Vocabulary Words 1

American Political Culture 1. Immigrant: people who come to a country to settle as permanent residents 2. Quotas: set numbers, such as for immigrants, who may enter a country in a year 3. Aliens: people who live in a nation but are not citizens of that nation 4. Refugees: people who flee persecution in their homeland to seek safety in another nation 5. Native-born citizen: a person who has citizenship based on birth in the United States or its territories 6. Naturalization: a legal process by which aliens become citizens 7. American exceptionalism: The view that the United States is different from other countries. 8. Political efficacy: the belief that the government listens to normal people and that participation can make a difference in government. 9. Necessary evil: Something that is believed to be needed but is not good in and of itself; many Americans see government as a necessary evil. 10.Diversity: A mix of different cultural and religious traditions and values. 11.Rugged individualism: A form of individualism that emphasizes self-reliance and ignoring what others want and think. 12.Rights of the minority: Rights held by the minority that must be respected by the majority. 13.Conformism: A tendency for people to act the same way, watch the same television programs, read the same books, and so on. 14.Popular sovereignty: A regime in which the government must respond to the wishes of the people. 15.Equality of opportunity: When all people are given the same chances to compete and achieve so that those with talent and diligence will succeed, whereas others will not. 16.Equality of outcome: When all people achieve the same result, regardless of talent or effort. 17.Political equality: treating everyone the same way in the realm of politics. 18.Laissez-faire capitalism: The economic philosophy that the government should not interfere with the economy. 19.Limited government: A government that places few restrictions on its citizens’ choices and actions, and in which the government is limited in what it can do. 20.Liberty: The freedom to do what one chooses as long as one does not harm or limit the freedom of other people. Constitution and Its Founding 21.Direct democracy: a form of government in which all the people meet together at one place to make laws and decide what actions to take 22.Democracy: a form of government in which the people of a country either rule directly or through elected representatives

23.Representative democracy: a form of government in which the people elect representatives to carry on the work of government for them 24.Constitution: a written plan of government 25.First Continental Congress: A gathering of representatives from all thirteen colonies in 1774; it called for a total boycott of British goods in protest against taxes. 26.Second Continental Congress: The governing body over the colonies during the revolution that drafted the Articles of Confederation to create the first national government. 27.Articles of Confederation: America’s first national constitution, which loosely bound the states under a weak national Congress. 28.Shay’s Rebellion: A 1786 uprising of Massachusetts farmers against high taxes and debt. 29.Framers: The men who wrote the Constitution. 30.Three-fifths Compromise: A compromise on how to count slaves for determining population; slaves were counted as three-fifths of a person. 31.Electoral College: The body that elects the president of the United States; composed of electors from each state equal to that state’s representation in Congress; a candidate must get a majority of electoral votes to win. 32.Separation of powers: Dividing up governmental power among several branches. 33.Checks and balances: The ability of different branches of government to stop each other from acting; designed to prevent one branch from gaining too much power. 34.Reapportionment:The process of reallocating representation in the House of Representatives after a census; some states will gain seats, while others will lose them. 35.Census: Counting the population to determine representation in the House of Representatives; the constitution mandates one every ten years. 36.Judicial review: The power of the courts to declare laws and presidential actions unconstitutional. 37.Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas: Supreme Court case that ended segregation and declared “separate but equal” to be unconstitutional. 38.Amendment: A change to the Constitution. 39.Bill of rights: The first ten amendments to the Constitution, which safeguard some specific rights of the American people and the states. 40.Confederation: a loose association of states 41.Tyranny of the majority: when the majority violate the rights of the minority 42.McCulloch v. Maryland: A Supreme Court case that granted the federal government extensive power to carry out its enumerated powers 43.Delegates: representatives 44.Delegated powers: powers given to the federal government by the Constitution 45.Bicameral: consisting of two houses, as in a lawmaking body

