AP Gov Unit 1 Vocabulary Terms

Anarchy

A situation or philosophy in which there is no government, central authority, or formal structure of rule.

Aristocracy

A system of government where power is held by a privileged few — typically a small class distinguished by birth, wealth, or status.

Authoritarianism

A system of government characterized by strong central power and limited political freedoms; the state demands submission to authority rather than individual liberty.

Capitalism

An economic system in which the means of production and distribution are privately owned, and economic activity is largely driven by market forces, competition, and profit.

Conservatism

A political ideology favoring preservation of established traditions, institutions, and social norms; generally cautious about rapid change and supportive of order, stability, and continuity.

Democracy

A form of government in which power is vested in the people — either directly or through elected representatives — and decisions are made by majority rule or popular participation.

Democratic Republic

A type of government combining a republic (no monarchy, rule of law) with democratic principles where people elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf.

Direct Democracy

A political system where citizens directly participate in decision-making and lawmaking rather than delegating those functions to representatives.

Divine Right of Kings

The doctrine or belief that monarchs derive their authority directly from God, not from the consent of the people, and thus are not subject to earthly authority or accountability.

Elite Democracy (Elitism)

The theory or notion that a small, privileged group (the elite) holds the real power and makes decisions, even within a democratic framework — often implying that ordinary citizens have limited influence.

Eminent Domain

The power of the government to take private property for public use — usually with compensation to the owner — even without the owner's consent.

Equality

The principle that all individuals should have the same status, rights, and opportunities — regardless of race, gender, wealth, or other distinguishing characteristics.

Government

The formal organization that makes and enforces rules for a society — including institutions and individuals exercising authority over a territory or people.

Hyperpluralism

A theory or condition in a democracy where too many competing interest groups or factions hinder effective government action — resulting in gridlock or inefficient policymaking.

Ideology (Political Ideology)

A coherent set of beliefs, values, and opinions about politics, society, economics, and government; ideology shapes how individuals or groups view the world and influences their political behavior.

Initiative

A process in which citizens can propose laws or constitutional amendments directly — typically via petition and then popular vote — bypassing or supplementing the legislature.

Institution

An established organization, structure, or system (formal or informal) in a society that shapes political, social, or economic behavior — e.g., government bodies, legal systems, cultural practices.

Legislature

The branch or body of government responsible for making laws; usually composed of elected representatives.

Liberalism

A political ideology emphasizing individual rights, civil liberties, equality, and often supportive of government intervention in the economy and society to promote justice and opportunity.

Libertarianism

A political philosophy that prioritizes individual liberty (personal and economic), advocating for minimal government intervention and maximum personal freedom.

Liberty

The state of being free — politically, socially, and personally — to act, speak, and think without undue coercion or restriction by the government or others.

Limited Government

The principle that a government's power should be restricted by law (often via a constitution) to protect individual rights and prevent abuse of power.

Linkage Institutions

Structures or mechanisms (like political parties, media, elections, interest groups) that connect citizens to their government and help translate public preferences into policy decisions.

Majority

The larger portion or greater number of a population or group — typically more than half.

Majority Rule

The principle that decisions in a democracy should reflect the desires of more than half the members of a group or society.

Majority Rule with Minority Rights

A democratic principle that while majority decisions prevail, the rights of minority groups must be protected to prevent tyranny by the majority.

Minority

A smaller segment of a population distinguished by race, religion, opinions, or other characteristics — often underrepresented in power or decision-making.

Oligarchy

A form of government where a small group of people — often wealthy or powerful — hold most of the political power, rather than the people as a whole.

Participatory Democracy

A model of democracy where citizens have direct involvement in decision-making — beyond just voting — including participation in public discussion, civic engagement, and community decision processes.

Pluralist Democracy

A democratic system in which many diverse interest groups compete to influence public policy — the competition among these groups helps shape government decisions.

Political Culture

The shared beliefs, values, norms, and attitudes toward government and politics that characterize a society and influence political behavior.

Political Participation

The various ways citizens engage in politics and government — such as voting, campaigning, protesting, contacting officials, or joining interest groups.

Political Socialization

The process by which individuals gain their political values, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors — often influenced by family, education, media, and life experiences.

Politics

The activities, processes, and debates through which power and resources are distributed within a society — including conflict, cooperation, policy-making, and governance.

Recall

A procedure that allows voters to remove an elected official from office before the end of their term, typically via a petition and special election.

