POS1041 Final Exam Study Guide IMPORTANT TERMS electing representatives scope of government in the hands of one person hands of a few people National Sovereignty a nation s right to govern its own affairs without interference from other nations Participatory Democracy a system of government wherein citizens rule instead of Political Ideology a person s values and beliefs about the proper purpose and Autocracy a type of government system in which the power of the government is Globalization the process of nations becoming more interdependent worldwide Oligarchy a type of government system in which the power of government is in the Democracy a type of government system in which the power of the government is in the hands of the people either directly or indirectly Representative Democracy a system of government wherein citizens elect representatives to run the government on their behalf Recall a situation in which a special election is forced to determine an up or down vote on a sitting governor or judge Political Party an organization that sponsors candidates for public office Democrat or Republican Nomination a political party s official candidate designation process Critical Election among groups of voters it is an election that results in a distinct change in the existing pattern of party loyalties Electoral Realignment following a critical election this term describes the change in voting patterns Party Identification a voter s psychological attachment to a political party Primary Election preliminary election held to select candidates who will run as a political party s nominee for public office in a subsequent election Information Campaign bringing a group s views to public attention in an organized effort to gain public backing Open Election in this type of election there is no incumbent candidate Interest Group an organized group of people also known as a lobby whose goal is to influence public policy Lobbyist representative of an interest group Coalition Building several interest groups with similar views join together for the purpose of lobbying in an effort to pool resources to work more effectively Civil Liberties freedoms guaranteed to individuals Civil Rights powers or privileges guaranteed to individuals and protected from arbitrary removal at the hands of government or individuals De Jure Segregation government imposed segregation De Facto Segregation segregation that is not the result of government influence Cooperative Federalism national and state governments undertake functions jointly nations and states routinely share power and the role of the national government is supported by the supremacy clause Federalism the division of power between a central government and regional governments Coercive Federalism when the national government imposes its policy preferences on the states through preemptions and regulations in the form of mandates and restraints Mass Communication the transmission of information to large audiences Democratization the process of transition as a country attempts to move from an authoritarian form of government to a democratic form of government Referendum an election on a policy issue Initiative when a policy question is put on the ballot by citizens through a process of gathering signatures on a petition Totalitarianism unlimited government power Socialism government regulation of private industry but allows some private Capitalism favors free enterprise Libertarianism opposed to all government action with exemptions of life and ownership property laze faire Anarchism opposes government in any form Standing Committee permanent committee Joint Committee members of both houses highlights issues Select Committee temporary committee created for a specific purpose i e Investigations Conference Committee temporary committee created to work out differences between House and Senate versions of bills Supportive Behavior action that expresses allegiance to government and country Influencing Behavior behaviors that seek to modify or reverse government policy flying the flag turning out to vote to serve political interests Judicial Review the power to declare congressional and presidential acts invalid because they violate the Constitution Executive Order presidential directives that create or modify laws and public policies without the direct approval of Congress Incumbent current office holder Oversight the process wherein Congress exercises its power to review Establishment Clause forbids government establishment of religion Free Exercise Clause prevents government from interfering with the exercise of religion Due Process Clause requires government to adhere to appropriate procedures and forbids unreasonable government action Miranda Warnings statements concerning rights that police are required to make to a person before he or she is subjected to in custody questioning Exclusionary Rule evidence obtained in illegal search and seizure cannot be used in a trial Political Participation the action of private citizens by which they seek to influence or support government and politics Incumbent a current officeholder Freedom Of the ability to have the freedom to do certain things for example freedom of speech and religion Freedom From freedom from a negative oppressing situation for example black people coming out of slavery to equality Special District a government unit created to perform particular functions especially when those functions are best performed across jurisdictional boundaries What are the four basic principles of the U S Constitution 1 Republicanism 2 Federalism 3 Separation of Powers 4 Checks and Balances Taxation The most important issue of contention between Britain and the colonies was what The three limits on the Senate s sole power to try all impeachment charges are 1 All members must be under oath 2 A two thirds majority is required to convict 3 When the president is tried the chief justice of the supreme court presides Two powers that the House holds alone are 1 Originates revenue bills 2 Has the power of impeachment brings forth the charges Throughout history the Supreme Court has consistently referred to our First Amendment freedoms s our what Civil Liberties Three crucial features of the Constitution that were unanimously approved without debate during the convention were Originally the U S Constitution prohibited both the national and state governments from impinging on citizens rights in three areas 1 Power to tax 2