AP US GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS EVERYTHING EVER

Article V of the Constitution

describes the process for amending the Constitution

Article II of the Constitution

This article describes the role and power of the Executive Branch. The President & Vice President.

The 14th Amendment

due process & equal protection. Demonstrates that the federal government uses the Constitution to make sure that states follow what is written & not violate any freedoms or liberties that are guaranteed.

Declaration of Independence

the document recording the proclamation of the second Continental Congress (4 July 1776) asserting the independence of the colonies from Great Britain, a tyrannical government

Necessary and Proper Clause

Clause of the Constitution (in Article I) setting forth the implied powers of Congress: has the right to make all laws necessary and proper to carry out all powers the Constitution vests in the national government

The Preamble of the Constitution

Introduction to the U.S. Constitution, establishing the goals and purposes of government: "Establish justice" and "to promote general welfare"

Federalist 51

Separation of powers; checks & balances protects against tyranny; "ambition counteracts ambition"

Federalist 70

US requires a strong, energetic executive; plural executive is dangerous

22nd Amendment of the Constitution

Limits the president to two terms.

10th Amendment of the Constitution

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the STATES respectively, or to the people.

US Constitution

Document that embodies the fundamental laws and principles by which the US is governed. Blueprint for a government by the people to ensure stability.

Article I of the Constitution

Establishes Congress as the legislative branch of Federal Government & lists the powers of Congress.

Federalist 78

judiciary must depend on other 2 branches to uphold its decisions, also life terms

What is political socialization and how does it relate to a person's political orientation?

The process through which individuals in a society acquire political attitudes, views, and knowledge, based on inputs from family, school, and the media. Political socialization shapes a person’s political orientation

What are some of the characteristics of conservative voters?

maintain peace through the military, are anti abortion, support prayer in schools, oppose affirmative action, favor free markets, want to keep low taxes, and believe criminals should have less protective laws.

What are some of the characteristics of liberal voters?

less military spending, are pro choice, opposed to prayer in school, favor affirmative action, support the taxing of the rich, support spending more on the poor, and believe in solutions to problems that cause crime.

What is civil disobedience?

a conscious decision to break an unjust law, with the goal of inflicting change in a society

What is the Simpson-Mazzoli Act?

Requirement that states employers must report the citizenship status of employees

What famous African American would you most likely attach to civil disobedience?

Dr. Martin Luther King

What does the term minority majority mean?

Most of the people in a population are an ethnic minority

What is a census?

A collection of information from the population to determine how federal funding is spent each year

When was the first census taken?

1790

What is the science of population change called?

demography

What is reapportionment?

The process of reallocating seats in the House of Reps every ten years on the basis of census data

What does Russell Neuman say about people and politics?

The public knows very little about the American political system.

According to THE AMERICAN VOTER publication done in the 1950’s most Americans were what type of voters?

Group benefits

What is yellow journalism?

A style of journalism that emphasizes sensationalism over facts

What is investigative journalism?

The use of detective like reporting methods to check up on the statements given by government officials

What is the nation's most influential newspaper?

NYT

What is the definition of political culture?

An overall set of values widely shared within a society

What is Public Opinion?

The distribution of the population’s beliefs about politics and policy issues

When is an election too close to call?

When the pollster sample is less than 3%

What is the key to accuracy in public opinion polls?

Random sampling

What is the definition of high tech politics?

The behavior of citizens and policy makers is shaped by technology

Who was the first president to manipulate media politics with many press conferences and fireside chats?

FDR

Why did the Vietnam War and Watergate end the cozy relationship between politicians and the press?

There was a vast decrease in trust in the government from citizens

Why did Richard Nixon make a televised speech in 1952 about his family dog Checkers?

To get sympathy from people to demonstrate his familial values, and to relate to the people

What did the opinion polls say about the first Nixon-Kennedy debate of 1960?

Those who watched the televised debate preferred Kennedy due to Nixon's disheveled appearance, but those who listened on the radio preferred Nixon's responses.

What is narrowcasting?

Media programming on TV or the Internet that is focused on a particular interest and aimed at a particular audience

What is broadcasting?

The major networks have a widespread public appeal, including politics and government

What are news beats?

News beats are set places that reporters stay to report on specific topics they are experienced in.

What is a trial balloon?

Information leaked to see the political reaction

What is a sound bite?

A 10 second clip of a politician’s speech, which often distorts the meaning of the speech

What political affiliation do most journalists belong to?

liberals

What is a talking head?

A shot of a person’s face talking directly to the camera; rarely shown for long because the shots are seen as boring

What did the study by Shanto Iyengar and Donald Kender reveal about the effect of television news?

The organization which presents the news shifts people’s opinion due to political bias

What is party realignment?

The displacement of the majority party by the minority party

What is a party machine?

A type of political organization that relies on material inducements to win votes and govern

What is a multi-party system?

A system that prevents one party from controlling all parts of government without a challenge by another party

What is a critical election?

An electoral “earthquake” where new issues emerge and the majority party is replaced by the minority party

What political party did Thomas Jefferson belong to?

Democratic Republican

What political party did Abraham Lincoln belong to?

Republican

Who was the first president to identify as a democrat?

Andrew Jackson

What is a political party?

A team seeking to control the governing apparatus by gaining office in a duly constituted election

What do political parties do?

Try to win elections to inflict change in policy based on their partisan values

How does one become a member of a political party?

In the US, all one has to do is claim to be a part of the political party, unlike many other countries, where there are dues and fees that must be paid to be part of the party

Where are political parties mentioned in the US Constitution?

Nowhere

How does a person get nominated by their political party to run for President?

Through primary elections and the National Convention of the two major parties: where delegates select the best candidate to represent their party

How do you decide how many electoral votes a state gets?

The number of representatives in the House plus 2 for the Senate

What is a caucus?

A system for selection convention delegates used in roughly 12 states where voters attend an open meeting

Where is the first Caucus usually held?

Iowa

What is a primary election?

An election which decides the candidate that will represent a party

What did the McGovern-Fraser Commission establish?

open procedures and affirmative action which provided more spaces to elect minority delegates

What is an open primary?

Independent voters can choose who to vote for, while those registered with a party must vote in their primary

What is a closed primary?

The only people who can vote for a candidate in a party are those who are registered with the party

What is a blanket primary?

Anyone can vote in any primary, regardless of party affiliation

What is a winner take all system?

The winner of the popular vote in a state gets all of the electoral votes

What is the electoral college?

A system which chooses electors based on state population (House reps+2 senate seats) that choose who is elected to federal office; originally created to prevent an uneducated majority from choosing a President who is unfit

What three offices are elected through federal elections?

President, Congress, Senate

Of the 3 offices elected in federal elections which two are directly elected by the people?

Congress, Senate

What is political efficacy?

The belief that one’s political participation really matters; that one vote can make a difference

What is the rational choice theory?

A theory that explains the voting patterns of voters by assuming that individuals act in their own best interests

What is an incumbent?

The current holder of an office; in an election, they are the ones up for reelection

What is an interest group?

A formally organized group formed to influence public policy

What does a lobbyist do?

A person who is paid to advocate for a certain cause to directly influence legislators

What is a PAC?

Political action committee: a group that raises money from individuals to distribute it to candidates that the group supports

Why do PACs typically favor incumbents?

They have pre-established relationships, which make it more likely that the incumbent will favor their interests and the PAC will have more influence

Why have more business PACs been developed than any other since the mid 1970s?

The Federal Election Campaign Act restricted individual PACs’ ability to contribute to campaigns more than business PACs.

What is selective perception?

Selective perception is the phenomenon where people’s beliefs guide their attention and interpretation of certain events

What did the McCain-Feingold Act do?

Increased individual contribution limits to $2000

What is a swing state?

A state that could reasonably be won by either major party

What 3 effects do campaigns have on voters?

Reinforcement, activation, and conversion

Why do people trust social media news less than mainstream news?

People trust social media news less than mainstream news because it is more likely to be biased/doctored to skew perception of one party than mainstream news sources.

Civil Liberties

Rights mentioned in the Bill of Rights which everyone is entitled to

Civil Rights

Policies designed to protect against arbitrary and discriminatory practices in government

Incorporation Doctrine

Found in 14th Amendment due process clause, applies Bill of Rights to the States through court cases

Wall of Separation

Separation of Church and State- 1st Amendment

Free Exercise Clause

1st amendment, freedom of persons to practice any religion as well as the right to not subscribe to a religion

Prior restraint

censorship; the prevention of a piece of media being published by the government

Symbolic Speech

Non-verbal communication protected by the First Amendment; most often demonstrates a political stance

Libel

written defamation

Slander

spoken defamation

Jim Crow

segregationist laws post-reconstruction; withheld civil liberties from African Americans

White Primary

allowed political parties to prevent African Americans from voting in primary elections, despite having constitutional suffrage under 15th Amendment

Shield laws

Laws which protect journalists and reporters in court from having to report their sources in publications, which protects the sources.

First Amendment

Extended the 5 basic freedoms, Speech, Religion, Assembly, Petition, Press

Fourth Amendment

no unreasonable search or siezure

Fifth Amendment

Gave rights to the accused: The accused has a right to a trial by Grand Jury, cannot be tried for the same crime twice, does not have to answer self-incriminating questions, must not be deprived of their natural rights without due process of law, and private property taken for public use must be met with just compensation

Sixth Amendment

Criminal trial procedures- speedy and public trial by jury, right to be informed of the charges, to question witnesses, and right to a lawyer

Tenth Amendment

Rights that are not delegated to the federal government are reserved for the States and the people