| Term | Definition |
|---|
| sovereignty | The supreme or ultimate political authority. A sovereign government is one that is legally and politically independent of any other government. |
| recall | A provision that allows voters to remove a duly-elected official from office. |
| referendum | A provision that allows voters to reject a measure voted by the legislature in the election ballot. |
| Tenth Amendment | The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people. |
| block grants | Grants given by the federal government to state and local authorities for general purposes. |
| categorical grants | Grants given by the federal government to state and local authorities for a specific purpose defined in a federal law. |
| Confederation or Confederal System | A political system in which states or regional governments retain ultimate authority except for those powers that they expressly delegate to a central government. |
| conditions of aid | A condition which a state government must fulfill in return for taking federal funds. |
| dual federalism | the federal system under which the national and state governments were responsible for separate policy areas |
| federal system | A form of government in which sovereignty is shared, so that on some matters the national government is supreme and on others the states are supreme. |
| federalism | The division of power between a national government and regional (state) governments, with the national government sovereign and the states retaining significant powers. |
| nullification | A doctrine espoused on behalf of the states' rights position which holds that states are empowered to void federal laws considered in violation of the Constitution. |
| initiative | A provision that allows voters to place legislative matters directly on the ballot by getting enough signatures on a petition. |
| McCulloch v Maryland 1819 | states did not have power to tax the national bank, reinforces supremacy clause |
| necessary and proper clause | The final paragraph of Article I, section 8 of the Constitution, which authorizes Congress to pass all laws "necessary and proper" to carry out the enumerated powers. |
| unitary system | a government system that gives all key powers to the national or central government |
| Tenth Amendment | An amendment to the Constitution which defines the powers of the states, stipulating that the states (or the people) retain all powers not specifically delegated to the national government by the Constitution. |
| middle America | term used to describe mainstream Americans |
| Silent Majority | A phrase used to describe people, whatever their economic status, who uphold traditional values, especially against the counter culture of the 1960's. |
| Religious tradition | The moral teachings of religious institutions on religious, social, and economic issues. |
| gender gap | the tendency of men and women to differ in their political views on some issues |
| poll | an inquiry into public opinion conducted by interviewing a random sample of people |
| Political Ideology | A consistent pattern of beliefs about political values and the role of government. |
| sampling error | the difference between a samples results and the true result if the entire population had been interviewed |
| Libertarians | People who wish to maximize a personal liberty on both economic and social issues. The prefer a small, weak government, that has little control over either the economy or the personal lives of citizens. |
| Populists | People who hold liberal views on economic matters and conservative ones on social matters. The prefer a strong government that will reduce economic inequality, regulate businesses, and impose strincter social and criminal sanctions |
| Political elite | An identifiable group of persons who poses a disporportional share of some valued resource, such as moeny or political power. |
| norm | a pattern, standard or model that is typical for a specific group |
| pure liberals | the peple that are liberal on both economic policy and personal conduct |
| Pure Conservative | Conservative on both economic and political issues |
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