AP Gov final exam review

Amicus Brief

• when an amicus group joins a case or files documents with a court 

Apportionment

• he process of choosing how many representatives go to each state 

Aristocracy

Ruled by a small few elites (I am here because I am here )

Baron De Montesquieu

• People are good at heart, but when given power they are corrupt

• People are prone to temptation because we are imperfect

• The only way to keep corruption from happening is to break up the powers of government among as many groups and people as possible

Block grant

• funds given with no real strings attached, meaning local governments could use them as needed 

Brutus 1

• Anti-Federalist essay

• expressed concerns about a large republic, unlimited federal power, and the potential for tyranny

Buckley v Valeo

Buckey wanted to fund his own campaign so he sued + won.

• Court rules that you can put all your own money into your own campaign 

Caucus

a meeting at which some local members of a political party register their preference among candidate running for office

Categorical Grant

• funds given that had a specific purpose (ex. Department of Education may give grants to schools for specific issues)

Celebrity Candidates

Famous candidates who use personality, recognition, and fame to gain voters and support

Characteristics of Good Polling

• Don’t let people volunteer

• Random and representative (sample should match larger group)

• Non Biased question

Circuit Court

• 11 courts in the United States 1 in Puerto Rico (13 total)

• Washington DC has its own court 

• Unlikely to get a court hearing here, they usually hear foreign or international 

• They do not care if you are guilty or innocent, they instead hear appeals (appellate court) and make a ruling on the law or procedure 

• If the law is deemed unconstitutional, you could get a chance at a retiral

Citizens United

put out a campaign ad in movie form, and violated mccain feingoldl, stated that coropoations had 1st amendment protections

Civil Liberties

• Protecting individuals from the government

Civil Rights

the rights of citizens to political and social freedom and equality

Civil Rights Act

• ends segregation within public spaces (government spaces and public spaces like MOST spaces) 

Clientele Agencies

one who job is to take care of the needs of a certain group of people (ex: department of education) 

Cloture

• when an overwhelming majority of the Senate vote to force a vote on the issue being filibustered 

Commerce Clause

congress can regulate stuff between states

Concurrent powers

powers shared by both state and federal govt

• collect taxes

• enforce laws

• pardons

• establish courts

• charter banks

Conservative revolution

• Barry goldwater: a lot of core republican beliefs go back to Berry Goldwater. They include: 

1. Strong defense 

2. Indivudal rights 

3. Traditional values 

4. Smaller government- power to the people and the states 

• He offered a different choice to the democrats- ever since FDR the republicans had been just trying to keep up with the dems, they werent REALLY opponents. 

• Reagan and the Devolution 

• Just as FDR had a overwhelming victory, Reagan a landslide win 

• He shrank the govt power and gave it back to the states (devolution) 

• Southern Shift: Another shift in the voting population: the south, who were largely democratic, changed with Reagan- they were than flipped into republicans

• Tea Party: a party dedicated to fiscal and social conservative values- tradition, small govt, low taxes, etc 

• Their hero is reagan 

• Changing Beliefs 

• Weve seen the returns of the progressives 

• Democrats seen being more progressive while the republican has been moving towards MAGA 

• Dealignment 

• Lots of citizens have been tending towards becoming dealigned with political parties

Dealignment

moving away from OG party

Delegate

• someone who is there to merely represent the wishes of the people who sent them 

Delegated (enumerated) Powers

powers given to the federal government

• coin money

• regulate commerce

• regulate interstate commerce

• establish post offices

Devolution

taking power from the federal govt and giving it to the state govt

Dillon’s Rule

• states have the authority to create and recognize local government

Discretionary spending

money formally approved by Congress and the President during the appropriations process each year.

Down Ballot

any race considered less important than your race. E

• x: presidential race is more important, then governor, 

Duties of Government

• provide stability

• safety

• improve peoples lives

Elastic Clause

• Congress can carry out rules not explicitly stated in the Constitution. The powers of Congress can stretch and expand so it can do what it is tasked to do. 

Election Day

held on the first tuesday after the first monday in november

Electoral Votes

• 270 to win

• 538 in total

Eminent Domain

• When the govt. Needs to seize your property for a public good, but they MUST PROVIDE JUST COMPENSATION 

Equal Protection Clause

• gives the federal government power to guarantee rights are applied equally. 

Executive Order

• a decision made by the president that does not need any congressional approval 

Exit Poll

• when you ask people how they voted when they leave the polling place (more accurate because ppl are less likely to lie) 

Fairness Doctrine

• If there is an issue from booths sides the news had to give equal time to both 

Federal Reserve Bank

• sets bank policy via interest rates

Board of Governors

a group of individuals responsible for overseeing and managing an organization or institution

Federalism

• Splitting of power between different levels and parts of government (idea from Monteqsuqei) 

First and Second Base

• First base is winning over your party

• Second base is winning over the independents, the people in the medium

Free Exercise Clause

Freedom to engage in religious activity 

Freedom of Information Act

• allows news media and private citizens to request government information 

Full Faith and Credit Clause

• states have to respect and cooperate with each other as much as possible 

• The idea that states cooperate with criminals

George Gallup

• founder of political polling 

Gerrymandering

manipulate the boundaries of (an electoral constituency) so as to favor one party or class.

Gitlow v NY

The Supreme Court case, Gitlow v. New York, is significant for establishing the principle of incorporation, meaning that the Bill of Rights, including the First Amendment's guarantee of free speech, can be applied to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause. This landmark decision, though controversial in its outcome, set a precedent for how the Bill of Rights protections would be extended to state governments in the future. 

Government Corporations

• The government feels the need to produce something and establish a corporation to produce it

Government Influence on Economy

• fiscal policy

• taxing and spending

• stimulating growth

• debt

• interest rates

• monetary policy

• federal reserve

Government Unions

different munciciplatlies and states has a lobbyist in DC 

• Federal workers lobbyist groups are unionized federal workers

• FDR disagreed because this meant they would arguing and making demands from themselves  

Hatch Act

• government bureaucrats can not be actively involved in politics 

Impact of Interest Groups

• increased citizen participation

• provide information

• Influence public opinion

• promote social justice

implied powers

political powers granted to the US federal government that are not explicitly listed in the constitution

Independent Executive Agencies

they answer to the president, the provide some sort of important service to the nation