AP GOV KEY TERMS LIST (Unit Term Definition)

Transcription

1 AP GOV KEY TERMS LIST (Unit Term Definition) 1 ANTI FEDERALISTS - Opponents of the U.S. Constitution as it was being drafted; wanted more liberties and a weaker federal government. 1 BILL OF ATTAINDER - An act of a legislature declaring a person or group of persons guilty of some crime and punishing them without privilege of a judicial trial.; banned by the Constitution. 1 CONNECTICUT (OR GREAT) COMPROMISE - Agreement at the Constitutional Convention that established a bicameral congress; House membership based on population, Senate has two from each state. 1 EX POST FACTO - Type of law that punishes a person for a crime when it was legal when they did it; banned by the Constitution 1 FACTIONS - Groups arising mainly from the unequal distribution of property or wealth; attacked by James Madison in Federalist no FEDERALIST PAPERS - A collection of 85 articles written by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay to defend the Constitution's contents 1 FEDERALISTS - Supporters of the U.S. Constitution at the time its was being drafted; wanted limited rights and a strong federal government. 1 NATURAL RIGHTS - Fundamental rights belonging to all human beings (life, liberty, property); according to Locke, government must protect these rights. 1 NEW JERSEY (OR SMALL STATE) PLAN - Proposal of equal representation for the states in Congress at the Constitutional Convention. 1 REPUBLIC - A form of government in which the people select representatives to govern and make laws. 1 VIRGINIA (OR LARGE STATE) PLAN - Proposal at the Constitutional Convention that called for three branches of government and representation in a bicameral Congress to be based on population. 1 WRIT OF HABEUS CORPUS - A court order requiring jailers to explain to a judge why they are holding a prisoner; required by the Constitution 1 GRANTS - Money given by the federal government to the states for local projects or to implement federal mandates. 1 BLOCK GRANTS - Grants given automatically to support broad programs in community development; states may use them as they wish. 1 CATEGORICAL GRANTS - Federal grants used for specific purposes, such as a federal mandate. 1 CONCURRENT POWERS - Constitutional powers extended to both states and the federal government (e.g. taxation) 1 DUAL FEDERALISM - Type of federalism where states are responsible for some duties, the federal government others; no longer the most common method. 1 EXPRESSED OR ENUMERATED POWERS - Constitutional powers clearly granted to the federal government 1 EXTRADITION - Constitutional law that requires a state to return fugitives to a state where the committed a crime 1 FEDERAL SYSTEM of GOVERNEMENT - Type of government with multiple branches of government (based either on role or region); checks and balances, and oversight 1 FULL FAITH AND CREDIT - Article IV, Section I of the Constitution, which requires states to respect the laws and documents of other states (e.g. marriage licenses) 1 IMPLIED POWERS - Name given to powers not listed in the Constitution, but that are "necessary and proper" for congress to perform; granted by the elastic clause (Article I, Section 8) 1 PRIVLIDGES AND IMMUNITIES - Constitutional provision that allows a visitor to a state to get the same protections as a resident. 1 RESERVED POWERS - Type of powers not given to the federal government, but that are left to the states 1 SUPREMACY CLAUSE - Article VI of the Constitution; makes the Constitution the Supreme law of the land 1 UNITARY GOVERNMENT - Type of federal system where the national government has most of the power (as opposed to a confederation, where regional governments have more power) 2 CIVIL LIBERTIES - Name given to the set of legal Constitutional protections against the government, often protected by the Bill of Rights (first ten amendments to the Constitution) 2 COMMERCIAL SPEECH - Type of speech in form of advertising; regulated by the FTC, may be restricted more than other types of speech. 2 ESTABLISHMENT CLAUSE - First Amendment clause that states Congress may make no law that entangles government with a religion. 2 EXCLUSIONARY RULE - Requirement that evidence cannot be introduced into trial if it was not legally obtained. 2 FEDERAL COMMUNICATION COMMISSION (FCC) - Government body that regulates the content, nature, and existence of programming on TV on radio 2 FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION (FTC) - Government body that decides which kind of goods may be advertised on TV and radio 2 FREE EXERCISE - First Amendment clause that prohibits government from interfering with the practice of religion. 2 INCORPORATION - Legal concept under which the Supreme Court has nationalized portions of the Bill of Rights by making provisions applicable to states via the due process clause of the 14th Amendment 2 LIBEL and SLANDER - The publication or speech of false and malicious statements (written or spoken) that damage one's reputation; not protected by the First Amendment. 2 MIRANDA RIGHTS - Name given to the set of rights a person accused of a crime must be told - they may remain silent, what they say can used in court, and the right to an attorney. 