Core Concepts
The study of who gets what, when, and how
Politics
Bill of Rights
The type of rights that are used to protect individuals from govenment interference
Civil liberties
The branch that is responsible for lawmaking
Legislative
Associations of individuals and groups with similar goals that attempt to influence policy
Interest groups
A system of government that gives power to the people, either directly or through elected representatives
Democracy
The Constitution was adopted in response to the weaknesses of this document
Articles of Confederation
Thirteenth Amendment
Executive orders
The average amount (fraction) of campaign promises that are kept upon election
2/3
The idea that the authority of government comes from the consent of the people, who are the source of all political power
Popular sovereignty
The principle that powers are divided among different branches to prevent tyranny
Separation of powers
Suffrage
The landmark Supreme Court case that established the principle of judicial review
Marbury v. Madison
The amount of electors in the Electoral College
538
A system of government that divides power between a national government and state governments
Federalism
The clause that asserts that the Constitution shall be the primary law of the land
Supremacy clause
Rights that are not established in the Constitution, such as those granted via the Civil Rights Act of 1964
Legislated rights
Legal precedents that courts follow to decide subsequent cases, such as Brown v. Board of Education
Settled law
The two greatest predictors of whether someone will vote
Education and income
The two values, derived from classical liberalism, that the Founders based the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution on
Liberty and equality
The powers granted to each branch that are explicitly stated in the Constitution
Enumerated powers
Fundamental rights that individuals possess, such as the right to life, liberty, and property
Substantive rights
The model that describes a legislator who acts according to public opinion instead of their own conscience
Delegate
The manipulation of an electoral constituency's boundaries to favor one party over another
Gerrymandering