AP Gov - Unit 1: Democracy and the Constitution

Politics

Process of influencing the actions and policies of a government

Government

The rules and institutions that make up that system of policymaking

Democracy

A system of government where power is held by the people

Natural Rights

The right to life, liberty and property

Social Contract

People allow their governments to rule over them to ensure an orderly and functioning society

American Political Culture

Set of beliefs, customs, traditions, and values that Americans share

Popular Sovereignty

The idea that the government's right to rule comes from the people

Republicanism

System in which the government's authority comes from the people through their representatives

Inalienable Rights

Rights the government cannot take away

Liberty

Social, political, and economic freedoms

Participatory Democracy

Theory that widespread political participation is essential for democratic government

Civil Society Groups

Independent associations outside the government's control

Pluralist Theory

A theory of democracy that emphasizes the role of groups in the policymaking process

Elitist Theory

A theory of democracy that the elites have a disproportionate amount of influence in the policymaking process

Political Institution

The structure of government, including the executive, legislature and judiciary

Constitutional Republic

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

Constitution

A document that sets out the fundamental principals of governance and established the institutions of government

Republic

A government ruled by representatives of the people

Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union

A governing document that created a union of 13 sovereign states in which the states, not the national government, were supreme

Unicameral

A one house legislature

Shays's Rebellion

A popular uprising against the government of Massachusetts

Constitutional Convention

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

Writ of Habeas Corpu

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

Bills of Attainder

When the legislature declares someone guilty without a trial

Ex Post Facto Laws Laws

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

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

New Jersey Plan

A plan of government that provided for a unicameral legislature with equal votes for each state

Grand Committee

A committee at the Constitutional Convention that worked out the compromise on representation

Great (Connecticut) Compromise

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

Bicameral

A two-house legislature

Three-Fifths Compromise

An agreement reached by delegates at the Constitutional Convention that a slave would count as 3/5th of a person in calculating a state's representation

Compromise on Importation

Congress could not restrict the slave trade until 1808

Separation of Powers

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

Checks and Balances

A design of government in which each branch has powers that can prevent the other branches from making policy

Federalism

The sharing of power between the national government and the states

Legislative Branch

The institution responsible for making laws

Expressed or Enumerated Powers

Authority specifically granted to a branch of the government in the Constitution

Necessary and Proper or Elastic Clause

Language in Article 1, Section 8, granting Congress the powers necessary to carry out its enumerated powers

Implied Powers

Authority of the federal government that goes beyond its expressed powers

Executive Branch

The institution responsible for carrying out laws passed by the legislative branch

Judicial Branch

The institution responsible for hearing and deciding cases through the federal courts

Supremacy Clause

Constitutional provision declaring that the Constitution and all national laws and treaties are the supreme law of the land

Amendment

The process by which changes may be made to the Constitution

Federalists

Supporters of the proposed Constitution, who called for a strong national government

Anti-Federalists

Those who opposed the proposed Constitution, favored stronger state governments

Federalist Papers

Series of 85 essays written by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay and published between 1787 and 1788 that lay out the theory behind the Constitution

Federalist #51

Essay in which Madison argues that separation of powers and federalism will prevent tyranny

Faction

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

Federalist #10

Essay in which Madison argues that the dangers of faction can be mitigated by a large republic and republican government

Brutus #1

Antifederalist Paper arguing that the country was too large to be governed as a republic and that the Constitution gave too much power to the national government

Unitary System

A system where the central government has all of the power over sub national governments Confederal System A system where the sub national governments have most of the power

Federal System

A system where power is divided between the national and state governments

Exclusive Powers

Powers only the national government may exercise

Commerce Clause

Grants Congress the authority to regulate interstate business and commercial activity

Tenth Amendment Reserves

power not delegated to the national government to the states and the people; basis of federalism

Reserved Powers

Powers not given to the national government, which are retained by the states and the people

Concurrent Powers

Powers granted to both states and the federal government in the Constitution

Full Faith and Credit Clause

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

Extradition

The requirements that officials in one state return a defendant to another state where a crime was committed

Privileges and Immunities Clause

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

Thirteenth Amendment

Constitutional amendment that outlawed slavery

Fourteenth Amendment

Amendment that provides that person born in the U.S. are citizens and prohibits states from denying persons due process or equal protection under law

Fifteenth Amendment

Gave African American males the right to vote

Dual Federalism

A form of American federalism in which the states and the national government operate independently in their own areas of public policy

Selective Incorporation

Process through which the Supreme Court applied fundamental rights in the Bill of Rights to the states on a case-by-case basis

Cooperative Federalism

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

Grants in Aid Federal money provided to states to implement public policy objectives

Fiscal Federalism

Federal government's use of grant-in-aid to influence policies of states

Categorical Grants

Grants-in-aid provided to states with specific provisions on their use

Unfunded Mandate

Federal requirements that states must follow without being provided with funding

Block Grant

A type of grant-in-aid that gives state officials more authority in the disbursement of federal funds

Revenue Sharing

When the federal government apportions tax money to the states with no strings attached

Devolution

Returning more authority to state or local governments