46.Federalism: a system of government in which the powers of government are divided between the national government, which governs the whole country, and the state governments, which govern the people of each state 47.Federalists: supporter of the constitution who urged its adoption 48.Anti-federalists: opponents of the Constitution who urged its rejection 49.Ratification: approval by a formal vote 50.Compromise: a an agreement in which each side gives up part of its demands 51.Legislature: a lawmaking body of government 52.Supremacy clause: The part of Article VI of the Constitution that specified that the federal Constitution, and laws passed by the federal government, are the supreme law of the land. FEDERALISM 53.Unitary government: A system of government where power is concentrated in the hands of the central government 54.Federal system: a system of government where power is shred between the central government and state and local governments. 55.Confederate government: a system of government with a very weak central government and strong states. 56.Enumerated powers: The powers specifically given to Congress in Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution (expressed powers) 57.Expressed powers: the specific power given to the Congress or the president y the Constitution; also called the enumerated powers. 58.Necessary and proper clause: A clause at the end of Article I, Section 8, of the U.S. Constitution that grants Congress the power to do whatever is necessary and proper to carry out its duties; also known as the elastic clause 59.Elastic clause: Clause in Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution that says the Congress has the power to do anything that is necessary and proper in order to carry out its explicit powers; also called the necessary and proper clause. 60.Implied powers: Powers given to the national government by the necessary and proper clause. 61.Inherent powers: The powers inherent to the national government because the United States is a sovereign nation. 62.Prohibited powers: The powers specifically denied to the national government by the Constitution. 63.Commerce clause: A clause in Article I, Section 8, of the U.S. Constitution that grants Congress the power to regulate interstate commerce. 64.Reserved powers: The powers reserved to the states and the people in the Tenth Amendment. 65.Concurrent powers: Powers exercised simultaneously by the states and the federal government. 66.Full faith and credit clause: A clause in Article IV of the Constitution that declared that state governments must give full faith and credit to other state government’s decisions.

67.Charter: A document issued by state government granting certain powers and responsibilities to a local government 68.Home rule: The granting of significant autonomy (freedom) to local governments by state governments. 69.Special district: A type of local government designed to meet a very specific need. 70.Dual federalism: A term to describe federalism through most of the nineteenth century, where the federal and state government each had their own issue areas, which rarely overlapped; also known as layer-cake federalism 71.Layer-cake federalism: A term used to describe federalism through most of the nineteenth century, in which the federal and state governments each had their own issue areas, that rarely overlapped; also known as dual federalism. 72.Due process clause: Part of the Fourteenth Amendment, which declares that no person can be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law; states cannot deprive citizens of their legal rights. 73.Equal protection clause: Part of the Fourteenth Amendment, which states that states must give all citizens the equal protection under the law. 74.Privileges and immunities clause: Part of the Fourteenth Amendment, which forbids state governments from taking away any of the privileges and immunities of American citizenship. 75.Industrialization: 76.Globalization: 77.Cooperative federalism: A term used to describe federalism for most of the twentieth century (and into the twenty-first), where the federal government and the states work closely together and are intertwined; also known as marble-cake federalism. 78.Marble-make federalism: A term used to describe federalism for most of the twentieth century (and into the twenty-first), where the federal government and the states work closely together and are intertwined; also known as cooperative federalism. 79.New federalism: An American movement, starting in the 1970’s, to return power to state and local governments, thereby decreasing the amount of power held by the federal government. 80.Devolution: The process of the national government giving responsibilities and powers to state, local, or regional governments. 81.Fiscal federalism: The practice of states spending federal money to help administer national programs. 82.Grants-in-aid: A general term to describe federal aid given to the states for a particular matter. 83.Block grants: A grant-in-aid with few restrictions or rules about how it can be spent.

