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

Enlightenment (18th century)

A philosophical movement in Western Europe emphasizing reason over tradition in solving social problems.

Thomas Hobbes

Believed in a monarch with absolute power to protect life best, advocated for the rule of law.

John Locke

Argued for natural rights protection, including life, liberty, and property, and the right to revolution if these rights are violated.

Charles de Montesquieu

Advocated for the separation of powers into three branches of government and checks and balances to limit power.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Believed people are born good but corrupted by society, promoting acting for the greater good over self-interest.

Participatory democracy

Involves broad participation in politics and society by people at various statuses.

Pluralist democracy

Involves group-based activism by citizens with common interests seeking the same goals.

Elite democracy

Gives power to the educated/wealthy, discouraging participation by the majority.

Republicanism

Supports individualism, natural rights, popular sovereignty, and encourages civic participation.

The Declaration of Independence

A formal declaration of war between America and Great Britain, listing grievances against King George III.

Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation

Outlined the first U.S. government, lacked power to tax, control trade, raise a military, or enforce laws.

The Constitutional Convention

Meeting in 1787 to revise the Articles, resulted in the creation of the Constitution with a stronger central government.

Federalists

Supporters of the Constitution advocating for a strong central government, including Hamilton, Madison, and Jay.

Anti-Federalists

Opponents of the Constitution, preferring smaller state governments, feared tyranny, and advocated for a Bill of Rights.

The Federalist Papers

Collection of articles supporting the Constitution, written by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay to persuade states of its superiority.

Federalism

System where national and local governments share powers, with delegated, reserved, and concurrent powers specified in the Constitution.

Grants

Financial aid provided by the federal government to states, with varying levels of control over how the money is used.

Categorical grants

Grants with strict rules from the federal government on how the funds are to be utilized, favored by those supporting federal power.

Block grants

Grants that allow states more flexibility in spending the money, preferred by advocates of states' rights.

Federalism

A system of government where power is divided between a central authority (federal government) and individual states.

Separation of Powers

The division of governmental responsibilities among different branches to prevent concentration of power in one entity.

Checks and Balances

Mechanisms in place to ensure that no branch of government becomes too powerful, promoting cooperation and power-sharing.

Amendment Process

The procedure for modifying the Constitution, involving approval by Congress and ratification by states.

State Governments

Entities with their own constitutions, executive branches, legislatures, and judiciaries, mirroring the federal structure.

Congressional Structure

The organization of the U.S. Congress into the House of Representatives and the Senate, each with distinct roles.

Legislative Process

The steps involved in passing a bill into law, including committee review, debate, and voting in both houses of Congress.

Bureaucratic Agencies

Organizations responsible for implementing government policies and programs.

Congressional Committees

Groups of members of Congress assigned to specific tasks, such as overseeing agencies or drafting legislation.

Subpoena

Legal order that requires individuals to appear before a committee or produce requested documents.

Standing Committees

Permanent committees in Congress focused on specific areas like finance or judiciary.

Joint Committees

Committees with members from both houses of Congress, often used for investigations.

Select Committees

Temporary committees in each house created for specific purposes like investigations or drafting bills.

Conference Committee

Temporary committee with members from both houses to reconcile differences in bills.

Speaker of the House

Leader of the House of Representatives, responsible for directing debates and influencing committee assignments.

Majority Leader

Leader of the majority party in Congress, responsible for setting the party's agenda.

President of the Senate

Vice President of the United States, with the role of breaking ties in the Senate.

War Powers Act

Legislation that limits the President's power to deploy troops without Congressional approval.

Executive Office of the President

Agencies within the White House that assist the President in carrying out administrative duties.

Impeachment

Process by which Congress can remove a President or federal judge for misconduct.

Due Process

Legal principle ensuring fair treatment and protection of individual rights in legal proceedings.

Civil Law

Legal system dealing with disputes between individuals or organizations, not involving criminal acts.

Judicial Review

The power of the Supreme Court to determine the constitutionality of laws or government actions.

Supreme Court Appointment Process

The process by which judges are nominated by the President, confirmed by the Senate, and appointed for life.

Iron Triangle

An informal alliance between a particular industry, a congressional committee, and a regulatory agency to create and implement policies.

Civil Liberties

Protections from government abuse of power, as outlined in the Bill of Rights.

Freedom of Speech

The First Amendment right allowing individuals to express opinions without government interference, with limitations for certain types of speech.

