Foundations of American Democracy
Key structures of the Constitution that allow each governmental branch to enact forms of oversight over the other. This helps to ensure that a single branch does not get to powerful or form a tyranny.
Check and Balances
A term first used by U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, used to refer to his office as president as an ideal position from which to advocate his political agenda.
Bully Pulpit
This law passed in the 1960s made it illegal for states to use literacy tests as a requirement for being allowed to vote
Voting Rights Act of 1965
Pennsylvania was this during the 2024 Presidential Election because the state's electoral votes went to the Republican candidate while going to the Democratic candidate in 2020
Swing state
These independent expenditure groups are legally able to raise and spend large amounts of money in support of a candidate running for political office, but cannot contribute hard money directly to the candidate they support.
Super PACs
This government structure contains different branches of government that have different responsibilities
Separation of powers
This type of federal spending occurs when a member of congress successfully lobbies to get federal money into their state or district
Pork barrel
This constitutional clause is the basis for civil rights cases such as Brown v Board of Education and Obergefell v Hodges
Equal Protection
A political philosophy and essential element of American democracy that promotes and encourages a diversity of political stances and participation which will result in the negotiation and compromise of solutions for the benefit of society.
Pluralism
A strategy that candidates may use to more closely speak to and seemingly relate to the people. Going door to door is an example
Grassroots campaigning
An agreement between a government and the people in which the people consent to be governed so long as the government protects the natural rights of the people.
Social Contract
Part of Article 1 Section 8 of the Constitution that allows Congress to regulate the trade of goods across state lines.
Commerce Clause
A citizen's entitlement to fair treatment through the judicial system and requires the state to respect the legal rights owed to an individual or group. This clause shows up in both the 5th and 14th Amendments.
Due Process
Refers to the citizens' faith and trust in their government and also refers to the citizens' feeling that they can have an influence on the political system.
Political Efficacy
This type of election occurs when the electorate chooses the candidate that they want to win in the general election, but only allows members of a respective party to access that party's ballot.
Closed primaries
A political system that organizes a government into two or more levels that hold independent or sometimes shared powers.
Federalism
A right held by the federal courts to make rulings on the constitutionality of laws and executive and legislative actions.
Judicial Review
The constitutional concept that civil liberties of the Bill of Rights are applied to the states through the Due Process clause of the 14th Amendment.
Incorporation Doctrine
The process by which individuals learn and acquire a political lens.
Political Socialization
An effort by special interests to mobilize their members to contact their representatives and push for or a against certain policy
Grassroots lobbying
A group that tries to influence the government for the benefit (or interest) of its own members. This was heavily discussed in Madison's Federalist #10
Faction
A legal doctrine that requires judges to follow the precedents established in prior court decisions and historical court cases.
Stare Decisis
This concept allows the Supreme Court to incorporate certain parts of certain amendments, rather than incorporating entire amendments at once.
Selective Incorporation
While fiscal policy is how congress raises and spends money, this type of policy controls the circulation of money in the economy and is set by the Federal Reserve Board...and independent regulatory agency
Monetary policy
Citizens United v FEC set a precedent that corporations have free speech rights and political money is free speech, but the the ruling from this case two months later directly created powerful expenditure only political action committees
Speechnow.org v FEC