2 PRIOR RESTRAINT - Censorship by the government (preventing material from being printed) mostly limited by the courts. 2 PROBABLE CAUSE - Situation occurring when police have reason to believe that person should be arrested. 2 SELF INCRIMINATION - When an individual accused of a crime is compelled to be a witness against himself in court or before; prohibited by the Bill of Rights. 2 SYMBOLIC SPEECH - Nonverbal expression, like flag burning, which the Court deemed is protected by the Bill of Rights. 2 AFFIRMATIVE ACTION - Policies that give special attention or treatment to people from a disadvantaged group; seek equal results 2 AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT - Law that requires employers and public facilities to make "reasonable accommodations" for people with disabilities 2 CIVIL RIGHTS - Policies designed to protect people from arbitrary discrimination by the government 2 CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF Law that forbids racial discrimination in motels, hotels, restaurants, and in many jobs 2 COMPARABLE WORTH - Issue raised when women who hold traditionally female jobs are paid less than men who work jobs requiring similar skills 2 DE FACTO LAW - Policy indirectly produced by a separate law or policy 2 DE JURE LAW - Policy implemented through law 2 EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION (EEOC) - Agency created by the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to ensure fair hiring practices 2 EQUAL PROTECTION CLAUSE - Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment that requires all laws provide protection to all people without unnecessary discrimination. 2 EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT - Failed constitutional amendment that would have outlawed discrimination based on gender

2 2 GRANDFATHER CLAUSES/POLL TAXES/WHITE PRIMARIES/LITERACY TESTS - Methods used by southern states to legally deny blacks the vote; all were eventually outlawed. 2 MINORITY MAJORTY DISTRICTING - Gerrymandering with the goal of creating districts dominated by minorities; struck down by Supreme Court 2 SEXUAL HARASSMENT - Actions defined by the Court as so pervasive as to create a hostile or abusive work environment and is a form of gender discrimination banned by the Civil Rights Act 2 STANDARDS OF REVIEW - Criteria established by the courts for evaluating equal protection of the laws 2 TITLE IX - Part of the Education Act of 1972, banned discrimination in federally subsidized education programs including sports at both secondary and collegiate levels 2 VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF Law that lowered barriers, such as literacy tests, that prevented blacks from voting during the Civil rights movement 3 DEMOCRACY - A political system of selected policymakers that will act according to the majority while maintaining minority rights; usually includes elections and citizen protections. 3 GOVERNMENT - System made up of the institutions and processes by which policy is made for a society. 3 INDIVIDUALISM - Belief that citizens should run their lives without government interference. 3 LINKAGE INSTITUIONS - Channels through which citizens voice their opinions in the policymaking system (i.e., elections, parties, interest groups, media) 3 POLICY AGENDA - A set of issues actively addressed by the government officials; often established by the media. 3 POLICYMAKERS - Government bodies that create public policy (Legislative, Executive, Judicial) 3 POLITICS - The process by which we select our government leaders and how they pursue policy; who gets what, when, and where. 3 CONSERVATIVISM - Political ideology that promotes smaller government, private solutions to society's problems, and a free market economy. 3 EXIT POLLS - Surveys used by the media to predict election winners; taken as voters leave polling stations 3 IDEOLOGY - One s coherent set of beliefs about politics, government, and policy (i.e., liberal or conservative) 3 LIBERALISM - Political ideology that promotes larger government in order to fund social projects seeking equality and rights. 3 POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION - The process through which a person develops his/her political orientation through family, the media, school, and religion 3 PUBLIC OPINION - The varying positions of Americans regarding politics and policy 3 REAPPORTIONMENT - The redistribution of seats in the House of Representatives as a result of a people movement and the census 3 BEATS - Specific locations from which news constantly breaks. 3 MASS MEDIA - Linkage institution made up of broadcasts (TV and radio), narrowcasts (cable TV, internet), print (newspapers and magazines), etc. 3 SPIN - Tendency of media outlets to be biased in news reporting toward an ideological bias 3 TALKING HEADS - Media clips of a person speaking directly to the camera (it is boring and used sparingly) 3 TRIAL BALLOONS - Intentional political leaks by policymakers intended to assess public reaction. 3 ELECTIONEERING - Interest group involvement in the election process often in the form of contributions by PACs. 3 ELITE AND CLASS THEORY - Theory holding that government and politics is dominated by the upper class. 