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POLS 101: American Government - Key Terms and Concepts, Exams of Political Science

A comprehensive list of key terms and concepts related to american government, covering fundamental principles, institutions, and historical events. It includes definitions, explanations, and examples to enhance understanding of the subject. Particularly useful for students taking introductory courses in american government or those seeking a quick reference guide to essential concepts.

Typology: Exams

2024/2025

Available from 03/26/2025

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Amendment ✔✔A formal, voted-upon correction or alteration to the Constitution.
Authority ✔✔The power of one group or person over another group or person.
Bill of Rights ✔✔The first ten amendments to the Constitution that grant Americans specific
rights.
Bureaucrat ✔✔An unelected government administrator.
Bureaucratic rule ✔✔The political theory that argues that career government administrators are
the governing power.
Capitalism ✔✔An economic system in which the government interferes with the economy as
little as possible. The principles of capitalism are free enterprise and self-reliance.
Constitution ✔✔The set of rules that defines how a government will operate.
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Amendment ✔✔A formal, voted-upon correction or alteration to the Constitution.

Authority ✔✔The power of one group or person over another group or person.

Bill of Rights ✔✔The first ten amendments to the Constitution that grant Americans specific rights.

Bureaucrat ✔✔An unelected government administrator.

Bureaucratic rule ✔✔The political theory that argues that career government administrators are the governing power.

Capitalism ✔✔An economic system in which the government interferes with the economy as little as possible. The principles of capitalism are free enterprise and self-reliance.

Constitution ✔✔The set of rules that defines how a government will operate.

Constitutionalism ✔✔The rule that the government has limited power over its people; it gives the people certain liberties and rights.

Decision ✔✔The pronouncement of whom the court rules in favor of.

Democracy ✔✔A form of government that gives governing power to the people, either through elected officials or direct voting.

Elitism ✔✔The political theory that argues that an elite group of influential people is the governing power.

Equality ✔✔The ideal that all people are created equal.

Free speech ✔✔A right to speak freely-unless government officials can show that national security is directly imperiled by the speech.

House of Representatives ✔✔A legislative house that, along with the Senate, makes up the United States Congress.

Segregation ✔✔The practice of separating one group of people from another based on race, ethnicity, or class.

Self-government ✔✔The ideal that the people are the governing authority.

Social contract ✔✔An agreement between the people and the government that obligates both parties to act within the confines of the agreement.

Suffrage ✔✔The fight for the right to vote.

Unalienable ✔✔Unable to be taken away from or given away by the possessor.

Vote ✔✔The act of formally indicating a desired choice of a political leader or policy.

foreign affairs ✔✔From 1945 until the late 1960s, there was the highest degree of bipartisanship in the area of

the powers of state governments. ✔✔The Tenth Amendment addressed the concerns of Anti- Federalists about

civil rights enforcement. ✔✔In its 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision, the Supreme Court gave the federal government more power in the area of

a republic as opposed to a pure democracy ✔✔The framers of the Constitution preferred which of the following political arrangements?

the people rule ✔✔The Greek words demos and kratis together mean

Progressive reforms included ✔✔a. primary elections. b. direct election of U.S. senators. c. the initiative and referendum. d. recall elections. e. All of these answers are correct.

provided for annual legislative elections ✔✔All but one state constitution formed after the American Revolution

promote the individual as "a progressive being." ✔✔John Stuart Mill believed that any form of government should be judged on its

As described in the text, "political thinking" ✔✔involves the careful gathering and sifting of information in the process of forming a knowledgeable view about a political issue.

West West Virginia, the state with the lowest percentage of college graduates in

the United States ✔✔has a higher proportion of college graduates than most European countries

To the framers, the great danger of democratic government was the risk of ✔✔tyranny of the majority

The framers' most significant modification of the traditional doctrine of the separation of powers was to ✔✔ensure that the powers of the separate branches overlap, so that each could

better act as a check on the others.

Progressive reforms included ✔✔a. primary elections.

b. direct election of U.S. senators.

c. the initiative and referendum.

d. recall elections.

e. All these answers are correct.

The term of office for a U.S. senator is ________ years, while that of a member of

the U.S. House is ________ years. ✔✔six; two

The Constitution prevents the government from suspending the writ of habeas

corpus, meaning that the government cannot ✔✔jail a person without a court hearing to determine the legality of his or her

imprisonment.

Marbury v. Madison is a landmark Supreme Court decision because it ✔✔set the precedent for judicial review

Which of the following aspects of U.S. government might be used as part of an

argument that the U.S. is less democratic than some other democracies? ✔✔its staggered terms of office of members of the legislature

The type of government created in the United States in 1787 can be called: ✔✔a constitutional democratic republic

In key decisions early in the New Deal era, the Supreme Court ✔✔invalidated key pieces of FDR's New Deal legislation.