Regulatory Agencies

Government bodies responsible for overseeing specific industries or sectors, ensuring compliance with laws and regulations.

Amicus Curiae Briefs

Legal documents submitted by interest groups to provide additional information or arguments to the court in a case.

Bureaucracy

The administrative system responsible for implementing government policies and programs, operating under merit-based hiring and promotion.

Majority Opinion

The official decision of the Supreme Court supported by the majority of justices in a case.

Civil Rights

Protections against discrimination based on characteristics such as race, gender, or minority status.

Freedom of Religion

The right to practice one's religion without interference from the government.

Establishment Clause

Part of the First Amendment that prohibits the government from establishing an official religion.

Lemon Test

Criteria established by Lemon v. Kurtzman to determine if a law violates the Establishment Clause.

Engel v

Supreme Court case ruling that school-sponsored prayer violated the First Amendment.

Wisconsin v

Supreme Court case allowing Amish families to take children out of school after 8th grade.

Second Amendment

Protects the right to keep and bear arms.

Gideon v

Supreme Court case ensuring the right to an attorney for criminal defendants.

Fifth Amendment

Protects against self-incrimination and ensures due process of law.

Sixth Amendment

Guarantees the right to a fair and speedy trial by an impartial jury.

Eighth Amendment

Prohibits cruel and unusual punishment and excessive bail.

Strongly ideological Americans tend to be more politically active

Individuals with strong ideological beliefs are more likely to engage in political activities.

Factors influencing ideological and political behavior

Race/ethnicity, religion, gender, income level, and region impact individuals' political leanings.

Media influence on public opinion

News media shapes public agenda, exposes Americans to government, and influences opinions through extensive coverage.

Political participation models

Rational choice, retrospective voting, prospective voting, and party-line voting are models that explain citizens' voting behavior.

Political parties

Organizations with similar ideologies that endorse candidates, influence elections, and have party platforms.

Functions of modern political parties

Recruit and nominate candidates, educate and mobilize voters, provide campaign funds, organize government activity, and reduce conflict in society.

Party coalitions

Political parties form coalitions to attract voters and win elections.

Third parties

Form to represent disenfranchised constituencies, can have a major impact on elections, and often focus on single issues or ideologies.

Interest groups

Organizations lobbying for specific political goals through tactics like direct lobbying, socializing, political donations, and propaganda.

Political Action Committees (PACs) and Super PACs

Groups formed to raise campaign funds, regulated by laws like FECA and BCRA, and can have significant influence on elections.

Runoff Primary

A secondary election held between the top two candidates if no one receives the required number of votes in the initial election.

Superdelegates

Elected party leaders in the Democratic Party who are granted automatic delegate status and typically support the front-runner.

Closed Primary

A type of primary election where only registered members of a political party can vote.

General Elections

Elections where voters decide who will hold office, typically held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November.

Testing the Waters

The period before the first primaries where potential candidates increase their public profile through public appearances and media coverage.

Federal Matching Funds

Funds provided by the government to presidential primary candidates who meet certain guidelines, such as receiving more than 10% of the votes.

Electoral College

A system where each state is given a number of electors based on its senators and representatives, and the winner of the state takes all of its electors.

Split-ticket Voting

Voting for a presidential candidate of one party and legislators of another, potentially leading to divided government.

Keynesian Economics

An economic theory that suggests the government can influence economic cycles by adjusting income levels and spending.

Trade Policy

Policies and agreements that regulate international trade, such as the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA)

Revised in 2018, formerly known as NAFTA, aimed to improve the economies of the US, Mexico, and Canada.

Social insurance programs

National insurance programs funded by employees and employers, with benefits seen as earned due to contributions.

Public assistance programs

Government-funded programs to aid the needy, not paid for by recipients.

Social Security

Mandated entitlement program providing benefits to those who meet requirements, primarily retirees.

Medicare

Healthcare assistance for individuals over 65, funded through additional taxes on social security benefits.

Medicaid

Provides medical services for low-income individuals, jointly funded and managed by states and federal government.

Temporary unemployment insurance

State-administered program providing limited weekly benefits to the unemployed.

Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC)

Controversial welfare program under the Social Security Act, aimed at assisting families in need.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

Replaced AFDC, requiring adults to find work within 2 years and imposing a 5-year lifetime limit on welfare eligibility.

Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act (Obamacare)

Significant health-care legislation signed in 2010, introducing the individual mandate and aiming to increase health care coverage.