3 HYPERPLURALISM - Theory holding that government and politics is weakened by excessive group activity. 3 INTEREST GROUPS - Groups of citizens with similar policy goals who enter into the policymaking system. 3 LOBBYING - Paid or unpaid members of an interest group that attempts to influence policymakers. 3 PLURALIST THEORY - Theory holding that government and politics is based on group competition and this is a good thing. 3 POLICY GRIDLOCK - Situation when no group has enough power to enact a policy, nothing happens. 3 PUBLIC INTEREST LOBBIES - Groups that work for a collective good that will not impact them directly. 4 NATIONAL COMMITTEE - Members of a political party that run affairs between conventions; aka party in organization. 4 NATIONAL PARTY CONVENTION - Party meetings taking place every four years to nominate a candidate for president and to define its position platform. 4 PARTY PLATFORM - A political party's list of goals and policies for a year period. 4 PARTY REALIGNMENT - Displacement of the majority party by the minority party after a critical election 4 POLITICAL PARTY - Organization of people with common ideologies that attempt to get individuals elected to office. 4 THIRD PARTIES - Political parties, often advocating a single issue, that force the main parties to address certain issues. 4 BLANKET PRIMARY - Primary where voters get a ballot with all candidates, and they can vote for as many as they wish 4 CAUCUS (elections) - Meeting of state party leaders in certain states to nominate a candidate for the party convention. 4 CLOSED PRIMARY - Type of primary where only people registered within the party can vote. 4 FEDERAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN ACT - Legislation drafted in 1974 that created the FEC, allocated public funding for candidates, and limited campaign spending/contributions. 4 FRONTLOADING - Practice of states to schedule primaries early in the season to capitalize on media attention. 4 NOMINATION - An official endorsement of a candidate by a political party 4 OPEN PRIMARY - Primary where voters can decide on which party's ballot they wish to vote 4 POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEES (PACs) - Groups that register with the FEC in order to give campaign contributions. 4 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN FUND - Election fund filled by taxpayers who elect to donate. 4 SOFT MONEY - Donations that go to a party instead of a nominee during an election thereby not restricted; later limited by McCain-Feingold. 4 SUPERDELEGATES - Party leaders who get a delegate slot at the national convention along side state delegates. 4 COALITION - Groups of citizen voters whose support the parties depend upon. 4 INITIATIVES - In some states, citizens may place proposed changes to state constitutions on the ballot and vote on them. 4 MANDATE THEORY OF ELECTIONS - Idea that the winner of an election has been ordered by the people to initiate their policies. 4 MOTOR VOTER ACT - Legislation drafted in 1993 that allows people to register to vote when applying for a driver's license. 4 POLITICAL EFFICACY - The belief of certain citizens that their participation makes a difference. 4 POLITICAL PARTICIAPTION - Citizen activities that influence politics and/or policy (voting, protests, civil disobedience, etc..) 4 REFERENDUM - At the state level, this allows voters to vote on proposed legislation. 4 TICKET SPLITING - Practice of American voters who distribute their votes to both parties on ballots.

3 4 WINNER-TAKE-ALL SYSTEM - Electoral system where a president gets all electoral votes in states where they win the popular vote. 5 BICAMERALISM - Term referring to a legislative system with two chambers. 5 CONFERENCE COMMITTEES - Formed to hammer out differences in a bill when the House and Senate cannot agree on its contents. 5 CONGRESSIONAL CAUCUS - Groups in Congress with similar policy goals; most are made up of members from both parties and both Houses. 5 EARMARKS - Amendments to bills (usually unrelated) that give a certain member of congress pork barrel money in exchange for a vote on the bill. 5 FILIBUSTER - In the Senate, opponents of a bill may stall debate by endlessly talking; a vote of cloture (60 votes) and end this tactic. 5 GERRYMANDERING - Questionable practice by politicians that attempts to draw congressional boundaries in ways to gain a political advantage 5 INCUMBANTS - Members of Congress up for reelection (they almost always win). 5 JOINT COMMITTEES - Congressional committee that has members from both houses. 5 LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT - Responsibility of Congress to monitor the executive branch and its policies often in the form of hearings. 5 LOGROLLING - A deal by members of Congress involving promises to vote for each other s bills. 5 MAJORITY LEADER - Leading member of the controlling party in each chamber of Congress (heads the Senate, assists the Speaker in the House). 5 MINORITY LEADER - Leader of the minority party in the House or Senate. 