Political Science /Foundations of U.S. Government & Political Theory Part 2
Foundations of U.S. Government & Political Theory Part 2
This deck covers key concepts, principles, and historical elements of U.S. government and political theory, including compromises, federalism, and landmark Supreme Court cases.
Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise
Congress could not tax exports nor ban the slave trade for 20 years
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Key Terms
Term
Definition
Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise
Congress could not tax exports nor ban the slave trade for 20 years
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popular sovereignty
the idea that political authority belongs to the people
constitutionalism / rule of law
basic principle that government and those who govern must obey the law
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separation of powers
a principle of American government whereby constitutional authority is shared by three separate branches of government
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checks and balances
the power of the legislature, executive, and judicial branches of government to block some acts by the other two branches
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federalism
a political system in which ultimate authority is shared between a central government and state or regional governments
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| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise | Congress could not tax exports nor ban the slave trade for 20 years |
popular sovereignty | the idea that political authority belongs to the people |
constitutionalism / rule of law | basic principle that government and those who govern must obey the law |
separation of powers | a principle of American government whereby constitutional authority is shared by three separate branches of government |
checks and balances | the power of the legislature, executive, and judicial branches of government to block some acts by the other two branches |
federalism | a political system in which ultimate authority is shared between a central government and state or regional governments |
judicial review | the power of the courts to declare acts of legislature and of the executive to be unconstitutional and hence null and void |
Marbury v. Madison | established judicial review |
Charles Beard | argued that the Founders were largely motivated by the economic advantage of their class in writing the Constitution |
Federalists | supporters of the ratification of the Constitution and a strong central government |
Anti-federalists | opposed the ratification of the Constitution because it gave more power to the federal government and less to the states, and because it did not ensure individual rights |
Federalist Papers | series of essays that defended the Constitution and tried to reassure Americans that the states would not be overpowered by the federal government (some authored by Madison) |
Federalist #10 | argues that liberty is safest in a large republic because many factions exist; This diversity makes tyranny by the majority more difficult since ruling coalitions will always be unstable |
Federalist #51 | argues that separation of powers within the national government is the best way to prevent the concentration of power in the hands of one person or a single group |
faction | a group, usually a small part of a larger group, united around some cause; refers to political parties and special interests or interest groups |
ratification of Constitution | required 9 out of 13 states |
"living document" | a document that grows and changes as needed (Constitution) |
formal amendment process | proposed by 2/3 vote in each house of congress, ratified by 3/4 of state legislation |
informal amendment process | changing the meaning of the Constitution without a formal amendment (ex. Supreme Court opinions and laws) |
Equal Rights Amendment | constitutional amendment passed by Congress but never ratified that would have banned discrimination on the basis of gender |
constitutional reform | the act of changing a constitution |
unitary system | a system in which sovereignty is wholly in the hands of the national government on its will |
confederation | a political system in which states or regional governments retain ultimate authority except for those powers that they expressly delegate to a central government |
delegated (enumerated) powers | powers given to the federal government |
expressed powers | powers directly stated in the Constitution |
implied powers | powers of the federal government that go beyond those in the Constitution |
inherent powers | powers delegated to the national government because it is the government of a sovereign state within the world community |
exclusive powers | powers that can be exercised by the national government alone |
concurrent powers | powers that are shared by both the federal and state governments |
10th Amendment | the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States |
Nationalist view | strong national government |
States' Rights view | the right of states to limit the power of the federal government |
McCulloch v. Maryland | Supreme Court ruled that states had no right to interfere with federal institutions within their borders and that a national bank was constitutional; strengthened federal power |
Gibbons v. Ogden | Supreme Court decision that ruled that the Constitution gave control of interstate commerce to the U.S. Congress, not the individual states through which a route passed |
dual federalism | (layer cake) both the states and the national government remain supreme within their own spheres, each responsible for some policies. |
cooperative federalism | (marble cake) system in which both federal government and state governments cooperate in solving problems |
new federalism | (cupcakes) system in which the national government restores greater authority back to the states. |
extradition | the surrender of an accused or convicted person by one state to another |
"privileges and immunities" | citizens of each state must have the privleges of citizens of other states |
"full faith and credit" | each State accept the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other State |
nullification | the states'-rights doctrine that a state can refuse to recognize or to enforce a federal law passed by the United States Congress. North's Civil War victory decided that this can not happen. |
fiscal federalism | the pattern of spending, taxing, and providing grants in the federal system |
block grants | money from the national government that states can spend within broad guidelines |
categorical grants | federal grants to states or local governments that are for specific programs or projects. |
formula grants | federal categorical grants distributed according to a formula specified in legislation or in administrative regulations |
project grants | categorical grants awarded on the basis of competitive applications submitted by prospective recipients to perform a specific task or function |
devolution | the transfer of powers and responsibilities from the federal government to the states |
mandates | rules imposed by the federal government on the states as condition for obtaining federal grants or requirements that the states pay the costs of certain nationally defined programs |