AP US Government & Politics Flashcards

Flashcards for AP United States Government & Politics Semester 2 Study Guide

Concurrent Powers

Powers that are shared by both the federal and state governments.

Expressed Powers

Powers specifically listed in the Constitution as belonging to the federal government.

Reserved Powers

Powers that are not specifically delegated to the federal government, nor denied to the states, are reserved to the states or the people.

Supremacy Clause

Establishes that the Constitution and federal laws are the supreme law of the land.

10th Amendment

THE AMENDMENT saying that 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.

Article 1 Section 8

Details the enumerated powers of Congress.

Commerce Clause

Gives Congress the power to regulate interstate commerce.

Necessary & Proper Clause

Gives Congress the power to make all laws necessary and proper for carrying out its enumerated powers.

Privileges & Immunities Clause

Prevents a state from treating citizens of other states in a discriminatory manner.

Federalism

Division of powers between the federal and state governments.

Cooperative Federalism

A system of government in which powers and policy assignments are shared between states and the national government.

Dual Federalism

A system of government in which both the states and the national government remain supreme within their own spheres, each responsible for some policies.

Grants-in-Aid

Money given by the national government to the states.

Separation of Powers

Dividing the powers of government among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.

Checks & Balances

A system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power.

Limited Government

The idea that government is not all-powerful and can only do what the people allow it to do.

Popular Sovereignty

A belief that ultimate power resides in the people. The government’s authority comes from the people’s consent.

Judicial Review

The power of the courts to declare laws unconstitutional.

Republicanism

A form of government in which people elect representatives to create and enforce laws.

Laissez-faire

A policy or attitude of letting things take their own course, without interfering.

Earmarks

Congressional directives that funds should be spent on specific projects.

Bicameralism

The principle of a two-house legislature.

Conference Committee

A committee appointed by the presiding officers of each chamber to adjust differences on a particular bill passed by each in different form.

Filibuster

A tactic used in the Senate to delay or block a vote on a bill.

Cloture

A procedure for terminating debate, especially filibusters, in the Senate.

Impeachment

Power of the House of Reps to charge against the President. (Simply majority vote to pass on the articles of impeachment) Congress thus has the power to conduct a trial, requiring a 2/3 vote to get the elected removed from office.

Redistricting

The redrawing of congressional and state legislative district lines after each census.

Gerrymandering

Drawing district lines to favor one party over another.

Veto

Chief executive's power to reject a bill passed by a legislature.

Civil Service System

A system of hiring and promotion based on merit and nonpartisanship.

Pendleton Act

Established that positions within the federal government should be awarded on the basis of merit instead of political affiliation.

Federal Bureaucracy

The unelected administrative body in the Executive Branch.

Amicus Curiae Brief

Legal documents filed in appellate courts by non-litigants with a strong interest in the subject matter.

Stare Decisis

The legal principle of determining points in litigation according to precedent.

Writ of Certiorari

A command by the Supreme Court to a lower court to send up the records of a case for review.

Equal Protection Clause

Part of the Fourteenth Amendment that prohibits states from denying any person within their jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

Incorporation Doctrine

The application of the Bill of Rights to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment.

PACs

Political Action Committees, raise and spend money to elect and defeat candidates.

Super PACs

Independent expenditure-only committees, allowed to raise unlimited sums of money.

Lobbying

Engaging in activities aimed at influencing public officials, especially legislators, and the policies they enact.

Litigation

The process of taking legal action.

Grassroots mobilization

A campaign that originates from local communities rather than centralized efforts.

Conservatism

A political philosophy based on tradition and social stability, favoring obedience to political authority and organized religion.

Liberalism

A political philosophy that advocates liberty, equality, and social reform.

Authoritarianism

A political system in which a small group of individuals exercises power over the state without being constitutionally responsible to the public.

Libertarianism

An ideology that cherishes individual liberty and insists on minimal government.

Elite Democracy

A model of governance where a small, influential group, often characterized by wealth or education, holds significant power in decision-making.

