Unit 1
Division of power between national, state, and local gov’ts
Federalism
Drawing congressional districts in bizarre shapes usually to benefit a party
Gerrymandering
Protection of groups of people from discrimination
Civil Rights
Each person has an opportunity to succeed, however equality of outcome is not guaranteed
Equality of opportunity
Race can’t be a barrier to voting (Black men gain right to vote)
15th Amendment
Fundamental rights of all humans NOT received from a government
Natural rights
Nationally televised speech delivered to Congress; attempt to gain support for his agenda and pressure Congress
State of the Union
Freedom of religion (establishment clause, free-exercise clause), free speech, press, and assembly
1st Amendment
The process of a person obtaining their political ideology; family/parents, peers, education, media, religion all sources
Political socialization
Any registered voter can participate in either party’s primary
Open primary
Weak federal response began shifting public opinion towards favoring a stronger central government and a new Constitution
Shays’ Rebellion
Permanent, bills sent here first, edit/revise/markup bills,hold hearings,most bills never advance beyond committee, conduct congressional oversight, investigate executive branch and bureaucratic agencies
Standing committees
The right to practice the religion of your choice
Free exercise clause
Used to find out where a candidate stands before any campaigning, learn strengths, weaknesses, what issues to focus on
Benchmark poll
A belief that a person’s vote matters and that they can influence politics
Political efficacy
Opposed constitution, favored states’ rights; demanded a Bill of Rights
Anti-federalists
Congressional committees, interest groups, bureaucratic agencies. Long-lasting relationships, interest groups provide electoral support, committees make favorable legislation, agencies make favorable regulations, and agencies receive funding from Congress &implement policy as Congress intends
Iron triangles
Protect individual personal liberty by limiting federal government
Bill of Rights
Population is divided into subgroups and weighted based on population demographics
Stratified sample
To influence public policy for a specific purpose
Interest Group
Established a limited government with key features such as republicanism, federalism, separation of powers, and checks and balances
U.S. Constitution
Banned racial gerrymandering; held that race-conscious redistricting violates the equal protection clause even if the purpose is to help minorities; held thatthe Constitution is color blind
Shaw v. Reno (1993)
Separate but equal violates equal protection clause
Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
refers to a set of ideas or values the voters and individuals may identify with based on how they feel about a wide variety of issues and their general attitude toward the role of government.
Ideology
Banned soft money, banned corporations from airing political ads within 60 days of a general or 30 days of a primary election, banned corporations from contributing directly to a candidate
Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA)