Chapter 1 Vocab - AP GOV

Politics

Process of influencing actions and policies of government

Government

Political institutions (branches)

Declaration of Independence

Foundational document that justifies American seperation from Great Britain

Democracy

A system of government where power is held by the people, including free and fair elections, civil rights, and liberties

Direct Democracy

Direct political participation by individuals

Representative Democracy

Voters empower leaders to make decisions on their behalf.

Natural Rights

The right to life, liberty, and property, which government cannot take away

Social Contract

An agreement between the people and the government where people give up some freedoms, allowing their government to rule over them to ensure an orderly and functioning society

Popular Sovereignty

Idea that government's right to rule comes form the consent of people

Limited Government

System in which authority of government is not absolute

Republican Government

System in which people elect representatives to carry out their wishes

Inalienable Rights

Rights the government cannot take away

Liberty

Social, political, and economic freedoms

Participatory Democracy Theory

Theory that individual participation in politics, and civil society, is essential to democratic government

Civil Society Groups

Independent association outside government control

Pluralist theory

Theory of democracy that emphasizes the role of non-governmental group-based activism in an effort to impact the policymaking process

Elite Theory

Theory of democracy based on the premise that participation in politics and civil society is limited because elites have a disproportionate amount of influence in the policymaking process

Political Institutions

Structure of government, including the executive branch, the legislature, and the judiciary

Polarization

Growing ideological gap between the Democratic and Republican parties (liberals and conservatives), where fewer moderate or overlapping views exist

Policy Gridlock

State of stalemate where the government is unable to pass laws or make policy changes because rival groups, political parties, or separate branches lack consensus and block one another