Referendum

A process by which citizens vote directly on a proposed law or public policy — giving the electorate direct decision-making power.

Representation

The principle or practice of elected officials acting on behalf of and making decisions for the people who elected them.

Representative Democracy

A system of government where citizens elect representatives to deliberate and make decisions on their behalf, rather than citizens voting on every issue directly.

Republic

A form of government in which the country is considered a public matter and leaders are elected (or otherwise chosen) rather than inherited; there is no monarch, and government authority comes from the people.

Social Contract

A theory that government legitimacy stems from an implicit agreement among individuals to surrender some freedoms and submit to authority in exchange for protection of rights and maintenance of order.

Socialism

An economic and political system in which the means of production, distribution, and exchange are owned or regulated by the community or state, aiming at equitable resource sharing and social welfare.

Totalitarian Regime

A political system in which the state holds total authority over public and private life — often under a single party or leader — with centralized control and suppression of dissent.

Universal Suffrage

The right of nearly all adult citizens to vote in political elections, regardless of race, gender, wealth, or social status.

Amending Process

The formal procedure by which changes or additions can be made to a constitution or foundational legal document.

Articles of Confederation

The United States' first constitution (ratified 1781), which created a loose confederation of sovereign states and a weak central government; it was later replaced because it proved ineffective.

Anti-Federalist

Individuals or thinkers who opposed the ratification of the U.S. Constitution — often advocating for stronger state sovereignty and greater protection of individual rights.

Article I

The first article of the U.S. Constitution; it establishes the Legislative Branch (Congress), defines its structure, powers, and responsibilities.

Article II

The second article of the U.S. Constitution; it establishes the Executive Branch (the President), and defines its powers and duties.

Article III

The third article of the U.S. Constitution; it establishes the Judicial Branch (federal courts, including the Supreme Court) and defines judicial powers.

Article IV

The fourth article of the U.S. Constitution; it addresses the relationships among states and between each state and the federal government (e.g., states' rights, privileges, and full faith and credit).

Article V

The fifth article of the U.S. Constitution; it outlines the procedure for amending (changing or adding to) the Constitution.

Article VI

The sixth article of the U.S. Constitution; among other things, it contains the "Supremacy Clause," establishing that federal law is superior to state law when there is a conflict.

Article VII

The seventh article of the U.S. Constitution; it specifies the process for ratification — how many states had to approve it and how it would become effective.

Bicameral Legislature

A legislative body with two houses or chambers (e.g., in the U.S., the House of Representatives and the Senate).

Bill of Rights

The collective name for the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantee fundamental civil liberties and protections for individuals against government power.

Bill of Attainder

A law that declares a specific person or group guilty of some crime and punishes them without a trial. The U.S. Constitution prohibits bills of attainder because they violate due process and the separation of powers.

"Brutus No. 1"

A famous essay (by an Anti-Federalist) arguing against ratification of the Constitution — warning that a strong central government would become too powerful and threaten individual liberties and state sovereignty.

Central Government

The national-level government with authority over an entire country, as opposed to state or local governments.

Checks and Balances

A system in which the different branches of government (executive, legislative, judicial) have distinct powers and can each limit or check the powers of the others — preventing any single branch from becoming too powerful.

Confederation

A system of government in which sovereign states or regions retain most of the power, delegating only limited authority to a central government (often for common defense or diplomacy).

Declaration of Independence

The 1776 document in which the American colonies declared independence from Great Britain — asserting natural rights and justifying revolution against tyranny.

Electoral College

The system established in the U.S. Constitution for electing the President and Vice President — where electors (chosen by voters) cast votes on behalf of their states rather than a direct nationwide popular vote.

Factions

Groups of people within a society or political system united by common interests, passions, or beliefs — often used (by James Madison in Federalist No. 10) to describe groups that may pursue their interests at the expense of the public good or common interest.

Federalists

The group of people who supported ratifying the U.S. Constitution, favoring a stronger central government rather than the weak confederation under the Articles of Confederation.

Federalist No. 10

An essay by James Madison arguing that a large republic can best guard against the dangers of factions by diluting their influence across a broad society.

Federalist No. 51

Another essay by Madison (under the pseudonym Publius) explaining the need for separation of powers and checks and balances in the new government to prevent tyranny.

Federal System

A system of government in which power is divided between a central (national) government and regional (state or provincial) governments, each with its own sphere of authority.