84.Categorical grants:Money given for a specific purpose that comes with restrictions concerning how the money should be spent. There are two types of categorical grants: project grants and formula grants. 85.Project grants: Categorical grant programs in which states submit proposals for projects to the federal government and the national government chooses which to fund on a competitive basis. 86.Formula grants: Grants in which a formula is used to determine how much money each state receives. 87.Mandates: When the federal government requires states to do certain things. 88.Unfunded mandates: A mandate for which the federal government gives the states no money. 89.Regulated federalism: The practice of the national government imposing standards and regulations on state governments. 90.Preemption: The practice of the national government overriding state and local laws in the name of the national interest. 91.Horizontal federalism: How state governments relate to one another. 92.Gibbons v. Ogden: An 1824 Supreme Court case that gave the federal government extensive powers through the commerce clause.

THE PRESIDENCY 93.Executive privilege: The right of officials of the executive branch to refuse to disclose some information to other branches of government or to the public 94.Executive order: An order issued by the president that has the effect of law. 95.Impeach: The power of the House of Representatives to charge an officeholder with crimes; the Senate then holds a trial to determine if the officeholder should be expelled from office. 96.Federal Register: A federal publication that lists all executive orders. 97.State of the Union Address: A constitutionally mandated message, given by the president to Congress, in which the president lays out plans for the coming year. 98.Reprieves: A formal postponement of the execution of a criminal sentence; the president has the power to grant reprieves. 99.Pardon: A release from punishment from criminal conviction; the president has the power to pardon. 100.Electoral College: The body that elects the president of the United States; composed of electors from each state equal to that state’s representation in Congress; a candidate must get a majority of electoral votes to win 101.Electors: A member of the electoral college 102.Winner-take-all system: An electoral system in which the person with the most votes wins everything (and everyone else loses); most states have winner-take-all systems for determining electoral votes.

103.Veto: The power of the president to stop a bill passed by Congress from becoming law. 104.Pocket Veto: An unusual type of presidential veto: When the president neither signs no vetoes a bill, after ten days the bill dies if Congress is not in session. 105.Majority: More than half 106.Plurality: More votes than any other candidate but not a majority 107.Veto message: A message written by the president, attached to a bill he or she has vetoed, which explains the reasons for the veto. 108.Signing message: A message attached to a bill the president signs, explaining his or her understanding of the bill. 109.Legislative agenda: A series of laws a person wishes to pass. 110.War Powers Resolution: Passed in 1973, the War Powers Resolution demands that the president consult with Congress when sending troops into action; it also gives Congress the power to force withdrawal of troops. 111.Cabinet: A group composed of the heads of federal departments and key agencies that advises the president. 112.Kitchen Cabinet: An informal name for the president’s closest advisers. 113.Faithless Electors: An elector who votes for someone other than the candidate who won the most votes in the state. 114.Chief of State: The ceremonial head of government; in the United States, the president serves as chief of state. 115.Bureaucracy: An administrative way of organizing large numbers of people to work together; usually relies on specialization, hierarchy, and standard operating procedure. 116.Appointment Powers: The president’s power to appoint people to key federal offices. 117.Constitutional powers: Powers of the president granted explicitly in the Constitution. 118.Delegated Powers: Powers granted by Congress to help the president fulfill his duties. 119.Inherent Powers: The powers inherent to the national government because the United States is a sovereign nation. 120.Expressed Powers: The specific powers given (expressed) POLITICAL PARTIES 121.Political party 122.Party identification 123.Independents 124.Party organization 125.Convention delegates 126.Party activists 127.Duopoly 128.Plurality

129.Winner-take-all system 130.Single-member districts 131.Multiple-member districts 132.Proportional representation 133.Realignment 134.Crosscutting 135.Critical election 136.Soft money 137.Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act 138.McCain-Feingold bill 139.527 groups 140.Third party 141.Caucus 142.Machines patronage 143.Populists 144.Responsible parties 145.Party reform 146.Dealignment 147.Split-ticket voting 148.Divided governments 149.Candidate-centered politics 150.Party-centered 151.Splinter party 152.Spoiler