5 PORK BARREL - List of federal grants, projects, and contracts that members of Congress seek to get for their constituents. 5 SELECT COMMITTEES - Type of congressional committee created for the purpose of addressing a specific, temporary purpose (e.g., Watergate). 5 SENIORITY SYSTEM - System that allows the longest serving members of Congress to be appointed as committee chairs. 5 SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE - Leader of the House, chosen by the majority party; third in line for the presidency 5 STANDING COMMITTEES - Congressional committee that is permanent and confined to each chamber. 5 WHIP - Member of Congress who communicates events on the debate floor to the majority and minority leaders. 5 DISCHARGE PETITION - Process of bringing a bill out of committee and to the floor for consideration without a report from a Committee and usually without cooperation of the leadership. 6 HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE / SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE - Powerful congressional committees responsible for writing the tax code. 6 APPROVAL RATINGS - Poll results that demonstrate the public's satisfaction of the President's performance. 6 COATTAILS - Name for when voters cast ballots for congressional candidates from the same party as the president. 6 COUNCIL OF ECONOMIC ADISORS - A three member body appointed by the president to advise him on the economy. 6 EXECUTIVE AGREEMENT - Deals between the President and other heads of state; non-binding; not subject to congressional approval. 6 EXECUTIVE OFFICES - Led by the chief of staff, these are the major policymaking bodies that assist the President; includes the NSC, CEA, and OMB. 6 GOING PUBLIC - Ability of the President to bypass Congress with policy goals and go directly to the people through the media. 6 MANDATES (Election) - Belief of a presidential elect that by winning, he has a command from the people to implement his policies. 6 OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET - Body of aides, advisors, and professionals that advise on and manage the President's budget. 6 HONEYMOON PERIOD - Name for the first 100 days of a presidency; is marked by high approval ratings and swift policy implementation. 6 WAR POWERS RESOLUTION - Law passed in 1973; requires the president to notify congress of military movements within 48 hours. 6 WHITE HOUSE STAFF - Led by the chief of staff, includes political offices (press secretary, speech writer), and support staff (cooks, clerks). 6 BUREAUCRACY - Government agencies that implement and regulate policy 6 CABINET DEPARTMENTS - Fifteen executive departments, headed by secretaries chosen by the president; each manages a specific policy area 6 CIVIL SERVICE - Non-partisan government services (e.g., post office) that hires based on merit (exams and promotion ratings). 6 DEREGULATION - The lifting of restrictions on business and industry in order to allow greater self regulation. 6 EXECUTIVE ORDER - Pronouncement from the president that attempts to control the bureaucracy or force laws to be executed. 6 GOVERNMENT CORPORATIONS - Government businesses that could be ran by the private sector and that charge for services. 6 INDEPENDENT EXECUTIVE AGENCIES - Agencies that implement and regulate policy, but are not under a cabinet department 6 IRON TRIANGLES - Aka "subgovernments; interest groups, government agencies, and congressional committees that control an issue. 6 ISSUE NETWORK - Name given to the modern policymaking structure; includes the iron triangle, but also lawyers, corporations, and other groups. 6 OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT - Agency in charge of hiring for most middle and lower level government jobs. 6 POLICY IMPLEMENTATION - Task of the bureaucracy to enact policies made by the President, Congress, and courts. 6 REGULATION - Ability of the government to monitor and influence the private business sector. 6 REGULATORY AGENCIES - Agencies that implement and regulate policy and are under the supervision of a cabinet department 7 AMICUS CURIAE BRIEFS - Friend of the court; tactic used by interest groups to raise unspoken concerns about legislation or litigation. 7 APPELLATE JURISDICTION - Ability of a circuit court or the Supreme Court to hear a case originally heard in a lower court; facts are not discussed, only legality. 7 CIVIL/CRIMINAL LAW - The two types of legal cases; the first involving the disputes between two parties, the second involving broken laws. 7 CLASS ACTION SUITS - A lawsuit brought forth by multiple people. 7 JUDICIAL ACTIVISM - Decisions by judges and courts to make bold policy decisions. 7 JUDICIAL IMPLEMENTATION - Process of how court decisions are translated into actual policy 7 JUDICIAL RESTRAINT - Practice of judges and courts to have a minimal policymaking role and leave legislating up to Congress. 7 JUDICIAL REVIEW - Ability of the courts to determine the constitutionality of laws and actions of policymakers; established by Marbury v. Madison (1803) 7 JUSTICIABLE DISPUTES - Requirement that a case must be capable of being decided in order to go to court 7 OPINIONS - Written explanations of the Supreme Court decision on a case. 7 ORIGINAL INTENT - Judicial opinion that the Constitution should be interpreted in the way the framers envisioned. 7 ORIGINAL JURISDICTION - Situation when a court has the privilege to hear a case first. 7 PER CURIUM DECISION - A court decision without explanation (resolves the current

