AP Gov Unit 1 Vocab

Vocabulary

Declaration of Independence

Document that announced separation of 13 American British colonies from Great Britain

Limited government

government only has powers delegated to it by law, (Constitution)

Natural Law

moral standards that govern human behavior, derived from the nature of human beings and the nature of the world

Natural Rights

Inalienable rights/rights that cannot be taken away

Popular sovereignty

Government power is derived from the people and their consent

Representative

person chosen to act or speak for another

Republic

supreme power is held by people and their elected representatives, and has an elected president

Republicanism

Support for a republican system of government

Stakeholders

person with an interest or concern in something, especially a business

Checks and balances

provides each branch of government with individual powers to check the other branches and prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful

Veto

President’s ability of check and balances to make a law passed by Congress void

Separation of powers

3 different branches of government: legislative, executive, judicial

Advice and consent

power of US Senate to be consulted on and approve treaties signed and appointments made by the president of the United States to public positions

Impeachment

to charge a public official with a crime or misconduct and remove them from office

Rule of Law

principle under which all persons, institutions, and entities are accountable to law

Majority Rule/Minority Rights

Principle in democratic societies that decisions are made by the majority, but the rights of the minority are protected.

Consent of the governed

political theory that a government's power is only legitimate when it is determined by those who are being governed

Social contract

Implied agreement among the members of a society to cooperate for social benefits

Anti-Federalist

People who opposed ratification of US Constitution and feared strong federal government power

Elite Democracy/Elite Theory

society is ruled by a minority who hold political power (those with money and connections)

Federalist

A person in favor of the US Constitution who wanted a strong federal government

Hyperpluralism

Political groups that compete for influence within government, they have so much influence to the point that government weakens

Initiative

a petition signed by a certain number of registered voters can force a government to choose either to enact a law or hold a public vote in the legislature

Participatory Democracy

form of government in which citizens participate individually and directly in political decisions and policies that affect their lives

Pluralist Democracy

political system where multiple groups, representing diverse interests and viewpoints, coexist

Referendum

general vote by the electorates on a single political question that has been referred to them for a direct decision

Representative Democracy

type of democracy where elected delegates represent a group of people

Federalism

Division of power between federal and state governments

Supremacy Clause

establishes that the Constitution, federal laws, and treaties made under its authority, is the "supreme Law of the Land", and take priority over any conflicting state laws

Concurrent powers

Powers shared by both state and federal government

Exclusive powers

Powers granted only to the federal or state government

Block Grants

grant from federal government that a state government can allocate to a wide range of services

Categorical Grants

funds the federal government gives to state and local governments to spend on specific activities within specific programs

Cooperative federalism

flexible relationship between the federal and state governments in which both work together on a variety of issues and programs

Mandates (Unfunded and Funded)

regulation that requires a state government to perform certain actions, with or without providing money for fulfilling the requirements

Conditions of Aid

terms set by the national government that states must meet if they are to receive certain federal funds

Devolution

transfer of power to a lower level, from central government to local government

Faction

small organized dissenting group within a larger one, especially in politics

Federalist 10

Essay by James Madison, addresses how a large republic will help control factions because when more representatives are elected, there will be a greater number of opinions and there won’t be a ruling majority opinion

Personal Liberty

Ability of an individual to do his/her will freely except for those restraints imposed by law

Brutus 1

Anti-Federalist paper, the proposed Constitution would unite national government, this would likely lead to disaster since is a threat to individual rights

Enumerated powers

Powers granted to federal government listed in Article 1 Section 8 of the Constitution

Necessary and Proper Clause

“Elastic clause” gives federal government power to create laws that they deem necessary, since society changes, so should laws

Commerce Clause

gives Congress power to regulate interstate commerce and restricts states from impairing interstate commerce

Amendment 10/Reserved Powers

powers that are not specifically granted to the federal government by the Constitution are given to the states

Dual federalism

Each government is supreme/holds authority over matters within its own sphere

Selective exclusiveness

legal belief that states when the commerce at issue requires national, uniform regulation, only Congress can regulate; Congress regulation over commodities

Implied Powers

Powers not explicitly stated in the Constitution, inferred from the necessary and proper clause, allows Congress to carry out its powers effectively

Articles of Confederation

First constitution of the US in 1781; a weak central government with limited powers, emphasizing sovereignty of individual states (lacked ability to tax & regulate trade this lead to economic and political challenges)

Flashcard: Shay's Rebellion

Armed uprising in Massachusetts (1786-1787) led by Daniel Shays, protesting high taxes and debt. Highlighted weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and influenced the creation of a stronger central government under the Constitution.

Poltical Agenda

The set of issues and policies that a political party or individual aims to prioritize and address

Public Policy

Unwritten principles on which social rules are based

Virgina Plan

proposal at Constitutional Convention that called for a strong central government with a bicameral legislature based on state population.

Bicameral

Congress’s two houses: House of Representative and Senate

Great Compromise

Bicameral legislation; House of Representatives (reps based on population) and Senate (each state gets 2 reps)

New Jersey Plan

unicameral (one-house) legislature with equal votes of states and an executive elected by a national legislature by William Paterson

Three Fifths Compromise

agreement during the Constitutional Convention, stated enslaved individuals would be counted as three-fifths of a person when determining a state's population for representation in Congress and taxation purposes

Electoral College

system used in the US to elect presidents, each state is assigned a certain number of electors based on its population

Confederacy

loose association of states, in which the states are independent

Ratification

Process of giving formal consent to a treaty/agreement

Bill of Rights

First 10 Amendments in the Constitution demanded by Anti-Federalists that state individual rights

Amendment

Change or addition to improve a piece of legislation