Unit 1: Foundations of American Democracy
This document, authored by Thomas Jefferson in 1776, first expressed the idea that government derives its just powers from the consent of the governed.
The Declaration of Independence
This process — manipulating district boundaries to favor one party — is named after a Massachusetts governor who signed an oddly shaped legislative district into law.
Gerrymandering
This unanimous 1954 ruling declared 'separate but equal is inherently unequal,' overturning Plessy v. Ferguson and ending racial segregation in public schools.
Brown v. Board of Education
A political orientation favoring limited government intervention in the economy, free markets, traditional values, personal responsibility, and lower taxes.
Conservative / Conservatism
This 2010 Supreme Court ruling held that corporations and unions have a First Amendment right to make unlimited independent political expenditures.
Citizens United v. FEC
This model of democracy argues that multiple competing interest groups prevent any single faction from dominating, as described in Federalist No. 10.
Pluralist Democracy
This type of presidential directive carries the force of law and does not require congressional approval, allowing presidents to act without passing legislation.
Executive Order
In this 1966 case, the Supreme Court ruled police must inform suspects of their 5th and 6th Amendment rights — including the right to remain silent — before custodial interrogation.
Miranda v. Arizona
Considered the single strongest predictor of how an individual will vote in any election, developed through family and early socialization.
Party identification
This problem — when individuals benefit from an interest group's collective advocacy without contributing to the group's efforts — makes large, diffuse groups hard to organize.
Free rider problem
Under the Articles of Confederation, this key power was denied to the national government, forcing it to simply request funds from the states.
The power to levy/collect taxes
This landmark Supreme Court case established that the Necessary & Proper Clause gives Congress broad implied powers supreme over state law.
McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)
In this 1963 document, MLK Jr. argued individuals have a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws through nonviolent direct action, and criticized those who preferred order over justice.
Letter from Birmingham Jail
These independent political committees — created largely after Citizens United — can raise and spend unlimited amounts on elections but cannot directly coordinate with campaigns.
Super PACs
Among all demographic factors, this is the single strongest predictor of whether an individual will turn out to vote in an election.
Education level / Socioeconomic status (SES)
Madison wrote 'ambition must counteract ambition' in this Federalist Paper, defending separation of powers and checks & balances as structural safeguards.
Federalist No. 51
The stable, mutually beneficial policy relationship among a bureaucratic agency, a congressional committee, and an interest group — each providing resources the others need.
Iron Triangle
This 1969 case held that students do not shed constitutional rights at the schoolhouse gate, protecting symbolic anti-Vietnam War protest (black armbands).
Tinker v. Des Moines
A voter who supports the incumbent because the economy grew during their term — evaluating candidates based on past performance — is demonstrating this type of voting.
Retrospective voting
In gerrymandering, this tactic concentrates the opposing party's voters into as few districts as possible in order to waste their votes and limit their representation.
Packing
This Anti-Federalist document argued the Necessary & Proper and Supremacy Clauses would destroy state sovereignty and demanded explicit protection of individual liberties.
Brutus No. 1
This 1973 law requires the president to notify Congress within 48 hours of committing troops abroad and limits deployments to 60 days without congressional authorization.
War Powers Resolution
This doctrine — applied case-by-case through the 14th Amendment's Due Process Clause — has extended most Bill of Rights protections to state governments.
Selective incorporation
This phenomenon — the movement of individuals from government regulatory positions to lobbying jobs in the industry they once oversaw — creates potential conflicts of interest.
The revolving door
These four institutions — political parties, interest groups, elections, and media — connect citizens to government and translate public preferences into policy demands.
Linkage institutions