american federal government test 1
political power
influence over a government's institutions, leadership, or policies
toll good
a good that is available to many people but is used only by those who can pay the price to do so
social capital
connections with others and the willingness to interact and aid them
Three-Fifths Compromise
a compromise between northern and southern states that called for counting of all a state's free population and 60 percent of its slave population for both federal taxation and representation in congress
Great Compromise
a compromise between the Virginia Plan and New Jersey Plan that created a two-house Congress; representation based on population in the House of Representatives and equal representation of states in the Senate
Declaration of Independence
a document written in 1776 in which the American colonists proclaimed their independence from Great Britain and listed their grievances against the British king
republic
a form of government in which political power rests in the hands of the people. not a monarch, and is exercised by elected representatives
federal system
a form of government in which power is divided between state governments and a national government
oligarchy
a form of government where a handful of the elite society members hold political power
totalitarianism
a form of government where government is all-powerful and citizens have no rights
monarch
a form of government where one rue, usually a hereditary one, holds political power
direct democracy
a form of government where people participate directly in making government decisions instead of choosing representatives to do this for them
democracy
a form of government where political power rests in the hands of the people
representative democracy
a form of government where voters elect representatives to make decisions and pass laws in behalf of all the people instead of allowing people to vote directly on laws
majority rule
a fundamental principle of democracy; the majority should have the power to make decisions binding upon the whole
confederation
a highly decentralized form of government; sovereign stater form a union for purposes such as mutual defense
unicameral legislature
a legislature with only one house, like the Confederation Congress or the legislature proposed by the New Jersey Plan
bicameral legislature
a legislature with two houses, such as the U.S. Congress
Virginia Plan
a plan for a two-house legislature; representatives would be elected to the lower house based on each state's population; representatives for the upper house would be chosen by the lower house
New Jersey Plan
a plan that called for a one-house national legislature; each state would receive one vote
checks and balances
a system that allows one branch of governments to limit the exercise of power by another branch; requires different parts of government to work together
social contract
an agreement between people and government in which citizens consent to be governed so long as the government protects their natural rights
reserved powers
any powers not prohibited by the Constitution or delegated to the national government; powers reserved to the states and denied to the federal governmnet
intense preferences
beliefs and preferences based on strong feelings regarding an issue that someone adheres to over time
latent preferences
beliefs and preferences people are not deeply committed to and that change over time
elite theory
claims political power rests in the hands of a small, elite group of people
pluralist theory
claims political power rests in the hands of groups of people
private goods
goods provided by businesses that can be used by only those who pay for them
public goods
goods provided by government that anyone can use and that are available to all without charge
common good
goods that all people may use but that are of limited supply
minority rule
protections for those who are not part of the majority
partisanship
strong support, or even blind allegiance, for a particular political party
ideology
the beliefs and ideals that help shape political opinion and eventually policy
Articles of Confederation
the first basis for the new nation's government; adopted in 1781; created an alliance of sovereign states held together by a weak central government
government
the means by which a society organizes itself and allocates authority in order to accomplish collective goals
veto
the power of the president to reject a law proposed by congress
enumerated powers
the powers given explicitly to the federal government by the Constitution (Article I, Section 8); power to regulated interstate and foreign commerce, raise and support armies, declare war, coin money, and conduct foreign affairs
politics
the process by which we decide how resources will be allocated and which policies government will persue
natural rights
the right to life, liberty, and property; believed to be a given by God; no government may take away
separation of powers
the sharing of powers among three separate branches of government
supremacy clause
the statement in Article VI of the Constitution that federal law is superior to laws passed by state legislatre