AP Government Flashcards

Amicus curiae

A “friend of the court” brief filed by a person or organization not directly involved in a case that wants to influence the Court’s decision

Block grants

Federal grants given to states for broad purposes with relatively few restriction on how the money must be spent

Bully pulpit

The president’s ability to use the visibility and prestige of the presidency to persuade the public and influence policy

Casework

Assistance that members of Congress provide to constituents who need help dealing with government agencies or programs

Categorical grants

Federal funds given to state or local governments for specific purposes with restrictions on how the money can be used

Caucus

A meeting or organization of members of a political party who work together to choose candidates, develop policies, or coordinate legislative strategies

Closed primary

A primary election in which only registered members of a political party can vote for that party’s candidates

Cooperative federalism

A system in which the federal and state governments share responsibilities and work together to create and implement policies

Critical elections

Elections that produce major and lasting changes in the political alignment of voters and political parties

Dealignment

A weakening of voters’ long-term attachment to political parties

Devolution

The transfer of power and responsibilities from the federal government to state or local governments

Divided government

A situation in which different political parties control the presidency and at least one chamber of Congress

Entitlements

Government programs that provide benefits to people who meet specific eligibility requirements established by law

Executive order

A directive issued by the president that manages operations of the executive branch and has the force of law within the executive branch

Expressed powers

Powers directly written into the Constitution and given to the federal government

Federalism

A system of government in which power is divided between the national government and state governments

Filibuster

A senate tactic used to delay or prevent a vote on a bill by extending debate

Filibuster

A senate tactic used to delay or prevent a vote on a bill by extending debate

Fiscal federalism

The use of federal government spending, grants, and taxation to influence state and local governments

Fiscal federalism

The use of federal government spending, grants, and taxation to influence state and local governments

Gender gap

The difference between the political attitudes, voting behavior and partisan preferences of men and women

Demographics

Statistical characteristics of a population, such as age, race, income, education, gender and geographic location

General election

An election in which voters choose among candidates from different parties to determine who will hold public office

Gerrymandering

The manipulation of electoral district boundaries to give an advantage to a particular political party or group

Grassroots lobbying

An attempt to influence government policy by mobilizing ordinary citizens to contact or pressure government officials

Horse race journalism

Political reporting that focuses on which candidate is ahead or behind rather than on candidates’ policies or issues

Implied powers

Powers not specifically listed in the Constitution but reasonably inferred from the expressed powers

Incumbent

A person who currently holds a political office and is seeking reelection

Independent expenditures

Political spending that supports or opposes a candidate without being coordinated with the candidate’s capaign

Inherent powers

Power claimed by presidents because they are necessary to perform the responsibilities of the presidency even though they are not explicitly listed in the Constitution

Interest group

An organized group that seeks to influence public policy without directly seeking to control government through elected candidates

Issue network (iron triangle)

A loose group of people involved in a policy area; a stable relationship amount congressional committees, bureaucratic agencies, and interest groups

Judicial activism

A judicial philosophy in which judges are more willing to interpret the Constitution broadly and overturn laws or precedents

Judicial review

The power of courts to determine whether laws and government actions are constitutional

Lame duck period

The time between an election and the beginning of the next term when an outgoing official still holds office

Litigation

The process of resolving a legal dispute through the court system

Lobbying

Attempts by individuals or organizations to influence government officials and public policy

Log rolling

The practice of legislators agreeing to support on another’s bills or projects in exchange for reciprocal support

Mandatory spending

Government spending required by existing laws, such as spending on Social Security and Medicare

Midterm election

An election held halfway through a president’s four-year term in which members of Congress and some state and local officials are elected

Monetary policy

The Federal Reserve’s management of interest rates and the money supply to influence economic conditions

Motion for cloture

A Senate procedure requiring three-fifths of senators, normally 60, to vote to end debate and overcome a filibuster

Open primary

A primary election in which voters can choose which party’s primary to participate in without being required to register with that party

Original intent

The idea that the Constitution should be interpreted according to the intentions of its framers

Oversight

Congress’s monitoring of the executive branch to ensure that laws are properly implemented and government agencies are acting appropriately

PAC

A political action committee that raises and spends money to influence elections, usually by contributing to candidates or parties

Party polarization

The increasing ideological distance between members of opposing political parties

Pluralism

The theory that political power is distributed among many competing interest groups that influence government decisions

Pocket veto

A presidential action in which a bill fails to become law because Congress adjourns during the 10-day period in which the president could have signed or vetoed it

Policy agenda

A list of issues that government officials and the public consider important enough to receive attention and action

