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