AP American Government and Politics Ch. 1 & 2

Declaration of Independence

A document asserting the ultimate authority of the people over government, justifying independence from British rule.

Popular sovereignty

The principle that authority to rule comes from the people, expressed through civic participation.

Limited government

A governing body whose power is restricted by law, typically through a constitution.

Inalienable rights

Natural rights that cannot be legitimately taken away, such as life and liberty.

Negative liberty

Freedom from government interference, focusing on individual protections.

Positive liberty

The capacity to realize one's potential, linked to enabling policies.

Pursuit of happiness

The broad freedom to seek well-being and fulfillment as part of individual rights.

Participatory democratic theory

A theory emphasizing widespread political participation as essential to democracy.

Pluralist theory

A theory positing that non-governmental groups influence policymaking.

Elitist theory

A theory that states that a small number of elites hold disproportionate power in governance.

Confederal government

A system where states hold primary power and the central government is weak.

Federal government

A system where power is shared between national and state governments.

Unitary government

A system where the central government holds most of the power, with local units administering.

Taxation

The process of levying taxes to fund government operations.

Executive

The branch of government responsible for enforcing laws.

Judiciary

The branch of government responsible for interpreting laws.

Legislative branch

The branch of government responsible for making laws.

Civil unrest

Public disorder caused by perceived grievances or injustices.

Gerrymandering

The practice of redrawing electoral district boundaries to benefit a particular political party.

Shays’ Rebellion

An armed uprising in Massachusetts that highlighted the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.

Electoral College

The body that formally elects the President of the United States, balancing state and population interests.

Amendment process

The method through which changes can be made to the Constitution.

Federalists

Supporters of the proposed Constitution who favored a strong central government.

Anti-Federalists

Opponents of the proposed Constitution who feared central government power.

Bicameral legislature

A legislative body with two chambers.

Judicial review

The power of courts to determine the constitutionality of legislative and executive actions.

Separation of powers

The division of government responsibilities into distinct branches to limit any one branch from exercising the core functions of another.

Supremacy clause

A clause in the Constitution stating that federal law supersedes state law when there is a conflict.

Necessary and Proper clause

The constitutional provision granting Congress the authority to make all laws necessary to execute its powers.

Judicial activism

The philosophy that allows judges to strike down laws and policies as unconstitutional.

Judicial restraint

The philosophy that courts should defer to the decisions of the legislative and executive branches.

Political institutions

Formal structures of government and their roles in the policy-making process.

Natural rights

Fundamental rights inherent to all humans, often identified as life, liberty, and property.

Compromise on importation

An agreement in the Constitution delaying the abolition of slave importation.

Marbury v. Madison

The 1803 Supreme Court case that established judicial review, allowing the judiciary to determine the constitutionality of laws.

Legislative Branch (specific roles/powers)

Composed of Congress, responsible for making laws, controlling appropriations, and oversight; includes the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Executive Branch (specific roles/powers)

Headed by the President, responsible for enforcing laws, commanding the military, conducting foreign policy, and appointing officials.

Judicial Branch (specific roles/powers)

Composed of the Supreme Court and lower federal courts, responsible for interpreting laws and the Constitution, and applying them to legal cases.

Checks and Balances

A system designed to prevent any one branch of government from becoming too powerful by giving each branch certain powers over the others.

Legislative checks on Executive

Congress can impeach the President, override presidential vetoes, approve treaties, and confirm appointments.

Legislative checks on Judiciary

Congress can impeach judges, propose constitutional amendments, create lower federal courts, and approve judicial appointments.

Executive checks on Legislative

The President can veto legislation, call special sessions of Congress, and recommend legislation.

Executive checks on Judiciary

The President appoints federal judges and grants pardons.

Judicial checks on Legislative

The judiciary can declare laws passed by Congress unconstitutional (judicial review).

Judicial checks on Executive

The judiciary can declare executive actions unconstitutional (judicial review).

The Federalist Papers

A collection of 85 essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay under the pseudonym "Publius" to advocate for the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.

Connecticut Compromise (Great Compromise)

An agreement reached during the Constitutional Convention that established a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the House of Representatives and equal representation of states in the Senate.

Three-Fifths Compromise

An agreement during the Constitutional Convention that counted each enslaved person as three-fifths of a person for purposes of determining a state's population for representation in the House of Representatives and for taxation.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantee individual liberties and specify limitations on government power, added to secure anti-Federalist support for ratification.

Implied Powers

Powers of the federal government that are not explicitly stated in the Constitution but are inferred from the Necessary and Proper Clause to carry out the enumerated powers.

Reserved Powers (10th Amendment)

Powers not delegated to the federal government nor denied to the states by the Constitution are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.

Full Faith and Credit Clause

A clause in Article IV of the Constitution requiring states to recognize the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other state.

Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation

Included a weak central government, no power to tax, no national army, no national currency, difficulty in enforcing laws, and the requirement of unanimous consent for amendments.