AP Gov Chapter 1/2 Vocab

American Political Culture

The set of belief, customs, traditions, and values that Americans share

Civil Society Groups

An independent association outside government control

Conservative

favors limited national government involvement in business and the economy and social issues, lower taxes, personal responsibility, and states rights

elitist theory

theory of democracy that the elites have a disproportionate amount of influence in the policy making process

constitutional republic

a democratic system with elected representatives in which the constitution is the supreme law

government

rules and political institutions through which policies are made

liberal

favors greater government regulation of business and the economy, less control over social behavior

libertarian

favor liberty and little government involvement in economic or social issues

natural rights

the right to life, liberty, and property, which government cannot take away

participatory democracy

the theory that widespread political participation is essential for democratic government

pluralist theory

a theory of democracy that emphasizes the role of groups in the policy making process

Politics

effort to influence the actions and policies of government

popular sovereignty

the ideas that the governments right to rule comes from the people

social contract

people allow their governments to rule over them to ensure an orderly and functioning society

political ideology

a set of beliefs about the proper purpose and scope of the government

Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union

a governing document that created a union of 13 sovereign states in which the states, not the union, were supreme

shays rebellion

a popular uprising against the government of Massachusetts

constitutional convention

a meeting attended by state delegates in 1787 to fix the articles of confederation

virginia plan

a plan of government calling for a three-branch government with a bicameral legislature, where more populous states would have more representation in congress

new Jersey plan

A plan of government that provided for a unicameral legislature with equal votes for each state

great (Connecticut) compromise

an agreement for a plan of government that drew upon both the Virginia and New Jersey plans; it settled issues of state representation by calling for a bicameral legislature with a house of representatives apportioned proportionately and a Senate apportioned equally

three fifths compromise

an agreement reached by delegates at the constitutional convention that a slave would count as three-fifths of a person in calculating a states representation

separation of powers

a design of government that distributes powers across institutions in order to avoid making one branch too powerful on its own

checks and balances

a design of government in which each branch has powers that can prevent the other branches from making policy

federalism

the sharing of power between the national government and the states

expressed or enumerated powers

authority specifically granted to a branch of the government in the constitution

necessary and proper or elastic clause

language in article 1 section 8 granting Congress the powers necessary to carry out its enumerated powers

implied powers

authority of the federal government that goes beyond its expressed powers; powers not granted specifically to the national government but considered necessary to carry out the enumerated powers

supremacy clause

constitutional provision declaring that the constitution and all national laws and treaties are the supreme law of the land

amendment

a constitutional provision for a process by which changes may be made to the constitution

federalists

supporter of the proposed constitution, who called for a strong national government

antifederalists

a person opposed to the proposed constitution, who favored stronger state governments

federalist papers

a series of 85 essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay and published between 1787 and 1788 that lay out the theory behind the constitution

federalist no 51

an essay in which Madison argues that separation of powers and federalism will prevent tyranny

federalist no 10

an essay in which Madison argues that the dangers of faction can be mitigated by a large republic and republican government

Brutus no 1

an antifederalist paper arguing that the country was too large to be governed as a republic and that the constitution gave too much power to the national government