The "Grand Committee"

A committee at the 1787 Constitutional Convention composed of one delegate from each state (present) — tasked with resolving the conflict between large and small states over representation.

Great Compromise (Connecticut Compromise)

The agreement reached at the Constitutional Convention that created a bicameral legislature: one house with representation based on population (House of Representatives), and another with equal representation for each state (Senate).

Impeachment

The process by which a legislative body (e.g., Congress) formally charges a high official (e.g., President) with misconduct; in many systems impeachment can lead to removal from office if conviction follows.

John Locke

A 17th-century English philosopher whose ideas about natural rights (life, liberty, property), social contract, and limited government heavily influenced modern liberal democracy.

New Jersey Plan

A proposal at the Constitutional Convention favoring a unicameral legislature with equal representation for each state (regardless of size), as a way to preserve power for smaller states.

Virginia Plan

A proposal at the Constitutional Convention for a bicameral legislature with representation in both houses based (at least partly) on state population — favoring larger states.

Three-fifths Compromise

An agreement during the Constitutional Convention that counted three-fifths of each enslaved person for purposes of representation and taxation — a compromise between Southern and Northern states over how to count enslaved populations.

Tyranny of the majority

A situation in a democratic system where the majority enforces its will in ways that oppress or ignore the rights and interests of minority groups.

Madisonian Model

The structure of government proposed by James Madison, featuring separation of powers among three independent branches (executive, legislative, judicial) plus checks and balances — designed to prevent tyranny and protect individual rights.

Natural Rights

Fundamental rights that individuals are believed to have inherently by virtue of being human — not granted by government or dependent on laws — such as rights to life, liberty, and property.

Popular sovereignty

The principle that political power rests with the people — that government's legitimacy derives from the consent of the governed.

Preamble

The introductory statement to a constitution (or other foundational document) that outlines its purposes, guiding principles, and reasons for enactment.

Ratification

The formal approval or confirmation of a proposed constitution, amendment, treaty, or law — making it legally valid and operative.

Representative Assembly

A legislative body composed of individuals elected to represent the people, making laws and decisions on their behalf.

Separation of Powers

The division of government authority among distinct branches (typically legislative, executive, judicial), each with separate functions and powers — to prevent concentration of power and protect liberty.

Slave Trade Compromise

One of the compromises made during the Constitutional Convention regarding the regulation of the slave trade — balancing competing interests of states on whether and how slavery or the slave trade would be addressed.

Supremacy Clause (Supremacy Doctrine)

The clause in the U.S. Constitution establishing that federal law takes precedence over state laws when the two conflict — making the Constitution and federal laws the "supreme law of the land."

Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS)

The highest federal court in the U.S., with ultimate judicial authority to interpret the Constitution, federal laws, and resolve disputes under federal law.

Unicameral legislature

A legislative body with a single chamber or house (as opposed to a bicameral two-house legislature).

United States Constitution

The foundational legal document of the United States, establishing its system of government, distributing powers, and protecting certain rights and liberties.

Writ of Habeas Corpus

A legal order requiring that a person detained by authorities be brought before a court to determine if their detention is lawful — a protection against arbitrary or unlawful imprisonment.

Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 (ADA)

A federal civil rights law prohibiting discrimination against individuals with disabilities and requiring public accommodations and accessibility.

Balance of power

The distribution of authority among different branches or levels of government so no single part becomes too powerful.

Block grants

Federal funds given to states for broad purposes with few restrictions, allowing states flexibility in spending.

Categorical grants

Federal funds given to states for specific, narrowly defined purposes, usually with conditions attached.

Clean Air Act 1970

A federal law regulating air pollution and establishing national air quality standards that states must follow.

Commerce Clause

A clause in Article I, Section 8 giving Congress power to regulate interstate, foreign, and tribal commerce.

Concurrent powers

Powers shared by both the federal and state governments, such as taxation and law enforcement.

Conditions-of-aid

Requirements the federal government sets for states in order to receive federal grants.

Confederal System

A government system in which most power lies with the states, with a weak central government.

Cooperative Federalism ("marble cake" federalism)

A model where federal, state, and local governments share responsibilities and work together.

Devolution

The transfer of power from the federal government back to state or local governments.

Dual Federalism ("layered cake" federalism)

A model where federal and state governments operate in separate, clearly defined areas of responsibility.