Key Points 1-3
Terms
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- concurrent powers
- - Powers held jointly by the national and state governments
- checks and balances
- a major principle of the american system of government whereby each branch of the government can check the actions of the others.
- amendments
- laws passed to the Constitution for the purpose of protecting individual liberties against incursions by the national government.
- cooperative federalism
- A model of federalism in which the states and the national government cooperate in solving problems
- totalitarian
- a form of government that controls all aspects of the political and social life of a nation.
- purposes of government
- maintainence of security or order, making decisions and establishing political values.
- boston massacre
- 1770 - colonists throwing snowballs at british soliders as a results, british opened fire.
- direct democracy
- a system of government in which political decisions are made by the people directly, rather than by their elected representatives; probably attained most easily in small political communities.
- interstate compacts
- An agreement between two or more states. Agreements on minor matters are made without congressional consent, but any compact that tends to increase the power of the contracting states relative to other states or relative to the national government generally requires the consent of Congress
- mccullough v maryland
- 1819; Case in which the government of Maryland imposed a tax on the Second Bank's Baltimore branch in an attempt to put that branch out of business. The branch's cashier, James William McCulloch, refused to pay the Maryland tax. When Maryland took McCulloch to its state court, the state of Maryland won, and the national government appealed the case to the Supreme Court. The outcome, based on the decision of Chief Justice Marshall, enabled the national government to grow and to meet problems that the Constitutions framers were unable to foresee
- anarchy
- no government
- intolerable acts
- closed Boston Harbor and placed the government of Massachusetts under direct British Control.
- iroqouis consitution
- the supreme law of the land, which takes precedence over any state or local laws.
- limited government
- a government in which governmental powers are limited either through a written document or through widely shared beliefs.
- necessary and proper clause
- The clause in Article I, Section 8, that grants Congress the power to do whatever is necessary to execute its specifically delegated powers.
- french and indian war
- 1756-1763 - conflict between france and england - colonists fought, paid and funded rebuilding the war (french side)
- 1st continental congress
- a gathering of delagates from twelve of the thirteen colonies (excluding Georgia at the time) to propose and discuss resolutions.
- liberal
- a set of beliefs that includes the advocacy of positive government action to improve the welfare of individuals, support for civil rights, and tolerance for political and social change.
- popular sovereignty
- the concept that ultimate political authority is based on the will of the people.
- us constitution articles
- created after articles of confederation; longest in the world
- supremacy clause
- The constitution provision that makes the Constitution and federal laws superior to all conflicting state and local laws
- new jersey plan
- followed the Articles of Confederation (one state, one vote), allowed for congress to regulate trade and impose taxes, stated that all acts of congress would be the supreme law of the land, proposed that several people would be elected by Congress to form an executive office which would appoint a Supreme Court.
- articles of confederation
- one state, one vote. All states had equality.
- federalist papers
- Editiorals written in the Newspapers, supporting Ratification of the Constitution.
- virginia plan
- a plan which favored having the number of representatives being proportional to a states population. This plan favored the larger states, by giving them more representatives, while the smaller states, had fewer.
- thomas jefferson
- wrote declaration of independence
- inherent powers
- A power of the president derived from the statements in the Constitution that "the executive Power shall be vested in a President" and that the President should " take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed"; defined through practice rather than through law
- gibbens v ogden
- 1824; Case in which three issues were raised. The defined meaning of commerce in waterways, whether the national government's power to regulate interstate commerce extended to commerce within a state (intrastate), and whether the power to regulate intersate commerce was a concurrent power or an exclusive national power.
- james madison
- (1751-1836) earned the title "master builder of the constitution" because of his persuasive logic during the Constitutional Convention. His contributions to the Federalist Papers showed him to be a brilliant political thinker and writer. (Library of Congress)
- great compromise
- the compromise between the New Jersey and Virginia plans that created one chamber of the Congress based on population and one chamber representing each state equally; also called the Connecticut Compromise.
- 2nd continental congress
- a gathering of representatives from all colonies; main action was to establish an army.
- freedom
- a major political value that may be promoted by government; liberty.
- three-fifths compromise
- illustrates the power of the southern states at the convention; mena that the house of representatives and the electoral college would be apportioned in part on the basis of property - specially, property in slaves.
- state government
- Powers of state governments include each state's right to regulate commerce within its borders and to provide for a state militia. The states also have the reserved power to make laws on all matters not porhibited to the states by the U.S. Constiution or state constitutions and not expressly, or by implication, delegated authority to legislate for the protection of the health, morarls, safety, and welfare of the people.
- social contract
- a voluntary agreement among individuals to secure their rights and welfare by creating a government and abiding by its rules.
- 10th amendment
- States that the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states, or to the people.
- prohibited powers
- powers denied to national and/or state governments. Any power not granted expressly or implicitly to the federal government by the Constitution is prohibited to it.
- federal system pros and cons
- - Pros - state governments long have been a training ground for future national leaders. Many presidents made their political mark as state governors. The states themselves have been testing grounds for new government initiatives. Cons - Powerful state and local interests can block progress and impede national plans. Too many Americans suffer as a result of the inequalitites across the states. Individual states differ markedly in educational spending and achievement, crime and crime prevention, and even the safety of their buildings.
- legitimacy
- popular acceptance of the right and power of a government or other entity to exercise authority.
