The Constitution & Federalism
This document created the first U.S. government but gave the national government almost no power.
Articles of Confederation
The belief that your political participation can influence government decisions.
Political Efficacy
A group that seeks to influence public policy but does not run its own candidates.
Interest Group
The branch of government responsible for making laws.
Congress
The first ten amendments to the Constitution.
Bill of Rights
Powers shared between the national and state governments fall under this constitutional principle.
Federalism
Elections in which voters choose a party’s nominee for the general election.
Primary Elections
The refusal of some people to join interest groups because they get benefits without participating.
Free-Rider Problem
The power of the Senate to confirm presidential appointments.
Advise and Consent
The clause in the First Amendment protecting religious freedom from government interference.
Free Exercise Clause
This clause in Article VI makes national law superior to state law.
Supremacy Clause
This amendment gave 18-year-olds the right to vote.
26th Amendment
A long-standing set of political beliefs about the proper role of government.
Political Ideology
A directive issued by the president that has the force of law.
Executive Order
Landmark case requiring states to provide a lawyer to defendants who cannot afford one.
Gideon v. Wainwright
The system in which each branch of government limits the power of the other two.
Checks and Balances
The process of redrawing district lines to benefit one political party.
Gerrymandering
The political ideology that favors limited government, lower taxes, and free markets.
Conservatism
A committee in Congress that handles taxation and spending bills.
Ways and Means Committee
Policies that attempt to address past discrimination by giving special consideration to minorities.
Affirmative Action
Court case that established the principle of judicial review.
Marbury v. Madison
The U.S. uses this system to elect the president instead of a national popular vote.
The Electoral College
The relationship among interest groups, congressional committees, and bureaucratic agencies.
Iron Triangle
A written justification the Supreme Court releases to explain its decision.
Majority Opinion
The doctrine that prevents evidence obtained illegally from being used in court.
Exclusionary Rule