Unit 1 AP US Gov

Monarchy

a government in which a ruler, such as a king or queen, rules a country or territory

Theocracy

a government in which the head of a religion rules a country or territory

Dictatorship

a government ruled by a leader who has absolute power and keeps control by

force

Totalitarian government

a centralized government in which a single party rules a nation by stopping or removing any opposition

Democracy

a government run by the people, either directly or indirectly

Limited government

a ruling body whose powers are defined and restricted in law, usually by a written Constitution

Republicanism

the principle that government officials are elected by the people and represent their interests

Social contract

the idea that people agree, or consent, to government authority and in return the government protects people and their rights

Popular sovereignty

the principle that the legitimacy of the government depends on the will or consent of its people

Natural rights

rights that people are born with and that no government can take away

Participatory democracy

government is ruled by the majority of the people through the election of representatives who serve as trustees; this model emphasizes broad participation in both politics and society

Pluralist democracy

groups compete to promote their policy and rely on bargaining and compromise to affect political decision making; some theorists believe that this form allows minority groups to have a voice in policymaking

Elite democracy

elected representatives include, or are influenced by, a small number of powerful elite to affect policy in the best interests of this select group

Trustee

a representative to whom the people give power and in whom they have confidence to make decisions based on what is best for the nation; a representative that follows his or her own principles and acts in the best interests of the nation hen deciding on issue positions and how to vote

Interest groups

a group of people with shared goals who work together to influence public policy

Declaration of Independence

a formal statement announcing the independence of the 13 American colonies from Great Britain, adopted by the Second Continental Congress in 1776

Articles of Confederation

America’s first written constitution; served as the basis for America’s national government until 1789

Shays’ Rebellion

rebellion of farmers led by Daniel Shays; they were protesting the foreclosure of their farms; signaled to elites that they needed to address problems of the Articles of confederation because the national government couldn’t form an army to put down the rebellion

U.S. Constitution

the document that delineates the structure and functions of the U.S. government, ratified in 1788 (includes the 27 amendments)

Separation of powers

the division of government powers into legislative, executive, and judicial branches

Enumerated powers

granted to the national government under the U.S. Constitution, also known as expressed

Federalists

those who supported the Constitution

Anti-Federalists

those who did not wish to ratify the Constitution because they had concerns about the strength of the central government

Brutus No. 1

an essay arguing against ratification of the Constitution, asserting that it creates an all-powerful federal government and leaves the states nearly powerless

Federalist No. 10

an essay supporting ratification of the Constitution, asserting that it creates a representative democracy with protection against the problems that factions can create

Checks and balances

the processes in which each branch of government can impact the actions of the other branches

Federalist No. 51

an essay supporting ratification of the Constitution, asserting that the principles of separation of powers and checks and balances limit the power of government and protect minority rights

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals

executive branch immigration policy implemented by President Barack Obama in 2012. It allowed for certain individuals who either came to the United States illegally as children, or remained in the United States illegally as children, to request special consideration to get a work permit and avoid removal from the United States for a period of up to two years

Federalism

the division of powers among local, state, and national governments

Unitary system

the national government is sovereign and delegates powers to lower governments

Confederal system

many smaller, independent governments agree to unite on certain policies but stay in control of their own territories

Commerce clause

the federal government can prohibit state laws that interfere with business involving more than one state. It also means that a state can't make its own trade deals with a foreign nation. The clause is used to support federal regulation of many areas of economic activity.

Necessary and proper clause

also known as the elastic clause. It gives Congress the power to "make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers …"

Implied powers

powers not directly stated in the Constitution but rather interpreted as belonging to the national government

Supremacy clause

establishes the Constitution and federal laws as the highest laws in the nation, and that they supersede state law

Full faith and credit clause

requires states to uphold and honor the laws and rulings of other states, including public acts and records

Privileges and Immunities Clause

the basic rights extended to citizens must be upheld in all states, regardless of the state in which a person lives

Majority opinion

official ruling on a court case in which a majority of the justices agree

Concurring opinion

opinion written by a justice in support of the minority or majority decision

Dissenting opinion

also known as the minority opinion, written by a justice who does not agree with the majority decision

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

a landmark Supreme Court decision ruling that the necessary and proper clause of Article I, Section 8 gives Congress the power to establish national bank

United States v. Lopez (1995)

a landmark Supreme Court decision ruling that a federal law banning possession of handguns near schools was unconstitutional because the issue did not have a strong enough relationship to interstate commerce as defined by the commerce clause

The Electoral College

the group of people from each state who officially elect the president of the United States, typically based on the popular vote in each state

USA PATRIOT Act

allows intelligence agencies to access personal information and records of targeted individuals without informing them, or getting permission

Roving wiretaps - surveillance directed at a suspect rather than a specific phone line; tap location could be changed without new authorization if the suspect uses a different phone

No Child Left Behind Act - grant program signed in 2002 by President George W. Bush that directed testing elementary and secondary students in math and reading proficiency. This act required states to create, fund, and implement programs that would help all students become proficient in these areas by 2014

Every Student Succeeds Act - NCLB was rewritten in 2015 through Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). It still requires that students become proficient on standardized tests. But, it allows states and school districts to dictate their own performance standards

Dual federalism 1800s-1930s

the national and state governments are seen as having different areas of power, but equally powerful and balanced

Cooperative federalism 1930s-1960s

All levels of government work together to address problems they hold in common in cooperative federalism. There are areas of overlap in their powers, but the national and state governments are seen as equal partners

Regulated federalism 1960s-1970s

the national government asserts direct controls over state programs

New federalism 1970s - ?

the national government returns authority to the state governments

Grants-in-aid

a general category of programs where Congress provides funding to a state or locality on the condition that the funds are used for the purpose defined by the federal government

Categorical grants

a type of federal grant-in-aid to a state or locality with restrictions in law to spend the funds for a specific purpose or group of people

Devolution

returning more power to the states