EXAM: AP USA government and politics

elitism

model of democracy where a small number of people, usually wealthy and educated, influence political decision making

elitist democracy

the electoral college is an example of what kind of democracy?

Elitism

Pluralism

Participatory

What are the theories of democracy?

pluralist democracy

a model of democracy where no one group dominates politics and individuals work through organized groups to compete to influence policy

pluralist democracy

interest groups, like march for life, are an example of what kind of democracy?

participatory democracy

a model of democracy where citizens have the power to decide directly on policy and politicians are responsible for implementing these decisions

participatory democracy

town hall meetings are an example of what kind of democracy?

Issue Identification

Policy Formulation

Decision Making

Implementation

Evaluation

Issue Identification

What is the policymaking process?

ratify treaties

confirm appointments for the cabinet, justices, and judges)

try impeachments

foreign relations

What are the enumerated powers of senate?

power to initiate revenue bills

impeach federal officials

elect the President in the case of an electoral college tie

What are the enumerated powers of the House?

* Executive (administrative powers)
* Take care that the laws are faithfully executed
* Nominate officials (with 51%agreement of the Senate)
* Request written opinions of administrative officials \n fill administrative vacancies during congressional recesses
* Legislative
* Present info on state of the union to congress
* Recommend legislation to congress
* Convene both house on extraordinary occasions
* Adjourn congress if house and senate can't agree
* Veto legislation (congress may overrule with a 2/3 vote
* Foreign/military (national security or military powers)
* Commander-in-chief of the armed forces
* Make treaties (with ratification by 67% of senate
* Nominate ambassadors (with the agreement of 51% of senate)
* Receive ambassadors/diplomatic recognition on other governments
* Judicial
* Reprieves and pardons for federal offenses (except impeachment)
* Nominate federal judges (with confirmation of 51% of senate)

What are the enumerated powers of the President?

* Bargaining/persuasion: setting priorities for congress and attempting to get majorities to put them through the president's legislative agenda
* Issuing executive orders: relations to run government and direct the bureaucracy
* Issuing signing statements: giving president's intended interpretation of bills passed by congress
* Negotiating executive agreements: agreement with the heads of foreign governments that aren't ratified by the senate

What are the implied powers of the President?

regulate commerce

collect taxes

raise an army

establish post offices

What are the implied powers of Congress?

amendment

the process by which changes may be made to the Constitution

American Political Culture

the set of beliefs, customs, traditions, and values that Americans share

Antifederalist (ex: Brutus)

Those opposed to the proposed Constitution, who favored stronger state governments.

Bicameral (ex: we have the Senate and the House of Reps.)

Two house legislature

Bill of Attainder

when the legislature declares someone guilty without a trial

Block Grants (evidence of devolution)

a grant that gives the states a big chunk of money, and the states get a lot of flexibility in how they want to spend it

Categorical Grants

Federal grants provided to states used only for specific purposes

Commerce Clause

grants Congress the authority to regulate interstate business and commercial activity

Checks and Balances

Aspects of the Constitution that require each branch of the federal government to gain the consent of the other two in order to act.

Concurrent Powers (ex: lawmaking and taxation)

Powers shared by the federal government and state governments

Constitutional Convention

a meeting attended by state delegates in 1787 to fix the Articles of Confederation

Constitutional Republic

a democratic system with elected representatives in which the Constitution is the supreme law

Cooperative Federalism (ex: marble cake federalism)

a form of American federalism in which the states and the national government work together to shape public policy

Democracy

system where the power of the government is vested in the people who rule directly through elected representatives

Devolution

returning more authority to state or local governments

Dual Federalism (ex: layer cake federalism)

a form of American federalism in which the states and the nation operate independently in their own areas of public policy

Elitist Democratic Theory (elitism)

a theory of democracy that the elites (usually the wealthy/those of higher rank) have a disproportionate amount of influence in the policymaking process

Ex Post Facto Law

a law punishing people for acts that were not crimes at the time they were committed

Executive Branch (the president)

the branch of government that carries out/enforces laws

Expressed (Enumerated Powers)

authority specifically granted to a branch of the government in the Constitution-found in Article 1, section 8