Great Compromise ✔✔The agreement that came out of the Constitutional Convention and resulted in a two-chamber congress which includes both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Checks and balances ✔✔The system that gives each of the judiciary, executive, and legislative branches of government certain authority over the other branches.

The Constitution was the first document the U.S. government was based on. ✔✔False

The Declaration of Independence granted people unalienable rights. ✔✔True

The Articles of Confederation gave the Congress the power to tax Americans. ✔✔False

The Virginia plan called for a two-chamber Congress. ✔✔True

The New Jersey plan benefited larger states ✔✔False

The Great Compromise resulted in a one-chamber Congress ✔✔False

The people in each state vote members of the House of Representatives into office; the number of representatives from each state is based upon the population of that state. ✔✔True

The executive branch ✔✔Is the President

judiciary branch ✔✔is the Supreme Court

Legislative Branch ✔✔Is the congress

How congress shares power with other branches ✔✔The Congress (legislative branch) also has an internal process of checks and balances. As you recall, Congress has two parts: the House of Representatives and the Senate. Before an act of legislation can be passed, the majority of both houses must vote for and approve the legislation.

What branch is the president in ✔✔Executive Branch

what branch Can veto acts passed by Congress ✔✔Executive Branch

What branch appoints federal judges? ✔✔Executive Branch

What branch is the Supreme Court part of ✔✔Judicial Branch

what branch can Can declare the President's decisions unconstitutional ✔✔judicial branch

The __________ is composed of the first ten amendments to the Constitution. ✔✔Bill of rights

__________ is a right that is protected under the Bill of Rights. ✔✔Freedom of religion

The Supreme Court has held that Americans are entitled to a(n) __________ education. ✔✔adequate

The government amends the __________ as necessary to protect the liberties of America's people. ✔✔constitution

The Bill of Rights protects the right to liberty for all Americans by limiting executive and __________ powers. ✔✔Legislative

The framers of the Constitution wanted this type of government. ✔✔Republic

A representative democracy. ✔✔Republic

Elected officials vote on most policies and acts, and the people vote for the elected officials. ✔✔Republic

A type of government in which the people have immediate voting rights on all policies and acts. ✔✔Democracy

The people have immediate voting rights and might be swayed by circumstances, possibly leading them to vote differently than they normally would. ✔✔Democracy

The branch of American government that is composed of the President of the United States and his agencies and staff. ✔✔Executive Branch

The branch of American government that has the power to pass legislation and that is composed of the Congress. ✔✔Legislative branch

The first ten amendments to the Constitution that grant Americans specific rights. ✔✔Bill of Rights

A formal, voted-upon correction or alteration to the Constitution. ✔✔Amendment

The agreement that came out of the Constitutional Convention and resulted in a two-chamber congress which includes both the Senate and the House of Representatives. ✔✔Great Compromise

A form of government that gives governing power to the people, either through elected officials or direct voting. ✔✔Democracy

A form of government that gives governing power to the people through elected officials. ✔✔republic

The set of rules that defines how a government will operate. ✔✔consitution

The plan for the American Constitution that gave significant power to Congress and gave one vote to each state. ✔✔New Jersey plan

The plan for the American Constitution that suggested a two-chambered congress with specific and limited powers, and with congressional presence based on the population of the state. ✔✔Virginia Plan

The system that gives each of the judiciary, executive, and legislative branches of government certain authority over the other branches. ✔✔Checks and balances

The branch of American government that is composed of the Supreme Court and lower federal courts. ✔✔judiciary branch

A form of government that gives governing power to the people through elected officials. ✔✔Republic

Federalism ✔✔A system of government that divides governing authority between national and state governments.

Sovereignty ✔✔The ultimate governing authority within a specific geographical area.

When did the founding fathers invent federalism ✔✔The Founding Fathers invented federalism in 1787

__________ is a system of government that divides governing authority between state and national governments. ✔✔Federalism

__________ means ultimate governing authority. ✔✔Sovereignty

The arguments for and against federalism centered on the balance of power among the state and __________ governments, and the governing powers of the people. ✔✔National

Both George Washington and Benjamin Franklin participated in the __________. ✔✔Philadelphia Convention

At the Philadelphia Convention, the founders drafted the __________. ✔✔Constitution

The concept of __________ was first created in 1787. ✔✔Federalism

enumerated powers ✔✔Seventeen expressed powers, intended to establish a national government powerful enough to have a strong defense and stable commerce. The authority to declare war is an enumerated power

Implied powers ✔✔The Federal government has the authority to take actions not expressly authorized by the constitution so long as those actions support the constitution. This gives the national government a certain flexibility to maintain a strong defense and stable commerce.

Reserved powers ✔✔The powers given to the states by the Tenth Amendment of the Constitution

what government is Implied powers ✔✔National government