Chapter 1


1. Government: an environment where the society makes and enforces laws.

2. Public Policies: everything the government decides to do.

3. State: A group of people who live in a certain area and who are organized by a political system.

4. Sovereignty: the idea that a state had total power within its boundaries

5. Direct Democracy: a democracy where the people of the state make the direct decisions of the government.

6. Representative Democracy: a democracy where a group of elected people represents the people of a state

7. Compromise: combining ideas to make an even better idea.

8. Anarchy: having no government.

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Chapter 4


1. Federalism: Our from of government where the power is divided between the stated and government.

2. Division of Power: Basis of Federalism, provides different levels of power.

3. Delegated Power: Power given to congress by the constitution.

4. Expressed Power: Power delegated to congress only by the constitution.

5. Implied Powers: Not in the constitution, but congress still has the power. The judicial branch grants this power.

6. Inherent Powers: Powers that belong to a national government. All governments have these powers.

7. Reserve Powers: Powers just given to the states.

8. Exclusive Powers: Powers given to one thing.

9. Concurrent Power: Shared power between states and government.

10. Interstate Compact: Authority that states have to enter into agreement with other states when needed.

11. Full Faith & Credit: Each state agrees to obey other states laws by signing the constitution.

12. Extradition: One state or country forcing you to go back to another state or country.

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Chapter 5


1. Political Party:A group of people who try to win elections for political offices.

2. Major Parties: The party that is stronger than the other political parties.

3. Coalition: people or groups joining together to make a government.

4. Electorate: all of the people that can vote.

5. Minor Party: The political party with the least power.

6. Two-Party System: a political system where only 2 candidates from the major parties have a chance of winning.

7. Single Member District: An electoral district where a person is chosen for each office on the ballot.

8. Plurality: In an election, when one candidate gets one vote more than the other candidates to win.

9. Consensus: An agreement between many groups on fundamental maters.

10. Ideological Parties: Parties based on a particular political belief.

11. Single Issue Parties: a party that concentrates on one political issue.

12. Economic Protest Parties: Parties created during times when the economy is discontent.

13. Splinter Parties: a party that splits away from a major party.

14. Multi Party: a political system that includes many major parties and several smaller parties.

15. One Party System: Basically a no party system, or a dictatorship.

16. Ward: A section that cities are split into for the election of city council members.

17. Precinct: The smallest unit of an election administration.

18. Split Ticket Voting: Voting for candidates of bother parties for different offices at the same election.

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Chapter 7


1. Nomination: Picking someone who will run for office for your party.

2. General Election: A regularly scheduled election where voters make a final decision on who gets in office.

3. Caucus: a group of people who meet to pick the person they want to support for the election.

4. Direct Primary: an election held by each political party to decide who will run in the general election.

5. Closed Primary: An election of party members which only member of that party can vote.

6. Open Primary: An election of party members which anyone from any party can vote.

7. Blanket Primary: When voters vote on ballots that have all candidates on the same sheet.

8. Runoff Primary: Election where the two candidates with the most votes go against each other to win the nominee.

9. Coattail Effect: When a strong candidate in an election helps the other candidates by drawing attention to the other candidates on the parties ticket.

10. Precinct: A voting district.

11. Polling Place: A places in the precinct where people go to vote.

12. Ballot: A device that voters use to cast their votes.

13. Political Action Committee: (PAC.s) a special interest group that has a major stake in political policy.

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Chapter 10


1. Term:The length of time an elected official holds office.

2. Session: A period of time when the legislative body does business.

3. Special Session: A session that deals with something extra ordinary.

4. Apportionment: Dividing the house into electoral districts.

5. Reapportionment: Dividing the house based on population among the states.

6. Single-Member District: Electoral districts where one person id picked for office.

7. At Large: The election of someone by the government instead of the voters.

8. Gerrymandered: Drawing the electoral district lines of each state to the advantage of the party in power.

9. Continuous Body: Governing unit that never has all seats of the senate up to reelection at the same time. (1\3 rule)

10. Constituents: People represented by a legislator or office holder.

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Chapter 11


1. Strict Constructionist:A person who lives strictly by the constitution.

2. Liberal Constructionist: A person who thinks the changes to the constitution, granting power to the government, are written in to broad of terms.