4 case, but sets no precedent for future cases) 7 PRECEDENT - The making of policy by the Courts through case decisions; decisions may be overturned by later decisions 7 SENATORIAL COURTESY - Tradition where judicial nominees are not confirmed in a state if the senator from that state disapproves. 7 STANDING TO SUE - Requirement that plaintiffs must have a serious interest in a case to file litigation. 7 STARE DECISIS - Let the ruling stand ; court decisions where the result of the lower courts or precedent are upheld. 7 STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION - Procedure of Congress to pass clarifying laws after the Court has ruled a particular way. 8 EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT - Tax policy that redistributes income to the poor instead of charging them income tax 8 ENTITLEMENTS - Name for social programs that benefit certain individuals who meet certain requirements, regardless of need. 8 IN KIND BENEFITS - Non-cash entitlements to people from the government (e.g., food stamps) 8 INCOME - The amount of money one receives for wages or salary in a given amount of time 8 MEANS-TESTED PROGRAMS - Entitlements available to individuals near or below the poverty line (e.g., Medicaid). 8 MEDICAID - A shared entitlement between the federal government and the states that sponsors health care for the poor 8 MEDICARE - Government entitlement that sponsors health care for the elderly 8 PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY AND WORK OPPORTUNITY ACT (PRWOA) - Law that reformed welfare in 1996; limited the amount of benefits one could receive; created TANF. 8 POVERTY LINE - Defines the amount of income necessary to maintain an "austere" standard of living; used to count the number of poor people 8 PROGRESSIVE TAX - Tax policy where the rich pay a higher percentage of income taxes than the poor; used to redistribute wealth 8 PROPORTIONAL TAX - Tax policy where all classes pay the same percentage of income taxes; also known as a "flat" tax 8 REGRESSIVE TAX - Tax policy where the poor pay a higher percentage in taxes than the rich (e.g., sales tax or any flat number rather than percentage) 8 SOCIAL WELFARE - Policies that provide monetary benefits to individuals 8 TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE FOR NEEDY FAMILIES (TANF) - Welfare program through PRWORA that gives cash payments to the neediest families; replaced the old AFDC welfare program. 8 WEALTH - Value of all of one's assets, including income, investments, and possessions. 8 WEALTH REDISTRIBUTION - Government policy of using taxation or other measures to take wealth the wealthy and give it to others 8 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA) - Bureaucratic agency that monitors pollution and toxic wastes 8 SIMPSON MAZZOLI ACT - Law in 1986 that granted amnesty to illegal immigrants; banned employment of illegals and secured the border; largely a failure. 9 APPROPRIATIONS BILL - Type of bill that allocates the funds necessary to carry out authorization bills; usually lasts one year 9 AUTHORIZATION BILL - Bill that establishes, continues, or changes a discretionary program in order to meet the budget resolution 9 BUDGET RESOLUTION - An agreement that prohibits Congress from spending more than a set amount while making the budget 9 CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET AND IMPOUNDMENT CONTROL ACT - Law that established a budget making calendar, Congressional budget committees, and the Congressional Budget Office; made Congress stronger in the budget process 9 DEFICIT - Result of government spending more than it makes in revenue for a given budget year 9 DEBT CEILING - Dollar amount set by the congress that limits the amount of debt for U.S. can incur. 9 DISCRETIONARY SPENDING - Government expenditures (mostly on bureaucratic agencies) that can be adjusted from year to year. 9 FISCAL POLICY - Policies pertaining to taxing and spending 9 INCREMENTALISM - Belief that a new budget should be the same as the last budget, plus a little more 9 NATIONAL DEBT - The long term accumulation of budget deficits. 9 NON-DISCRETIONARY SPENDING - Government expenditures that by law must be met, regardless of financial situation (e.g., entitlements) 9 RECONCILIATION - Process where lastminute adjustments to spending bills occur to meet the budget resolution 9 TAX CREDITS - Revenue losses resulting from legal exemptions, exclusions, or deductions from one's tax return. 9 TAX LOOPHOLES - Name given to ways taxpayers can pay less in taxes buy cheating or circumventing requirements. 9 ANTI TRUST POLICY - Policies designed to ensure competition by breaking up monopolies 9 BALANCE OF TRADE - Ratio of what is paid for imports to what is paid for exports. 