Pluralist Democracy

A model where political power is distributed among competing interest groups, ensuring that no single group dominates decision-making.

Participatory Democracy

A form of governance where citizens directly participate in the decision-making process, going beyond traditional representative models.

Citizens United v. FEC

Categorical grant

A type of federal financial aid to state or local governments, designated for specific purposes, requiring compliance with federal guidelines. Quite strict.

Block grant

Federal money granted to the states for a set purpose, but with less specific guidelines and restrictions than categorical grants. Allows states more flexibility in how the money is spent within the designated category, encourages local solutions.

Mandates

Federal regulations or requirements imposed on state and local governments to ensure compliance with national standards. Federal government gives money towards the carrying out of these mandates

Unfunded Mandate

Sets a mandate and provides no federal funds to cover costs, requiring states to bear the financial burden.

Majority rule, minority right

The need to balance the majority’s wants and opinions while protecting the rights of the minority and ensuring that their voice isn’t silenced by the majority.

Individual Rights

Unalienable rights, natural rights. Life, liberty, pursuit of happiness, etc.

Medicare

The federal health insurance program is primarily designed to provide healthcare coverage for individuals who are 65 years old or those with certain disabilities or health issues.

Reflects American attitudes towards government involvement in healthcare, showcasing the belief in the government's role in ensuring access to essential medical services for vulnerable populations.

civil liberties

natural rights of the people

civil rights

rights that people have that are meant to protect their civil liberties (unalienable rights)

Amendment 1

Freedom of Expression

Amendment 2

Right to bare arms

Amendment 3

Right to not house soldiers in your home

Amendment 4

No unreasonable searches or seizures. A warrant is required, based on probable cause, and must specifically describe the place to be searched and/or the item to be seized.

Amendment 5

Right to due process.

Amendment 6

Right to a fair and speedy jury, with witnesses, and an unbiased jury.

Amendment 7

Rights to a jury trial & limits on re-examination of a case.

Amendment 8

No cruel & unusual punishments, no excessive bail

13th Amendment

Banned slavery & involuntary servitude

15th Amendment

Prevents restrictions of voting based on race

19th amendment

Prevents restrictions of voting based on sex

24th amendment

Prevents states from requiring a poll tax as a condition for voting in federal elections

14th amendment

all individuals within the u.s. recieve equal protection within the u.s. regardless of race/gender/etc

Brown v. Board of Edu

Ruled racial segregation in schools unconstitutional in accordance to the 14th amendment’s equal protection clause

Roe v. wade

Protected the choice to get an abortion under the 14th amendment’s due process clause (no state can deprive an individual of their life/liberty/happiness without due process)

This includes the privacy to choose whether or not to get an abortion

Schenck v. US

The socialist guy opposed the WWI draft and made pamphlets encouraging men to avoid the draft. The U.S. punished him. Schenck said that he was expressing his freedom of speech. The U.S. said, “erm actually…” and established that any speech demonstrating Clear and Present danger, such as Schenck, is not protected under the first amendment’s freedom of speech

Tinker v. Des moines

Kids wore armbands to school to protest the Vietnam War. School didn’t like that & tried to stop them; it got taken to court, court ruled that the students’ freedom of speech still stands while at school

Established “symbolic speech,” such as armbands to protest war or burning the American flag.

Qualifications for President (& Term Length)

Qualifications: natural-born U.S. citizen, residing in U.S. for 14 years, at least 35 years old.

Term Length: 4 years; can run for two terms.

Qualifications for House of Representatives (& Term)

Qualifications: 25 years old, U.S. inhabitant for at least 7 years, lives in the state they represent.

Term length: Two years; no term limit

Qualifications for Senate (& Term)

Qualifications: 30 years old, U.S. inhabitant for nine years, inhabit the state they represent

Term length: Six Years

(Every two years, 1/3 of the members are up for reelection or election to ensure continuity of experience/expertise.)