Faction (Madison spoke of the dangers of faction in Federalist Number 10)

a group of self-interested people who use the government to get what they want, trampling the rights of others in the process

Federal Revenue Sharing

when the federal gov. apportions tax money to the states with no strings attached

Federalism

the sharing/division of power between the national gov. and the states

Federalists (ex: Publius)

supporters of the proposed Constitution, who called for a strong central govt

Federalist Papers

a series of 85 essays written by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay (using the name "Publius") published between 1787 and 1788 that lay out the theory of the Constitution, for the ratification and convincing people to vote for it

Federal System

a system where power is divided between the national and state govs.

Fiscal Federalism

Federal government using money (grants) to influence & control states.

Full Faith and Credit Clause

constitutional clause requiring states to recognize the public acts, records, and civil court proceedings from another state

Government

the rules and institutions that make up that system of policymaking

Grants-in-aid

federal money provided to states to implement public policy objectives

Great Compromise (Connecticut Compromise)

an agreement for a plan of government that drew upon both the Virginia and New Jersey Plans; it settled issues of state representation by calling for a bicameral legislature with a House of Representatives apportioned proportionately and a Senate apportioned equally

Implied Powers (the Necessary and Proper Clause fulfills these)

powers that congress has that are not stated explicitly in the constitution, goes beyond expressed powers

Institutions

the structure of gov, including the executive, legislature, and judiciary

Judicial Branch

Interprets the laws, hears and decides cases through the federal courts

Legislative Branch

the branch of government that makes/writes the laws, can override veto by pres.

Liberty

social, political, and economic freedoms

Limited Government

The idea that certain restrictions should be placed on government to protect the natural rights of citizens.

Mandates (AKA "unfunded mandates")

federal gov. declares/requires that a state must do something, but provides no money for it

Natural Rights

the idea that all humans are born with rights, which include the right to life, liberty, and property, that the gov. cannot take away

Necessary and Proper Clause (Elastic Clause)

language in Article 1, section 8 that allows Congress to carry out all powers necessary to carry out their enumerated powers

New Jersey Plan

The proposal at the Constitutional Convention that called for equal representation of each state in Congress regardless of the state's population (unicameral legislature)

Participatory Democratic Theory

a theory that widespread political participation is essential for democratic government

Pluralist Democratic Theory

a theory of democracy that emphasizes the role of interest groups in the policy making process

Politics

the process of influencing the actions and policies of government

Popular Sovereignty

idea that the government’s power comes from the will of the people or the consent of the governed

Privileges and Immunities Clause

constitutional clause that prevents states from discriminating against people from out of state

Republicanism

a government where elected leaders represent the interests of the people

Reserved Powers

powers not given to the national gov. which are retained by states and the people

Separation of Powers

a design of government that distributes powers across institutions in order to avoid making one branch too powerful on its own

Shay's Rebellion

a popular uprising against the government of Massachusetts due to raised taxes the farmers couldn't pay, led by the farmer Daniel Shays, due to the Articles of Confederation

Social Contract

An agreement between people and government in which citizens consent to be governed so long as the government protects their natural rights (people allow their gov. to rule over them to ensure an orderly society)

Supremacy Clause

constitutional provision declaring that the Constitution and all national laws and treaties are the supreme law of the land (States are BOUND)

Three Fifths Compromise

an agreement reached by delegates at the Constitutional Convention that a slave would count as three-fifths of a person in calculating a state's representation (south wanted slaves to count as a whole person to raise populational data and rewards)

Unicameral

One house legislature (what the New Jersey plan wanted)

Virginia Plan

a plan of government calling for a three-branch government with a bicameral legislature, where more populous states would have more representation in Congress

Writ of Habeas Corpus

the right of people detained by the government to know the charges against them

STEP ONE : Proposal

A) 2/3 of the House and the Senate or

B) 2/3 of State Legislatures call a convention to propose

STEP TWO : Ratification

A) 3/4 of the State Legislatures approve

or

B) 3/4 state ratifying conventions (separate convention at each state)

How do you make an amendment?

false (EXECUTIVE AND JUDICIAL BRANCHES HAVE NO FORMAL ROLE IN THIS PROCESS-it’s just for Congress)

true or false? the executive and legislative branches have roles in the amendment process

Rule of Law

the principle that governmental authority is legitimately exercised only in accordance with written and publicly disclosed laws

Federalism

the sharing/division of power between the national gov. and the states

evidence of devolution

What is the significance of block grants?

