Limited Government
a governing or controlling body whose power exists only within predefined limits that are established by a Constitution or other source of authority
drafted in 1776 by Thomas Jefferson declaring America's separation from Great Britain
Candidate
centered politics politics that focuses on candidates, their particular issues, and character rather than party affiliation
West Virginia Board of Education v. Barnette
1943, forcing students to salute the flag is a violation of 1st amendment free speech, and is therefore unconstitutional. Such gestures = symbolic speech. Tinker v. Des Moines.
Fiscal federalism
a type of federalism that deals with the flow of funds through grants and other means from the federal government to the states
Hamdi v. Rumsfield (2004)
Iron triangle
alliances that develop between bureaucratic agencies, interest groups, and congressional committees or subcommittees
Plurality vote
method of government action, or how the law is carried out according to established rules and procedures
Superdelegates
party officials in the Democratic Party who attend the national convention without having to run in primaries or caucuses
a set of basic values and beliefs about one's country or government that is shared by most citizens
Federal budget
amount of money the federal government expects to receive and authorizes government to spend for a fiscal year
Agenda setting
identification of the problems and/or issues that require the attention of the government to resolve
Hyperpluralist Theory of Democracy
seen as a system of many groups pulling government in many directions at the same time, causing gridlock and ineffectiveness
Loose Constructionist
Establishment clause
prohibits the establishment of a national religion
a division of governmental powers between the national government and the states
Exclusionary rule
that evidence acquired as a result of an illegal act by police cannot be used against the person from whom it was seized
redistribution of the 435 congressional seats among the states after the census determines changes in population distribution
Legislative Branch
under Article I of the Constitution, the legislative branch consists of the House and Senate, which together form the US Congress; the prime responsibility is to make laws
Authority given the courts to review constitutionality of acts by the executive/state/legislature; est. in Marbury v. Madison
writ of certiorari
a formal document issued by the Supreme Court to a lower court indicating that it will hear a case
Articles of Confederation
General election
voters choose office holder from among all the candidates nominated by political parties or running as independents
Midterm elections
New York Times Co. v. United States (1971) establishes?
The government cannot exert prior restraint.
Divided government
Closed primary
a primary election that is limited to registered voters of a particular political party
Entitlement
gives Congress the powers to pass all laws necessary and proper to carry out their constitutional duties, found in Article I, Section 8, Clause 18; also called the elastic clause