3. Direct Tax: A tax that must be paid by the person it is levied on.

4. Indirect Tax: A tax for one person, but given to someone else to pay.

5. Commerce Power: The power granted to congress by the constitution to regulate interstate and foreign trade.

6. Legal Tender: Money

7. Bankruptcy: Losing all of your money.

8. Copyright: The right for a person to own his literature, music or other ideas and no one else can claim it as theirs.

9. Patent: A license granted to an inventor to produce and sell his product for a limited time.

10. Eminent Domain: The power of the government to take private property for public use.

11. Necessary and Proper Clause: Congress’ power to make any laws “Proper and necessary” to execute it’s powers. This power is given to them by the constitution.

12. Impeach: A formal charge brought up against a public official that can result in their removal from office.

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Chapter 12


1. Speaker of The House: The head honcho in the House

2. President of The Senate: The head honcho in the Senate A.K.A Vice President.

3. President Pro Tempore: The President of the Senate’s Backup Head Honcho.

4. Floor Leader: Members of congress chosen to lead conversations & Debates.

5. Whip: Assistant to floor leader, Monitors the votes.

6. Party Caucus: Party members meeting to conduct party business.

7. Committee Chairman: Member who heads a standing committee in a legislative body.

8. Seniority Rule: Unwritten rule standing the members of congress with more experence have more say.

9. Standing Committee: A committee in a legislative body that looks as bills dealing with a specific subject. (a permanent committee.)

10. Select Committee: Legislative committee created for a limited time for a specific subject.

11. Joint Committee: Legislative committee made up of both the House and Senate

12. Conference Committee: A temporary committee created to sort out differences between the two different versions of a bill.

13. Bill: A proposal taken to congress to get a law passed.

14. Joint Resolution: Legislative measure that must be passed by both the House and Senate and approved my the Chief Executive to become effective; It is similar to a bill.

15. Concurrent Resolution: Measure passed by both houses of legislation but does not have the force of law.

16. Resolution: Measure relating to the internal businesses of one house.

17. Rider: A provision that is very unlikely to pass on it’s own.

18. Discharge Petition: A procedure to make the House look at a bill when they refuse to look at it.

19. Subcommittee: A division of a Select Committee.

20. Committee of the Whole: A committee that contains the entire legislative body.

21. Quorum: The least number of congress members that must be present to conduct business.

22. Filibuster: Various tactics used to pass or defeat a bill

23. Cloture: Procedure that may be used to limit or end floor debate in the legislative body.

24. Veto: The presidents power to reject a bill.

25. Pocket Veto: When the president does not sign or veto a bill within a certain time period, it wont become a bill.



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Chapter 13


1. Chief of State: The President, who is head of the government.

2. Chief Executive: The president, who has executive power over America

3. Chief Administrator: The President, who is the head of the Federal Government.

4. Chief Diplomat: The President, who is the backbone of foreign policy and our spokesperson to other countries.

5. Commander in Chief: The President, Commander of the national armies.

6. Chief Legislature:The President, who is the backbone of public policy and the one who sets the agenda for congress.

7. Chief of Party: The president who is the leader of his political party.

8. Chief Citizen: The president, who is a representative of the people, and working for the people.

9. Presidential Successor: Filling the presidency if needed, Vice President, House Speaker, President Pro Tempor, then Secretary of State.

10. Presidential Elector: A person picked by voters to represent their vote.

11. Electoral College: A group of people from each state to formally elect the President & Vice President

12. Presidential Primary: Election where Party Members elect someone to represent their party in a national election.



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