Political Culture
It is considered the most important defining document of the American nation.
What is the Declaration of Independence?
The approximate length of time between the nation's founding and the framing of the U.S. Constitition.
What is 11 years?
Term for a political system that gives independent authority to both national & subdivisional governments.
What is federalism?
A committee of House & Senate members gathered to reconcile differences between bill versions.
What is a conference committee?
Like a puzzle, but one in which two facts only seem to be contradictory.
What is a paradox?
A name for the process through which young people acquire the values of their political culture.
What is political socialization?
Used instead of the Articles of Confederation as a starting point at the Constitutional Convention.
What was the Virginia Plan?
Name of the period during which Congress was allowed to ban manufacture, transport, and sale of alcoholic beverages.
What was Prohibition?
The motion used to cut off debate in the Senate, ending filibusters.
What is a Cloture Motion?
Leads to greater turnover in House seats than seen in other election years.
What is the Census, or what is reapportionment?
Term used in the Declaration of Independence preamble that implied widespread acceptance of the values it announced.
What is "self-evident"?
Key event that triggered broad participation in the Constitutional Convention.
What was Shays' Rebellion?
State whose "blood border" added to political pressure to raise the drinking age.
What is New York?
Term for when a piece of legislation is sent to more than one congressional committee.
What is a multiple referral?
Term for when congressional offices help constituents with the government.
What is casework (or what is constituency service)?
What are socializing agents?
Key document used to understand what was intended by various provisions in the U.S. Constitution.
What are Madison's notes from the constititional convention?
Early SCOTUS case involving the national bank that made the Necessary & Proper Clause quite elastic.
What was McCulloch v. Maryland?
Like a "rule" in the House, usually used in the Senate to bring a bill up for consideration in the chamber.
What is a unanimous consent agreement?
The main motive for weirdly shaped congressional districts drawn in the early 90's that helped Republicans in the South.
What is racial gerrymandering?
The core tenet of the American creed, as shown through democracy, capitalism, & civil liberties.
What is individualism?
State whose minority delegates distributed a pamphlet attacking the Constitution's lack of a bill of rights.
What is Pennsylvania?
Invoked by the Obama Administration, along with the Commerce Clause, to justify forcing people to buy health insurance.
What is the General Welfare Clause?
Norm that leads legislators to do what their allies want when it comes to bills outside of their policy area.
What is the Reciprocity Norm?
Term of the tendency of members of Congress to stay in electioneering mode even when they're governing.
What is the permanent campaign?