The Ultimate Guide to AP United States Government and Politics (copy)

Enlightenment

An 18th-century philosophical movement emphasizing reason over tradition in social problem solving.

Natural rights

Rights granted by God, including life, liberty, and property, which must be protected by government.

Social contract

The agreement between individuals and government where some freedoms are sacrificed for protection.

Separation of powers

Dividing government into distinct branches to limit power; proposed by Montesquieu.

Checks and balances

A system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the others.

Popular sovereignty

The principle that government power derives from the consent of the governed.

Federalism

A system of government where power is shared between national and state authorities.

The Great Compromise

The agreement that established a bicameral legislature with representation based on population in the House and equal representation in the Senate.

Three-Fifths Compromise

The agreement that enslaved people would count as three-fifths of a person for representation purposes.

Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists

Federalists supported a strong central government and the Constitution, while Anti-Federalists favored stronger state governments.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the Constitution, aimed at protecting individual liberties.

Judicial review

The power of the Supreme Court to declare a law unconstitutional.

Electoral College

A body of electors established by the Constitution that formally elects the President and Vice President.

McCulloch v. Maryland

A Supreme Court case that established the supremacy of national laws over state laws.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Legislation that banned discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

A landmark piece of federal legislation aimed at overcoming legal barriers at the state and local levels that prevented African Americans from exercising their right to vote.

Roe v. Wade

A landmark decision that ruled a woman's right to choose to have an abortion falls under the right to privacy.

Interest groups

Organizations of people who share common objectives and actively seek to influence policy.

Political action committees (PACs)

Organizations that raise money privately to influence elections or legislation.

Party realignment

The process in which the balance of power between the political parties changes.