Foundational Documents
Federalist no. 10
James Madison, how the federal government will deal with the dangers of factions and the tranny of the majority
Marbury v. Madison
established the principal of judicial review
a key compromise of the Constitutional Convention of 1787 in which northern states agreed to allow southern states to count their slaves as 3/5 of a person for purposes of population apportionment in the House of Representatives
What is the 3/5 Compromise?
a theory of voting behavior in which a voter chooses a candidate based on the maximization of their own individual benefit
What is rational-choice voting
the overall attitudes, beliefs and traditions in the political relationships of a given nation or community
What is political culture
Articles of Confederation
The first government of the United States and a loose confederation with a very weak government consisting of a unicameral legislature
Citizens United v. FEC
a landmark Supreme Court case in which SCOTUS declared soft money spent by PACs and corporations as protected free speech under the First Amendment
powers shared by both the federal and state governments
What is concurrent powers
a campaign concept that developed by the 1960s in which elections transitioned from a focus on party platforms and loyalty to individuals and their charismatic or political acument
What is candidate-centered campaigns
an American aspect of political culture that emphasizes free enterprise and individual achievements
What is individualism
Brutus No. 1
The constitution will lead to a destruction of state governments, a lack of minority representation and the tyranny of the majority
Gideon v. Wainwright
a landmark case in which the Supreme Court ruled in 1963 that the right to counsel is fundamental and essential to a fair trial, and thus, all criminal defendants, including those who cannot afford one, are entitled to legal representation. This ruling was a significant extension of the Sixth Amendment, applying it to state courts
a right granted to sitting congressional members in which they are provided free postage to all mail within their district
franking privilege
spending of the federal government that must be met for the federal government to function, such as congressional salaries, bureaucratic payrolls, etc.
What is mandatory spending
a form of representative voting that considers most strongly the majority opinion of their constituents when voting on legislation
What is a delegate
Federalist No. 70
Alexander Hamilton, a defense of an 'energetic' executive with strong powers to react decisively when a legislature is too slow to do so
McDonald v. Chicago
a landmark decision of the Supreme Court of the United States that found that the right of an individual to "keep and bear arms", as protected under the Second Amendment, is incorporated by the Fourteenth Amendment and is thereby enforceable against the states
a form of lobbying network marked by a more permanent relationship between a congressperson/congressional office, an interest group, and the bureaucratic agency responsible for regulating that issue
a primary in which voters can vote for all primary candidates, also known as a "jungle primary"
What is a blanket primary?
federal and state governments each have distinct and separate spheres of power, with minimal overlap or cooperation
What is dual federalism
U.S. Constitutional Amendment that outlines the line of succession in the event of a presidential incapacitation or death
What is the 25th Amendment
Baker v. Carr
ruled that federal courts could hear cases alleging that a state's legislative apportionment (redistricting) violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, establishing the principle of "one person, one vote".
the legal doctrine of adhering to precedent in future decisions
What is stare decisis
a member of the Democratic National Convention who is notobligated to vote for any candidate and can decide whom to support on their own regardless of primary results
What is superdelegates
a theory of political participation in which decision-making is largely the product of decisions made within the bureaucracy in how a law is enforced
What is bureaucratic theory