McCulloch (federal) v. Maryland (state)

Argument between federal and state governments debating if congress has the power to make a bank, and if states have the power to tax that federal bank. (**FEDERALISM)**

US (federal) v. Lopez (state)

Argument between federal and state governments debating whether congress had the authority to pass the Gun-Free School Zones Act

electoral college

you need 51% of votes from the _____________ to win the presidency

YES! Congress has the power to make a bank through the necessary and proper clause and their implied powers

NO! Maryland thought they had the power to tax the bank, as it is one of their implied powers through the Constitution. Maryland doesn't have the power to tax in this instance because of the Supremacy Clause-federal government is supreme over the state government in terms of conflict

What did the Supreme Court rule on the fundamental questions from McCulloch v. Maryland? And Why? (Does Congress have the power to make a bank? and Does the state of Maryland have the power to tax that federal bank?)

McCulloch (federal) v. Maryland (state)

What supreme court case established the existence of implied powers, clarified how the USA federal system would work, and greatly increased the powers of Congress and the federal government

US (federal) v. Lopez (state)

What supreme court case held that the Congress had overstepped its power under the Commerce Clause for the first time in half a century, preserved federalism, and limited the power of the federal government in relation to the states

NO! Congress exceeded its constitutional authority under the Commerce Clause when it passed a law prohibiting gun possession in local school zones and also said that it wasn't an economic issue (congress thought they could pass this law using commerce clause to their advantage)

What did the Supreme Court rule on the fundamental question from Lopez v. USA? And Why? (Does Congress have the power to pass the Gun-Free School Zones Act?)

Apportionment

The process of determining the number of representatives for each state using census data

Cloture

A procedure through which senators can end debate on a bill and proceed to action, provided three-fifths (60) of Senators agree to it.

Committee Chair

leader of a congressional committee who has authority over the committee’s agenda

Committee of the Whole

Consists of all members of the House and meets in the House chamber but is governed by different rules, making it easier to consider complex and controversial legislation

Conference Committee

A temporary joint committee that resolves differences between the House and Senate versions of a bill, which is required by the Constitution before a president can sign the bill into law

Constituencies

A body of voters in a given area who elect a representative or senator

Delegate

The idea that the main duty of a member of Congress is to carry out constituents' wishes

Select/Special Committee

Temporary committees that are usually called upon to investigate an issue, sometimes in response to a crisis or scandal.

Senate Majority Leader

The person who has the most power in the Senate and is the head of the party with the most seats

Speaker of the House

The leader of the House of Representatives, chosen by an election of its members

Standing Committees

Where  most of the work in Congress gets done. They are permanent committees that are divided by policy area, and members tend to serve on them for multiple terms, developing expertise. They consider legislation and exercise oversight of bureaucratic agencies, usually recommending funding levels for them. They are divided into subcommittees, which specialize even further, usually considering parts of legislation under instructions from their parent committees.

Trustee

The idea that members of Congress should make decisions based on their knowledge and judgement

Unanimous Consent

an agreement in the Senate that sets the terms for consideration of a bill.

Unified Government

the political condition in which the same political party controls the presidency and BOTH houses of Congress

Veto

formal rejection by the president of a bill that has passed both houses of Congress.

Whip

A member of Congress, chosen by his or her party members, whose job is to ensure party unity and discipline

Discharge Petition

A motion filed by a member of Congress to move a bill out of committee and onto the floor of the House of Representatives for a vote

Divided Government

Control of the presidency and one or both chambers of Congress split between the two major parties

Filibuster

A tactic through which an individual senator may use the right of unlimited debate to delay a motion or postpone action on a piece of legislation