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majority rule
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Key Terms
Term
Definition
majority rule
A fundamental principle of traditional democratic theory. In a democracy, choosing among alternatives requires that the majority's desire be respected...
mandate theory of elections
The idea that the winning candidate has a mandate from the people to carry out his or her platforms and politics. Politicians like the theory better t...
Mapp v. Ohio
The 1961 Supreme Court decision ruling that the fourth Amendment's protection against unreasonable searches and seizures must be extended to the state...
Marbury v. Madison
The 1803 case in which the Supreme Court asserted its right to determine the meaning of the U.S. Constitution. The decision established the Court's po...
mass media
Television, radio, newspapers, magazines, the Internet, and other means of popular communication.
McClesky v. Kemp
The 1987 Supreme Court decision that upheld the constitutionality of the death penalty against charges that it violated the Fourteenth Amendment becau...
Related Flashcard Decks
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
majority rule | A fundamental principle of traditional democratic theory. In a democracy, choosing among alternatives requires that the majority's desire be respected. |
mandate theory of elections | The idea that the winning candidate has a mandate from the people to carry out his or her platforms and politics. Politicians like the theory better than political scientists do. |
Mapp v. Ohio | The 1961 Supreme Court decision ruling that the fourth Amendment's protection against unreasonable searches and seizures must be extended to the states. |
Marbury v. Madison | The 1803 case in which the Supreme Court asserted its right to determine the meaning of the U.S. Constitution. The decision established the Court's power of judicial review over acts of Congress. |
mass media | Television, radio, newspapers, magazines, the Internet, and other means of popular communication. |
McClesky v. Kemp | The 1987 Supreme Court decision that upheld the constitutionality of the death penalty against charges that it violated the Fourteenth Amendment because minority defendants were more likely to receive the death penalty than were white defendants. |
McCulloch v. Maryland | An 1819 Supreme Court decision that established the supremacy of the national government over state governments. The Court, led by Chief Justice John Marshall, held that Congress had certain implied powers in addition to the powers enumerated in the Constitution. |
McGovern-Fraser Commission | A commission formed at the 1968 Democratic convention in response to demands for reform by minority groups and others who sought better representation. |
means-tested programs | Government programs providing benefits only to individuals who qualify based on specific needs. |
media events | Events that are purposely staged for the media and that are significant just because the media are there. |
Medicaid | A public assistance program designed to provide health care for poor Americans and funded by both the states and the national government. |
Medicare | A program added to the Social Security system in 1965 that provides hospitalization insurance for the elderly and permits older Americans to purchase inexpensive coverage for doctor fees and other medical expenses. |
melting pot | A term often used to characterize the United States, with its history of immigration and mixing of cultures, ideas, and peoples. |
merit principle | The idea that hiring should be based on entrance exams and promotion ratings to produce administration by people with talent and skill. |
Miami Herald Publishing Company v. Tornillo | A 1974 case in which the Supreme Court held that a state could not force a newspaper to print replies from candidates it had criticized, illustrating the limited power of government to restrict the print media. |
Miller v. California | A 1973 Supreme Court decision holding that community standards be used to determine whether material is obscene in terms of appealing to a 'prurient interest' and being 'patently offensive' and lacking in value. |
minority leader | The principal leader of the minority party in the House of Representatives or in the Senate. |
minority majority | The situation, likely beginning in the mid-twenty-first century, in which the non-Hispanic whites will represent a minority of the U.S. population and a minority groups together will represent a majority. |
minority rights | A principle of traditional democratic theory that guarantees rights to those who do not belong to majorities. |
Miranda v. Arizona | The 1966 Supreme Court decision that sets guidelines for police questioning of accused persons to protect them against self-incrimination and to protect their right to council. |
monetarism | An economic theory holding that the supply of money is the key to a nation's economic health, with too much cash and credit in circulation producing inflation. |
monetary policy | Government manipulation of the supply of money in private hands-one of two important tools by which the government can attempt to steer the economy. |
Motor Voter Act | A 1993 act that requires states to permit people to register to vote when they apply for a driver's license. |
NAACP v. Alabama | The 1958 Supreme Court decision that the right to assemble meant Alabama could not require the state chapter of NAACP to reveal its membership list. |
narrowcasting | Media programming on cable TV (e.g., on MTV, ESPN, or C-SPAN) or the Internet that is focused on a particular interest and aimed at a particular audience, in contrast to broadcasting. |
national chairperson | The person responsible for the day-to-day activities of the party. |
national committee | One of the institutions that keeps the party operating between conventions. The national committee is composed of representatives from the states and territories. |
national debt | All the money borrowed by the federal government over the years and still outstanding. Today the national debt is about $17.5 Trillion. |
National Environmental Policy Act | Passed in 1969, the centerpiece of federal environmental policy, which requires agencies to file environmental impact statements. |
national health insurance | A compulsory insurance program for all Americans that would have the government finance citizens' medical care. First proposed by President Harry S. Truman. |