Across
- 3. A constitutional doctrine, sometimes also called the incorporation doctrine, that makes the Bill of Rights binding on state governments, effectively holding them to the same standards as the federal government. Selective incorporation also allows the Supreme Court to incorporate certain parts of certain amendments, rather than incorporating entire amendments at once.
- 5. Grants given to local or state governments from the U.S. federal government. Block grants typically have some strings attached, but the local or state government also has the freedom to allocate the grant funds for a wide range of services to the state or locality
- 7. Powers held by the President that aren't explicitly mentioned in the Constitution, but which are sometimes necessary in order for the President to fulfill the duties of the office
- 10. The act of setting boundaries for electoral districts so as to favor political interests within legislative bodies or hurt the political interests of an opposing group. Gerrymandering often creates districts that have convoluted boundaries, rather than consolidating districts into compact areas.
- 11. The process by which individuals learn and acquire a political lens. Political socialization frames an individual's perceptions of the world around them, how power is distributed in the world, and how this relationship affects who they are and how they should behave as members of their society.
- 12. A petition used in the House that begins the process of forcing a bill out of committee (or "discharging" it from committee) and onto the House floor for a vote. A successful discharge petition needs signatures of 218 members, or a majority of the House.
- 14. Refers to the citizens' faith and trust in their government. Political efficacy also refers to the citizens' feeling that they can have an influence on the political system. In modern U.S. society, political efficacy has an effect on voter turnout.
- 19. An organized group of people who share the same ideology and seek out political positions in order to implement an agenda, typically based on the party's shared ideology. The two main political parties in the U.S. are the republican party and the democratic party.
- 20. A practice used by members of Congress in which two or more members of Congress agree to vote on each other's bills. Members of Congress typically use logrolling in order to pass bills that are personally important to them.
- 23. A right held by the federal courts to make rulings on the constitutionality of laws and executive actions. Judicial review is one of the judicial branch's key checks and balances on the other two branches of government.
- 26. Part of Article 1 of the Constitution that allows Congress to regulate the buying and selling of goods across state lines (also known as interstate commerce).
- 33. A type of system of government in which the powers of the government are limited by or kept in check by laws or a written Constitution
- 35. 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
- 38. A power enacted by the U.S. president allowing that office to pass a rule or regulation as law.
- 40. Refers to a person who adopts the political ideology of liberalism, which favors more government regulation of business and support for social welfare, but less regulation of private social conduct. The definition of "liberal" has changed over time, but contemporary liberals are said to fall on the "left-wing" of the spectrum of political beliefs.
- 41. A legislative act (historically used by Parliament) that declares a person or group of people guilty of a crime and rendering punishment, often without a fair trial. A bill of attainder effectively nullifies the targeted person's civil rights. The use of such bills has been largely rejected due to the potential for abuse and violation of due process and separation of powers.
- 42. Essays written by James Madison, John Jay, and Alexander Hamilton in 1788 urging the ratification of the U.S. Constitution following the drafting of the Constitution at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787
Down
- 1. Powers given by the U.S. Constitution to both national and state governments. An example of a concurrent power is the power to levy taxes.
- 2. The freedom of citizens to exercise customary rights without abridgement by legislation or judicial interpretation. Five basic civil liberties are protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. These basic civil liberties are freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, and freedom to petition the government.
- 4. A body of representatives from each of the states in the U.S. who formally cast votes to elect the next president of the U.S.
- 6. Ensure the individual citizen's rights and entitlement to participate in the civil and political life of society and state without discrimination or repression. Civil rights include protection from discrimination on the basis of gender, sexual orientation, color, race, ethnicity, age, political affiliation, religion, and disability.
- 8. Powers held by the federal government that are mentioned by name in the U.S. Constitution
- 9. A group that tries to influence the government for the benefit (or interest) of its own members
- 13. Powers given exclusively to the states or the people by the 10th amendment of the Constitution. These powers are not shared with the federal government. The purpose of reserved powers is to protect the rights of the states and the people.
- 15. Also known as "marble cake federalism." This is a political system wherein federal, state, and local governments share responsibility in governing the people, and they work together cooperatively to solve problems
- 16. A set of shared views and accepted judgments held by a population regarding its political system as a whole. A political culture is comprised of the population's underlying feelings, values, beliefs, and knowledge in relation to the political process.
- 17. An instance in which one political party controls the executive branch, and another political party controls one or both houses of Congress.
- 18. A gathering of local party members to choose candidates for public office or delegates to the national party convention and to decide the party platform. Caucuses are often held in schools, churches, auditoriums, or other locations that can host large numbers of a party's base.
- 21. A political philosophy and essential element of democracy that promotes and encourages a diversity of political stance and participation. Pluralism also assumes that those with different political affiliations and beliefs will both coexist and negotiate solutions for the benefit of society.
- 22. Key parts of the Constitution that require each branch of the federal government to acquire the consent of the other two branches in order to act
- 24. A situation when there is difficulty in passing laws that satisfy the needs of the people, often due to a divided government. A government is considered gridlocked when the ratio between bills passed and the agenda of the legislature decreases. This is sometimes also referred to as a "deadlock" or "stalemate."
- 25. Additions to the Constitution that further protect the rights and liberties of the people from government interference. The first ten amendments added to the Constitution are called the Bill of Rights. There are 27 constitutional amendments total.
- 27. This amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects various aspects of citizenship and citizens' rights and has been invoked in several well-known cases. The most familiar phrase in the 14th amendment is "equal protection of the laws"; this phrase played a key role in cases like Brown v. Board of Education (racial discrimination), Roe v. Wade (reproductive rights), and Reed v. Reed (gender discrimination).
- 28. The practice or policy of allocating resources or employment to individuals belonging to groups that have a history of being discriminated against.
- 29. A specific type of monetary contribution that is made to an individual candidate who is running for political office. Corporations and labor unions are legally banned from making hard money donations to individual candidates, and there are specific limitations on how much hard money an individual candidate may accept.
- 30. A tripartite relationship among Congress (particularly sub-committees of Congress), government agencies, and interest groups that helps create U.S. policy. Participants in an iron triangle are also involved in policymaking in order to protect their own self-interests.
- 31. Authority held by Congress to review, monitor, and supervise federal agencies, programs, activities, and policy implementation. This authority is implied in the Constitution, public laws, and House and Senate rules.
- 32. clause A section of the First Amendment that reserves the right of citizens to accept any religious belief and freely engage in religious rituals. This clause protects violation of certain laws, as long as these violations are made for religious reasons.
- 34. A political system that organizes a government into two or more levels that hold independent powers
- 36. Efforts by state representatives and senators to help individual constituents receive things that those constituents believe they deserve. Casework by members of Congress is a form of stepping around bureaucracy in order to get things done.
- 37. A citizen's entitlement to fair treatment through the judicial system. Due process requires the state to respect the legal rights owed to an individual or group.
- 39. pulpit 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. In general, the term refers to a position that provides an opportunity to speak out and be heard by many. While the word "bully" might hold negative connotations, President Roosevelt applied the term as a synonym for "terrific" or "superb."