AP Gov Midterm

House of Representatives

2 year term, members based on population, must be 25 years old

Senate

6 year term, represents states, must be 30 years old

bill to law process

passed by the House and the Senate, signed by President

Article I

legislative branch (establishes Congress, bicameral body, making laws, declare war, regulate commerce, coin money, establish courts)

Article II

executive branch (enforcing laws passed by Congress, foreign policy, commander in chief)

Article III

judicial branch (Supreme Court and the federal court system, interpreting laws, resolving disputes, upholding the Constitution)

Article IV

relations between states (relationship between the states and federal government, addresses issues like states' rights and full faith and credit)

Article V

constitutional amendment process

Article VI

debts, supremacy, oaths (establishes that the Constitution and federal laws are the supreme law of the land)

Article VII

process for the original ratification of the Constitution by the states

standing committees (House)

permanent committees that handle the daily legislative business of the House

select committee

created for specific, often temporary, purposes

joint committee

formed with members from both the House and the Senate, usually for studies or research

conference committee

temporary type of joint committee, these are formed to resolve differences between House and Senate versions of a bill before it can be sent to the President

speaker of the house

that presides over the House of Representatives, acting as both the leader of the majority party and the institutional head of the House

Presiding Officer of the Senate

vice president

congressional district

435 geographic areas in the U.S. from which representatives are elected to the House of Representatives

redistricting

states using census data to divide their U.S. House of Representatives seats into geographic areas of roughly equal population

Bill of Rights

first 10 amendments

1st Amendment

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

2nd Amendment

right to bear arms

3rd Amendment

can’t be forced to quarter soldiers

4th Amendment

protection against illegal search and seizure

5th Amendment

grand jury, double jeopardy, self incrimination, due process

6th Amendment

right to speedy trial by jury, witnesses, counsel

7th Amendment

jury trial in civil lawsuits

8th Amendment

protection against excessive bail, cruel and unusual punishment

9th Amendment

non-enumerated powers stay with the people

10th Amendment

rights reserved to the states/people

13th Amendment

abolishment of slavery

14th Amendment

citizenship rights, equal protection, apportionment, civil war debt (case-by-case basis, selective incorporation)

15th Amendment

right to vote not denied by race

19th Amendment

women’s suffrage

unfunded mandate

government regulation that the states have to fund

funded mandate

regulations that include financial assistance to help state and local governments meet the cost of the new requirements

categorical grant

awarded for narrowly defined purposes, often with strict guidelines on how the money must be spent

block grant

large grants provided to state or local governments for broad purposes, flexible

necessary and proper

grants Congress the power to make all laws "necessary and proper" for carrying out its enumerated powers

clear and present danger

legal standard used by the government to determine when speech can be limited under the First Amendment

Title IX

federal law that prohibits discrimination based on sex in any education program or activity receiving federal funds

federal reserve board

central bank of the United States, responsible for conducting monetary policy to promote maximum employment and stable prices, and ensuring the stability of the U.S. financial system

open ended poll

participants provide an answer in their own words, allowing for detailed, qualitative feedback

tracking poll

track public opinion over time by asking the same questions at regular intervals

entrance/exit poll

conducted at polling places to gather opinions from actual voters

caucus

meeting of a group of people who belong to the same political party or have similar interests, such as a group of lawmakers or a state political party holding a meeting to discuss and vote on candidates

primary election

used by political parties to choose candidates or to a governmental entity itself

party convention

political gathering every 4 years where a party officially nominates its presidential and vice-presidential candidates and sets its platform

Federal Election Commision (FEC)

U.S. agency that enforces campaign finance law

horse-race journalism

style of political journalism that focuses primarily on which candidate is winning or losing in an election, treating campaigns as competitive sporting events rather than substantive policy debates

free-rider

someone who benefits from a public good or service without paying for it, such as a citizen who benefits from national defense or clean air but doesn't pay their taxes

Political Action Committees (PACs)

pools campaign contributions from members and donates those funds to campaigns for or against candidates, ballot initiatives, or legislation (they have limits)

SuperPACs

independent political committees that can raise unlimited funds from individuals, corporations, and unions to spend on political advocacy (cannot donate straight. to candidate)

McCain-Feingold Act (Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002)

banned "soft money" (unregulated contributions) to national political parties and placed limits on electioneering communications by corporations and unions

iron triangle

concept in U.S. politics describing a stable, mutually beneficial relationship between three key groups: congressional committees, bureaucratic agencies, and special interest groups

linkage institution

structure within a society that connects citizens to the government (elections, political parties, interest groups, media)

interest group

formally organized group of individuals or organizations that work to influence public policy based on a shared concern

incumbent

person who is running again for office after already holding that office

pluralism

power is distributed among many diverse, competing non-governmental groups (interest groups, labor unions, professional organizations, etc.) rather than being concentrated in a single elite or a small number of groups

hyperpluralism

when a large number of diverse and strong interest groups compete for influence, the government becomes weakened and unable to function effectively

federalism

power is divided between a central national government and smaller, constituent governmental units, such as states or provinces

checks and balances

power is divided among different branches of government, such as the U.S. government's legislative, executive, and judicial branches, to prevent any single branch from becoming too powerful

bicameralism

power is divided among different branches of government, such as the U.S. government's legislative, executive, and judicial branches, to prevent any single branch from becoming too powerful (Ex: Congress with the House of Representatives and the Senate)

anti-federalism

movement against the ratification of the U.S. Constitution, driven by opposition to a strong, centralized federal government

Brutus

warning that the U.S. Constitution's proposed powerful, consolidated national government threatens individual liberties and state sovereignty, arguing that a large republic cannot protect the people's rights