Political culture

The shared beliefs, values, and attitudes that people have about government and politics

Political efficacy

The belief that an individual can understand politics and that their participation can influence government

Political party

An organized group that seeks to influence government by electing candidates who support its policies

Political socialization

The process through which people develop political beliefs and values through influences such as family, school, peers, media and experiences

Pork barrel spending

Government spending directed toward projects in a representative’s district or state to benefit constituents

Realignment

A major and lasting shift in the political support of voters that changed the balance between political parties

Redistricting

The process of redrawing electoral district boundaries, usually after a census

Selective incorporation

The process by which the Supreme Court applied protections in the Bill of Rights to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment

Single-member districts

Electoral districts in which voters choose one representative to serve in office

Stare decisis

The principle that courts should generally follow previous judicial decisions and legal precedents

Suffrage

The right to vote in political elections

Super PAC

An independent political committee that can raise unlimited amounts of money to advocate for or against candidates but cannot directly coordinate with their campaigns

Uncontrollable spending

Government spending that is difficult for Congress to change in the short term because it is determined by existing laws and eligibility requirements

Unfunded mandate

A federal requirement imposed on state or local governments without providing enough money to pay for carrying it out

White House staff

Presidential advisers and assistants who work directly for the president and help manage policy, communication, and administration

Writ of certiorari

An order from the Supreme Court agreeing to review a lower court’s decision

Articles of Confederation (weakness)

Created a weak national government because Congress could not tax, regulate interstate commerce, or effectively enforce its laws

Declaration of Independence (Popular sovereignty)

Argues that government gets its legitimate power from the consent of the people

Brutus 1

Argued that the proposed Constitution would create a powerful national government that could threaten the authority of the states and individual liberty

MLK’s Letter from Birmingham Jail

Argued that people have a moral responsibility to resist unjust laws through peaceful civil disobedience

Constitution

Establishes the structure, powers, limitations, and relationships of the federal government while protecting individual rights

Constitutional compromises

The Framers reached compromises such as the Great Compromise and the Three-Fifths Compromise to resolve disagreements during the Constitutional convention

Amendment process

Article V establishes a difficult process for changing the Constitution that generally requires proposals by two-thirds of Congress and ratification by three-fourths of the states

Congress

Article 1 establishes the legislative branch and gives Congress powers such as taxing, spending, regulating commerce and making laws

Powers of the president

Serving as commander in chief, enforcing laws, appointing officials, making treaties and vetoing legislation

Article 3

Establishes the federal judiciary and gives the Supreme Court and other federal courts judicial power

22nd Amendment

Limits presidents to being elected to a maximum of two terms

25th Amendment

Established procedures for presidential succession and dealing with presidential inability or vacancies in the vice presidency

17th Amendment

Establishes the direct election of US senators by voters

19th Amendment

Prohibited denying the right to vote based on sex

23rd Amendment

Lowered the voting age to 18

1st Amendment

Protects freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly and petition

2nd Amendment

Protects the right to keep and bear arms

4th Amendment

Protects people from unreasonable searches and seizures and generally requires warrants based on probable cause

5th Amendment

Protects due process and includes rights such as protection against self-incrimination and double jeopardy

8th Amendment

Prohibits excessive bail, excessive fines, and cruel and unusual punishment

9th Amendment

States that people have rights beyond those specifically listed in the Constitution

10th Amendment

Reserves powers not delegated to the federal government to the states or the people

14th Amendment

Guarantees citizenship, due process, and equal protection and has been sued to apply many Bill of Rights protections to the states

Federalist 10

James Madison argued that a large republic would make it difficult for any single faction to dominate the government

Federalist 51

Madison argued that separation of powers and checks and balances would prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful

Federalist 70

Alexander Hamilton argued that an energetic and unified executive was necessary for effective government

Federalist 78

Hamilton argued that the judiciary would be the least dangerous branch because it had neither the power of the purse nor the sword

Federalist 39

Madison argued that the Constitution created a government that was partly national and partly federal in its structure

Gettysburg Address

Emphasized equality, popular governments and preserving democracy during the Civil War

Wealth of Nations

Adam Smith argued for principles such as free markets, competition, specialization, and limited government interference in the economy

Emancipation Proclamation

Declared enslaved people in areas rebelling against the Union to be free

Baker v Carr 1962

The Supreme Court ruled that federal courts could hear challenges to state legislative districting, establishing that redistricting causes could be justiciable

Brown v Board of Education1954

The Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation in public schools violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment

Citizens United v FEC 2010

The Supreme Court ruled that corporations and unions have 1st Amendment protection to make unlimited independent political expenditures