AP Government Units 1-5 Flashcards

Vocabulary terms and definitions covering AP Government Units 1-5, including foundational documents, branches of government, civil liberties, political ideologies, and elections.

Natural Rights

The idea that people are born with certain rights given to them by a creator and not the government, meaning they could not be taken away.

Popular Sovereignty

The principle that the power to govern is in the hands of the people and is derived from the consent of the governed.

The Social Contract

An agreement where people willingly give power to the government to protect their rights, with the duty to overthrow the government if it abuses that power.

Limited Government

A government prevented from tyranny through a system of checks and balances and the distribution of power.

Participatory Democracy

A model of democracy that emphasizes broad participation in politics and civil society, where citizens vote on laws directly.

Elite Democracy

A model of democracy emphasizing limited participation by a few, well-educated and informed statespeople qualified to direct the nation.

Pluralist Democracy

A model of democracy describing group-based activism by nongovernmental interests working to impact political decision-making through compromise.

Federalist No. 10

An essay by James Madison arguing that a large republic would protect the union from the tyranny of factions by forcing them to compromise.

Brutus No. 1

An anti-federalist paper arguing that a large republic would not work and that the Necessary and Proper and Supremacy clauses granted too much power to the federal government.

Articles of Confederation

The first US constitution which established a very weak central government with no executive branch, no national judiciary, and no power to tax.

Shays Rebellion

An event that showed the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation because the central government was unable to raise an army to put down the rebellion.

The Great Compromise

An agreement to create a bicameral legislature with a House of Representatives based on population and a Senate with equal representation for each state.

Electoral College

The constitutional mechanism where each state is given electors to vote the president into office based on their number of congressional representatives.

Article V

The section of the Constitution describing the amendment process, requiring a $2/3$ vote to propose and a $3/4$ vote by states to ratify.

Enumerated Powers

Specific powers listed in Article 1, Section 8 that belong to Congress, such as the power to declare war and coin money.

Implied Powers

Powers not explicitly stated in the Constitution but derived from the Necessary and Proper Clause to carry out enumerated functions.

Filibuster

A tactic in the Senate where a senator attempts to stall or kill a bill by talking for a very long time due to unlimited debate rules.

Cloture Rule

A procedural move in the Senate to end a filibuster requiring a $3/5$ vote.

Logrolling

A practice where legislators agree to vote for each other's bills in exchange for mutual support.

Gerrymandering

The process of drawing legislative districts in a way that benefits one specific party or group over another.

Baker v. Carr (1962)

A Supreme Court case that established the principle of 'one person, one vote' and ruled that redistricting issues are justiciable.

Executive Order

A directive from the president that carries the force of federal law, used to accomplish a policy agenda without Congressional legislation.

Judicial Review

The power of the courts to rule on the constitutionality of laws, established by the case Marbury v. Madison (1803).

Stare Decisis

A legal principle meaning 'let the decision stand,' which directs courts to follow precedents set in previous cases.

Iron Triangle

The mutually beneficial relationship between interest groups, congressional committees, and bureaucratic agencies to make policy.

Bill of Rights

The first 10 amendments to the Constitution designed to protect civil liberties from government interference.

Establishment Clause

A First Amendment provision that prohibits the government from establishing a national church or religion.

Selective Incorporation

The legal process by which the Supreme Court applies civil liberties from the Bill of Rights to the states through the 14th Amendment.

Political Socialization

The process by which individuals form their political opinions through influences like family, media, and school.

Fiscal Policy

Government decisions regarding spending and taxation to influence the economy.

Monetary Policy

Government decisions made by the Federal Reserve about the amount of money in the economy and interest rates.

Rational Choice Voting

A voting model where an individual votes based on their own personal self-interest after studying the issues.

Political Efficacy

A citizen's belief in their ability to influence politics and whether their vote matters.

Linkage Institutions

Societal structures like political parties, interest groups, elections, and the media that connect people to the government.

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA)

An act that increased hard money limits and attempted to regulate soft money and electioneering communications.