alone
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Concurrent Powers
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powers that are shared by both the federal and state governments
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Implied Powers
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powers not specifically mentioned in the constitution
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Expressed Powers
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Powers directly stated in the constitution, powers that Congress has that are specifically listed in the Constitution
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Inherent Powers
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powers that the national government may exercise simply because it is a government
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Block Grants
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Money from the national government that states can spend within broad guidelines determined by Washington
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Categorical Grants
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federal grants for specific purposes, such as building an airport
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Grant-in-aid Programs
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grants given to States and/or counties or cities
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Project Grants
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Federal categorical grants given for specific purposes and awarded on the basis of the merits of applications
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Extradition
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the surrender of an accused or convicted person by one state or country to another (usually under the provisions of a statute or treaty)
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Necessary and Proper Clause
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Constitutional clause that gives congress the power to make all laws "necessary and proper" for executing its powers
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Supremacy Clause
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The constitutional provision that makes the Constitution and federal laws superior to all conflicting state and local laws.
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Full Faith and Credit Clause
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Constitution's requirement that each state accept the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other state
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Process for admission of a new state to the Union
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Get a certain amount of people to agree
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Republican form of Government
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System of government in which power is held by the voters and is exercised by elected representatives responsible for promoting the common welfare.
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10th Amendment
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Powers Reserved to the States
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Mass Media
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forms of communication, such as newspapers and radio, that reach millions of people
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Political Opinion
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refers to a more narrow expression of attitudes on a political issue
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Sample
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a small part of something intended as representative of the whole
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Political Opinion Poll
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get the opinion of people by asking a lot of people the same question
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Straw Vote
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an unofficial vote taken to determine opinion on some issue
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Mandate
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a document giving an official instruction or command
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Measuring Public Opinion
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best measured by polls, device that attempt to collect information by asking people questions.
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Peer Group
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a group of individuals of roughly the same age who are linked by common interests
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Polling Process
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random (same chance as everyone else), valid questions (doesn't led or isnt complicated), analyze information