- sugar act
- passed by the British Parliament in 1764, which imposed colonists to pay taxes.
- declaration of independence
- documentation that the thirteen colonies had declared their independence from the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain had been totally dissolved.
- state's rights
- Decreased significantly while John Marshall was chief justice of the Supreme Court.
- picket fence federalism
- A model of federalism in which specific programs and policies (depicted as vertical pickets in a picket fence) involve all levels of government - national, state, and local (depicted by the horizontal boards in a picket fence).
- new deal
- Designed by Roosevelt; included large-scale emergency anti-poverty programs. Also introduced major new laws regulating economic activity, such as the National Industrial Recovery Act of 1933, which established the National Recovery Administration (NRA) - which was initially the center of the New Deal. This provided codes for every industry to restrict competition and regulate labor relations.
- magna carta
- the great charter from which the bill of rights evolved
- political science
- who gets what, when, and how; the study of the struggle over power or influence within organizations or informal groups that can grant or withhold benefits or privileges.
- civil war
- Brought about in large part because of the South's desire for increased states' rights; resulted in the opposite: an increase in the political power of the national government.
- anti-federalists
- Individuals who opposed the ratification of the new Constitution in 1787. They were opposed to a strong, central government
- unitary system
- a centralized governmental system in which ultimate governmental authority rests in the hands of the national, or central, government
- boston tea party
- colonists dressed as Mohawk Indians dumped close to 350 chests of British tea into Boston Harbor as a gesture of tax protest.
- bill of rights
- the first ten amendments to the constitution
- order
- a state of peace and security. Maintaining order by protecting members of society from violence and criminal activity is the oldest purpose of government.
- proclamation of 1763
- colonists can not go past the apalachen mountains
- federalist 10
- considered a classic in political theory; deals with the nature of groups; favored a large republic.
- ideology
- a comprehensive set of beliefs about the nature of people and about the role of an institution or government.
- democracy
- a system of government in which political authority is vested in the people. Derived from the greek words demos ("the people") and kratos ("authority")
- alexander hamilton
- one of the framers of the constitution; believed that a distinct, permanent share in the government should be given to the first class because they were rich and considered to be wellborn.
- block grants
- Federal programs that provide funds to state and local governments for broad functional areas, such as criminal justice or mental-health programs.
- federalism
- Division of authority, usually by a written constitution, between a central government and regional, or subdivisional, governments (often called constituent governments).
- equality
- as a political value, the idea that all people are of equal worth.
- thomas paine
- wrote best selling pamphlet Common Sense; argued that a government of our own is our natural right and that nothing could settle our affairs so expedtiously as an open and determined declaration for Independence.
- john locke
- English philosopher, whose writings were familiar to educated American colonists. Wrote Two Treaties on Government, in which he argued that all people possessed certian natural rights, including the rights to life, liberty, and property, and that the primary purpose of government was to protect these rights.
- majoritarianism
- a political theory holding that in a democracy, the government ought to do what the majority of the people want.
- shay's rebellion
- demonstrated that the central government could not protect the citizenry from armed rebellion or provide adequately for the public welfare.
- pluarlism
- a theory that views politics as a conflict among interest groups. Political decision making is characterized by bargaining and compromise.
- theocracy
- religious rule
- universal suffrage
- the right of all adults to vote for their representatives
- great depression
- Time in which thousands of banks and businesses failed or closed down, and almost one-fourth of the labor force was unemployed; the economy was in a disastrous state.
- categorial grants
- - Federal grants to states or local governments that are for specific programs or projects.
- stamp act
- provided for internal taxation; referred to by the colonists' Stamp Act Congress as: "taxation without representation".
- elite theory
- a perspective holding that society is ruled by a small number of people who exercise power to further their self-interest.
- conservative
- a set of beliefs that includes a limited role for the national government in helping individuals, support for traditional values and lifestyles, and a cautious response to change.
- oligarchy
- rule by the wealthy
- confederal system
- A system consisting of a league of independent states, each having essentially sovereign powers. The central government created by such a league has only limited powers over the states.
- new federalism
- Devolving authority from the national government tot he states. Involved the categorial grants into block grants, thereby giving state governments greater flexibility in spending. Also included the Revenue Sharing Plan, in which the national government provided direct, unconditional financial support to state and local governments.
- political parties
- Groups of political activists who organize to win elections, operate the government, and determine public policy
- mayflower compact
- a political statement in which the signers agreed to create and submit to the authority of a government, pending the receipt of a royal charter.
- political party
- a group of political activists who organize to win elections, operate the government, and determine public policy.
- ratification
- formal approval
- aristocracy
- rule by the "best"; in reality, rule by an upper class
- representative democracy
- a form of government in which representatives elected by the people make and enforce laws and policies; may retain the monarchy in ceremonial role.
- enumerated powers
- Powers specifically granted to the national government by the Constitution. The first seventeen clauses of Article I, Section 8, specify most of the enumerated powers of the national government
- police powers
- The authority to legislate for the protection of the health, morals, safety, and welfare of the people. In the United States, most police power is reserved to the states.
- federal mandates
- A requirement in federal legislation that forces states and muicipalities to comply with certain rules
- authoritarian
- a type of regime in which only the government itself is fully controlled by the ruler. Social and economic institutions exist that are not under the government's control.
- majority rule
- a basic principle of democracy asserting that the greatest number of citizens in any political unit should select officials and determine policies.