9 FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM (The FED) - Federal bank system that regulates the flow of money to commercial banks and sets interest rates 9 INFLATION - the systemic rise in prices for goods, usually caused by currency printing; measured the Consumer Price Index 9 KEYNESIAN ECONOMICS - Belief that during economic downturns, the government can create demand through spending programs and tax credits 9 MONETARY POLICY - Policies involving the money supply, inflation, jobs, and markets. 9 SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION (SEC) - Federal agency that oversees the stock market and guards against stock fraud 9 SUPPLY SIDE ECONOMICS - Monetary policy insisting the government can create supply by cutting taxes for business to stimulate the economy 9 UNEMPLOYMENT RATE - The proportion of the labor force actively seeking employment, but is unable to find it. 9 CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY (CIA) - Agency that coordinates America's spy network in the world 9 CONTAINMENT - American foreign policy during the early Cold War that called for preventing the spread of Communism, using force if necessary 9 DETANTE - American foreign policy late in the Cold War that called for an easing of tensions through guarantees of mutual security 9 ECONOMIC SANCTIONS - Monetary penalties imposed on foreign governments in order to modify its social, political, or economic behavior 9 EUROPEAN UNION - Economic alliance of European nations to coordinate trade, currency, labor, and immigration. 9 FOREIGN POLICY - Policies that deal with relations with the rest of the world, including diplomacy and military operations 9 INTERDEPENDENCY - Theory that in the modern world, one nation's actions affect all other nations 9 ISOLATIONISM - American foreign policy from independence to WWII; included avoiding foreign wars and the invocation of the Monroe Doctrine 9 JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF - Body made up of heads from each of the military services and a chairman; advises and informs the president on military policy 9 NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL (NSC) - Body formed in 1947 to advise the president on national security; includes the president, vice president, secretaries of state and defense, and the president's national security advisor 9 NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANIZATION (NATO) - Military alliance of western nations and Turkey that vows to defend all members

5 9 ORGANIZATION OF PETROLEUM EXPORTING COUNTRIES (OPEC) - Economic organization made up of Arab and South American countries that control the supply and price of oil 9 STRATEGIC DEFENSE INITIATIVE (SDI, aka STAR WARS) - Reagan's foreign policy that called for a system to intercept Soviet missiles; he also sought to win the arms race through massive defense spending 9 UNITED NATIONS - Global peace keeping body with membership of most nations; monitors human rights, economic freedoms, and potential conflicts 10 LIBERAL DEMOCRACY - Political system where citizen rights are protected, competitive elections exist, and governments are limited by a rule of law, the separation of powers, and checks and balances. 10 AUTHORITARIAN REGIME - A political system the lacks competitive elections, rights for citizens, and a rule of law; may be oligarchic, dictatorial, or militaristic. 10 PRESIDENTIAL REGIME - Type of regime where a president is elected separate from the legislature. 10 PARLIAMENTARY REGIME - Type of regime where the head of government (usually a prime minister) is chosen by and from an elected parliament. 10 SEMI-PRESIDENTIAL REGIME - Type of regime where an elected president chooses a prime minister to run the government. 10 COMMUNISM - Ideology that advocated total government control of the means of production and distributes wealth to the citizens; promotes love for the state. 10 SOCIALISM - Ideology that allows the private sector to exist, but imposes numerous regulations in order to redistribute wealth and promote equality in society. 10 LIBERALISM (CLASSICAL) - Ideology rooted in Enlightenment ideas that promotes limited government, free markets, and citizen freedoms and rights. 10 FASCISM - Ideology that promotes a powerful government for the purpose of molding society to glorify the national and restrict perceived inferior elements. 10 HEAD OF GOVERNMENT - Position in a political system heads a cabinet and attempts to set the policy agenda for the legislature. 10 HEAD OF STATE - The ceremonial head of a state who may or may not have power in the political system. 10 FIRST PAST THE POST - Aka, Single Member District Plurality; election system that declares winners based on having the most votes ("plurality") within one district. 10 PROPORTIONAL ELECTIONS - Election system where parties earn seats in the legislature based on the percentage of votes they earn from voters. 10 DUVERGER'S LAW - First Past the Post elections create two-party systems; Proportional elections create multi-party systems. 10 DOWNS' LAW - Two-party systems pull parties to the ideological middle, while multi-party allows parties to scatter on the ideological spectrum. 10 CIVIL SOCIETY - Non-government entities in a political system that usually thrive in democracies but are more restricted in authoritarian regimes.