AP Gov Vocab

Democracy

A system of government where power is held by the people

Popular Sovereignty

The idea that the government’s right to rule comes from the people

Participatory Democracy

Emphasizes broad participation in politics

Pluralist Democracy

Participation in democracy largely takes place in groups within civil society

Elite Democracy

Emphasized limited participation in politics. Elites have a disproportionate amount of influence in the policy making process.

Natural Rights

The right to life, liberty, and property, which government cannot take away, Locke argued people are born with this.

Social Contract

People allow their governments to rule over them to ensure an orderly and functioning society, government is based on this according to John Locke.

American Political Culture

The set of beliefs, customs, traditions, and values that americans share.

Republics

A government ruled by representatives of the people.

Inalienable Rights

Rights the government can’t take away

Liberty

Social, political, and economic freedoms, tension between 2 visions: freedom from interference by government or freedom to pursue dreams.

Civil Society Groups

An independents association outside the governments control.

Political Institutions

The structure of government, including the executive, legislature, and judiciary.

Constitutional Republic

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

Constitution

A document that sets out the fundamental principles of governance and establishes the institutions of a 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.

Unicameral

A one-house legislature (created by Article V (5) of the Articles of Confederation)

Shays’s Rebellion

A popular uprising against the government of Massachusetts, adding a sense of urgency in the American confederation.

Constitutional Convention

A meeting attended by state delegates in 1787 to fix the Articles of confederation, Rhode Island didn’t participate.

Writ of Habeas Corpus

The right of people detained by the government to know the charges against them.

Bills of Attainder

When legislature declares someone guilty without a trial.

Ex Post Facto Laws

A law punishing people for acts that were not crimes at the time they were committed.

Virginia Plan

A plan of government calling for a 3 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.

Grand Committee

A committee at the Constitutional Convention that worked out the compromise on representation.

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.

3/5s Compromise

An agreement reached by delegates at the Constitutional Convention that a slave would count as 3/5s of a person in calculating a states representation.

Compromise on Importation

Congress could not restrict the slave trade until 1808.

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 had powers that can prevent the other branches from making policy.

Federalism

The sharing of power between the national government and the states.

Legislative Branch

The institution responsible for making laws.

Expressed or Enumerated Powers

Authority specifically granted to a branch of the government in the Constitution.

Necessary and Proper Clause

Language in Article I, 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.

Executive Branch

The institution responsible for carrying out laws passed by the legislative branch.

Judicial Branch

The institution responsible for hearing and deciding cases through federal courts.

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.

Federalists Papers

A series of 85 essays written by Hamilton, 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 repbulic and republican government.

Faction

A group of self-interested people.

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.

Original Jurisdiciton

Appelate Jurisdiction