AP Gov Terms

Declaration of Independence

A 1776 document declaring American independence from Great Britain, grounding government legitimacy in natural rights and the consent of the governed.

Natural rights

Fundamental rights inherent to all individuals, such as life, liberty, and property, that government cannot arbitrarily violate.

Consent of the governed

The principle that a government's authority and legitimacy derive from the agreement of the people it rules.

US Constitution

The fundamental governing document of the United States, established in 1787, outlining federal power, rights, and governmental structure.

Articles of Confederation

The first governing document of the US (1781–1789), creating a weak central government subservient to sovereign states.

Shays’ Rebellion

An 1786–1787 armed uprising of Massachusetts farmers that highlighted the weakness of the central government under the Articles of Confederation.

Anti-Federalists

Opponents of the 1787 US Constitution who advocated for state sovereignty and a strong Bill of Rights to prevent federal tyranny.

Factions

Groups of citizens united by a common interest or passion that is opposed to the rights of others or the permanent interests of the community.

Limited Government

A political system in which government power is restricted by constitutional law to protect individual liberties.

Social Contract

An implicit agreement among individuals to form a government, surrendering some freedoms in exchange for protection of their natural rights.

Gettysburg Address

An 1863 speech by President Abraham Lincoln reaffirming the nation's dedication to human equality and representative democracy.

Federalist Paper #10

An essay by James Madison arguing that a large republic effectively controls the negative effects of factions.

Federalist Paper #51

An essay by James Madison explaining how checks and balances and separation of powers preserve liberty.

Federalist Paper #39

An essay by James Madison describing the hybrid national and federal structure of the US Constitution.

Brutus 1

An Anti-Federalist essay arguing that a large republic would become tyrannical and destroy state sovereignty and individual rights.

Great Compromise

An agreement at the Constitutional Convention establishing a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the House and equal representation in the Senate.

Separation of powers

The division of governmental responsibilities among distinct legislative, executive, and judicial branches.

Checks and balances

Constitutional mechanisms allowing each branch of government to limit the actions and power of the other branches.

Republic

A representative democracy where citizens elect officials to make laws and govern on their behalf.

Federalists

Advocates for the ratification of the 1787 Constitution who favored a strong national government.

Popular Sovereignty

The principle that ultimate political authority belongs to the people.

Participatory Democracy

A model of democracy encouraging broad, direct political involvement by citizens.

Pluralist Democracy

A model of democracy where competing interest groups influence policy-making.

Elite Democracy

A model of democracy in which a small, wealthy, and educated minority holds the primary political power.

Electoral College

The constitutional mechanism for electing the US President and Vice President via electors chosen by states.

Three-Fifths Compromise

An agreement counting three-fifths of enslaved individuals for state representation and tax purposes.

Compromise on Importation (Slave Trade)

A constitutional compromise preventing Congress from banning the international slave trade until 1808.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the US Constitution, protecting specific civil liberties and reserving state powers.

Reserved Powers

Powers not granted to the federal government nor prohibited to the states, kept by the states under the Tenth Amendment.

Concurrent Powers

Powers shared simultaneously by both national and state governments, such as levying taxes.

Categorical Grants

Federal funds allocated to states for specific, tightly defined purposes.

Mandates

Federal rules or directives that states must comply with, often without federal funding.

Revenue Sharing

A policy (1972–1986) providing federal tax funds to state and local governments with minimal spending restrictions.

Commerce Clause

Article I provision giving Congress authority to regulate trade with foreign nations and among states.

Exclusive Power

Powers granted solely to the federal government, such as declaring war or coining money.

Federalism

System of government dividing power between a national central government and regional state governments.

Implied Powers

Federal powers not explicitly written in the Constitution but reasonable and necessary to carry out enumerated powers.

Cooperative Federalism

A system ('marble cake federalism') where national and state governments share responsibilities and policy implementation.

Dual Federalism

A system ('layer cake federalism') where national and state governments operate within strictly separate domains.

Necessary and Proper Clause (Elastic Clause)

Article I clause authorizing Congress to pass all laws necessary for executing its enumerated powers.

Devolution

The transfer of federal power and policy administration back to state and local governments.

Supremacy Clause

Article VI clause establishing the US Constitution and federal laws as the supreme law of the land.

Full Faith and Credit

Article IV clause requiring states to recognize legal records, contracts, and judicial decisions of other states.

Tenth Amendment

Constitutional amendment reserving powers not delegated to the federal government to the states or the people.

McCulloch v. Maryland

1819 Supreme Court case affirming federal implied powers and national supremacy over state laws.

Block Grants

Federal funding granted to states for broad policy areas with significant state discretion.

Enumerated Powers

Powers explicitly listed and granted to Congress in Article I of the Constitution.

Gibbons v. Ogden

1824 Supreme Court case broadly defining interstate commerce and reinforcing federal supremacy over state trade regulation.

Extradition

The constitutional requirement that a state return a fleeing suspect to the state where the crime was committed.