STUDY TERMS-PALETZ



AMERICAN GOVERNMENT STUDY TERMS

NOTE: In this study guide the word unit refers to units in this class in terms of test coverage. The word chapter refers to chapters in the textbook.

UNIT ONE

Chapter 1-American Government

democracy direct democracy government ideology

majority rule minority rights monarchy politics

representative democracy

Chapter 2-The Constitution

amendment Antifederalists Articles of Confederation bicameral

Bill of Rights checks and balances Electoral College federalism

Federalist Papers Federalists Great Compromise John Locke

judicial review New Jersey Plan republic supremacy clause

Shays’s Rebellion separation of powers 3/5 Compromise Virginia Plan

Chapter 3-American Federalism (3.1, 3.2 and 3.5)

commerce clause concurrent powers confederation delegated powers

enumerated powers (11.1) implied powers (11.1) expressed powers

exclusive powers federalism Gibbons V. Ogden inherent poser (11.1)

McCulloch v. Maryland Marbury v. Madison nullification

reserved powers states rights unitary necessary and proper clause

UNIT TWO

Chapter 8-The Media

agenda setting framing priming libel slander

Chapter 6-The Politics of Public Opinion

benchmark poll exit poll focus group gender gap

public opinion public opinion polls push polling random sampling

sample straw poll tracking poll political socialization

agents of political socialization political ideology

Chapter 10-Interest Groups and Lobbying

business and occupational interest group sex, gender, ethnicity age, religious interest group

single issue interest groups good government interest group

lobbying lobbyist in house lobbyist contract lobbyist

grassroots movement astroturf movement

Chapter 9-Political Parties

critical election divided government factions independent

minor party party id platform political party

plurality polarization proportional representation realignment

single member district tea party third party

winner take all two party system

Chapter 7-Voting and Elections (also 12.2)

closed primary constituent Electoral College initiative

incumbent midternm election open primary primary

recall referendum straight ticket winner take all

technically closed but open in practice primary early voting jungle/blanket/top two primary

barriers to voting grandfather clause literacy test poll tax (Ch. 5)

voter turnout voting (Ch. 5) white primary (5.2) Voting Rights Act

UNIT THREE

Chapter 11-Congress

bicameral bill cloture conference committee

constituent filibuster gerrymander (9.4) impeachment

incumbent polarization (9.4) politico reapportionment

redistricting (9.4) President of Senate Speaker term limits

delegate partisan trustee reapportionment (9.4)

Chapter 12-The Presidency

appointment power bully pulpit commander in chief Cabinet

Chief Executive delegated powers executive order expressed powers

going public line item veto natural born citizen patronage (15.1)

signing statement 22nd Amendment veto Vice President

UNIT FOUR

Chapter 13-The Courts

appellate court appellate jurisdiction Chief Justice civil law

criminal law dissenting opinion due process of law judicial activism

judicial restraint judicial review jurisdiction Marbury v. Madison

opinion original jurisdiction oral argument precedent

procedural law Rule of 4 stare decisis Supreme Court

trial court writ of certiorari

Chapter 4-Civil Liberties

Bill of Rights civil liberties double jeopardy due process of law

establishment clause exclusionary rule free exercise clause Miranda rule

prior restraint right to privacy symbolic speech selective incorporation

Chapter 5-Civil Rights

affirmative action civil rights de facto/de jure due process of law

equal protection hate crime Jim Crow laws separate but equal

Chapter 16-Domestic Policy

deficit debt entitlements discretionary spending

disctibutive policy Medicaid Medicare policymaking

public policy redistributive policy regulatory policy Social Security

Chapter 17-Foreign Policy

Cold War containment diplomacy executive agreements

foreign policy isolationism United Nations

AMERICAN GOVERNMENT STUDY QUESTIONS

UNIT ONE

Chapter 1-American Government

1. Identify and explain the type of government in the United States and compare it to other forms of government.

2. Explain how the concepts of majority rule and minority rights work with each other.

3. Discuss the factors that may affect people’s willingness to become engaged in government.

Chapter 2-The Constitution

1. Describe U. S. government under the Articles of Confederation.

*2. Identify the conflicts present and the compromises reached in writing the Constitution.

3. Describe the ratification process and the issues and conflicts which characterized the ratification debate?

Chapter 3-American Federalism (3.1, 3.2, and 3.5)

*1. Explain with examples the difference between expressed, implied, reserved, and denied powers.

*2. Describe the reasons for the change in the balance of power between the nation and stated governments since the ratification of the Constitution.

3. Discuss the implications of early Supreme Court decisions such as Marbury v. Madison, McCulloch v. Maryland, and Gibbons v, Ogden.

4. Explain and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of federalism.

UNIT TWO

Chapter 8-The Media

1. Describe the main functions of the media in a free society.

2. Explain how citizens learn political information from the media.

3. Identify forms of bias that exist in news coverage and ways the media can present biased coverage.

Chapter 6-The Politics of Public Opinion

1. Explain the process and role of political socialization in the U.S. political system.

2. Identify factors that change public opinion.

Chapter 10-Interest Groups and Lobbying

1. Explain what are interest groups are and how they differ from political parties.

2. As discussed in class, describe different types of interest groups and give examples of each.

*3. Describe the strategies or tactics used by interest groups to achieve their goals.

Chapter 9-Political Parties

*1. Describe the history of political parties in the United States and explain what is meant by realignment.

*2. Name and explain factors which have historically limited the success of third parties in the U.S.

3. Explain why partisan polarization has taken place and the implications of such a development.

Chapter 7-Voting and Elections (and 12.2)

1. Explain the differences in the different types of primaries found in the various states.

*2. Explain how the Electoral College works including the major flaws in the system and proposals to address these flaws.

UNIT THREE

Chapter 11-Congress (and 9.4)

1. Explain gerrymandering and the apportionment of seats in the U.S. House.

2. Who are the presiding officers of each house and how are they chosen?

*3. Trace the path showing how a bill becomes a law.

*4. Describe the four theories of representation. Which do you favor and why?

Chapter 12-The Presidency

*1. Describe the powers of the President.

2. Explain Congressional limitations on Presidential power.

3. Describe the role of the Vice-President.

UNIT FOUR

Chapter 13-The Courts

1. Describe the structure of the U.S. court system.

*2. What do we mean by judicial review? What are its origins and why is it so controversial?

3. Explain the checks on the powers of the judiciary in the American political system.

Chapter 4-Civil Liberties

1. Identify the liberties and rights guaranteed by the first four amendments to the Constitution and explain why in practice these rights and liberties are limited.

2. Explain the rights of those suspected or accused of criminal activity as found in the Constitution.

3. Identify the two senses of “right to privacy” embodied in the Constitution.

Chapter 5-Civil Rights

1. Describe the differences between civil liberties and civil rights.

2. Describe the standards that courts use when deciding whether a discriminatory law or regulation is unconstitutional.

Chapter 16-Domestic Policy

1. Explain what we mean by public policy.

2. Compare the different forms of policy and the way they transfer goods within a society.

Chapter 17-Foreign Policy

1. Explain what foreign policy is and identify the objectives of U.S. foreign policy.

2. Explain why presidents lead more in foreign policy than in domestic policy.

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