Ap Gov_Vocab

Alexander Hamilton

D: Federalist leader who supported a strong national government.

S: Helped write the Federalist Papers and supported ratification of the Constitution.

Anti-Federalists

D: People who opposed ratifying the Constitution.

S: Their concerns about individual rights helped lead to the Bill of Rights.

Articles of Confederation

D: The first U.S. national government; gave most power to the states.

S: Its weak national government led to problems that encouraged creation of the Constitution.

Baron de Montesquieu

D: French thinker who supported dividing government power.

S: His ideas influenced separation of powers and checks and balances in the Constitution.

Bicameral legislature

D: A legislature with two chambers/houses.

S: Congress is bicameral: the House of Representatives and Senate.

Bills of Rights

D: The first 10 amendments to the Constitution.

S: Protects individual freedoms and limits government power.

Checks and Balances

D: Each branch can limit the powers of the other branches.

S: Prevents one branch from becoming too powerful.

Confederation

D: A system where states or national governments holds power. (shared)

S: The Articles of Confederation created this system, but the national government was too weak.

Connecticut Compromise

D: Compromise creating a House based on population and a Senate with equal state representation.

S: Settled the dispute between large and small states over representation.

Consent of the governed

D: Government gets its authority from the people.

S: A major principle of American democracy and the Declaration of Independence.

Constitutional Convention

D: 1787 meeting where delegates created the U.S. Constitution.

S: Replaced the weak Articles of Confederation with a stronger federal system.

Democracy

D: Government where political power comes from the people.

S: The U.S. is based on democratic principles such as voting and popular sovereignty.

Direct (participatory) Democracy theory

D: Citizens directly participate in political decisions.

S: Encourages citizens to be involved in government.

Elite & Class Democracy Theory

D: Theory that a small, wealthy, powerful group has the most influence over government.

S: Explains how unequal wealth and power can affect political decisions.

Enumerated Powers

D: Powers specifically listed in the Constitution.

S: Define powers of the federal government, especially Congress, such as taxing and regulating interstate commerce.

ex post facto laws

D: A law that makes an action illegal after it was already committed.

S: The Constitution prohibits these laws to protect people from unfair punishment.

Factions

D: Groups of people united by shared interests or beliefs.

S: In Federalist No. 10, Madison explains how a large republic can control the harmful effects of factions.

Federalism

D: Division of power between the national and state governments.

S: Allows both levels of government to have their own responsibilities and powers.

Federal system of government

D: A system where national and state governments share power.

S: This is the governmental structure used by the United States.

Federalist No. 10

D: Essay by James Madison about factions.

S: Argues that a large republic can control the harmful effects of factions.

Federalist No. 51

D: Essay by James Madison about separation of powers and checks and balances.

S: Explains why government power must be divided to prevent abuse.

Federalist papers

D: Essays written by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay supporting the Constitution.

S: Helped convince Americans to ratify the Constitution and explain its principles.

federalists

D: Supporters of the Constitution and a stronger national government.

S: Helped win ratification of the Constitution.

implied powers

D: Federal powers not directly written in the Constitution but reasonably suggested by enumerated powers.

S: Allow the federal government to carry out its listed powers effectively.

James Madison

D: Founding Father and author of the Constitution and Federalist Papers.

S: Often called the The Father of the Constitution and helped design checks and balances.

John Locke

D: English philosopher who argued people have natural rights and government needs their consent.

S: His ideas strongly influenced the Declaration of Independence and American democracy.

Judicial review

D: Power of courts to declare government actions unconstitutional.

S: Gives the judicial branch an important check on Congress and the president.

limited government

D: Government has restrictions on its power.

S: Protects individual liberty and prevents government from having unlimited authority.

Remember guys everything prevents tyranny

majority rule

D: The choice supported by more than half of voters wins.

S: Allows the majority to make decisions while still needing to respect minority rights (sometimes oppression?).

Marbury v. Madison

D: Supreme Court case that established judicial review.

S: Strengthened the Supreme Court by allowing it to declare laws unconstitutional.

Minority rights

D: Rights and freedoms protected even when a group is not part of the majority.

S: Prevents majority rule from taking away the basic rights of smaller groups.

monarchy

D: Government ruled by a king or queen.

S: The American system rejected monarchy in favor of representative government.

Natural rights

D: Rights people are born with, such as life, liberty, and property. (later changed to pursuit of happiness)

S: Lockes idea influenced the Declaration of Independence and protections of individual liberty.

necessary and proper clause (aka elastic clause)

D: Gives Congress power to make laws needed to carry out its enumerated powers.

S: Creates implied powers and allows federal power to adapt to new situations.

New Jersey Plan

D: Proposed equal representation for every state in Congress.

S: Favored small states and helped lead to the Connecticut/Great Compromise.

oligarchy

D: Government controlled by a small group of powerful people.

S: Contrasts with democracy, where political power is supposed to come from the people.

original jurisdiction

D: Authority of a court to hear a case first.

S: The Supreme Court has original jurisdiction in a small number of cases specified by the Constitution.

pluraliat theory

D: Theory that many competing groups share political influence.

S: Suggests public policy results from competition among different interest groups.

popular sovereignty

D: The idea that government power comes from the people.

S: Citizens ultimately give government its authority through voting and participation.

representative democracy

D: Citizens elect officials to make decisions for them.

S: The U.S. mainly uses this type of democracy.

republic

D: Government where citizens elect representatives to govern.

S: The Constitution established the United States as a republic rather than a direct democracy.

separation of powers

D: Government power is divided among legislative, executive, and judicial branches.

S: Prevents power from being concentrated in one branch.

Shay’s Rebellion

D: 1786-87 uprising by Massachusetts farmers over debt and taxes.

S: Showed weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation and increased support for a stronger national government.

Social Contract

D: Agreement where people give government some authority in return for protection of their rights.

S: Influenced American ideas about legitimate government and consent of the governed.

State of Nature

D: Hypothetical condition of humans before organized government or without a government.

S: Locke and Hobbes used it to explain why people create governments.

Supremacy Clause

D: Constitution and valid federal laws are the highest law of the land.

S: Federal law generally takes priority when valid federal and state laws conflict.

Thomas Hobbes

D: English philosopher who believed people need a strong government to maintain order.

S: His social-contract ideas influenced debates about why governments are created.

inalienable rights

D: Basic rights that cannot be taken away.

S: The Declaration identifies life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as such rights.

unicameral legislature

D: Legislature with one house/chamber.

S: The Articles of Confederation had a unicameral Congress, unlike todays bicameral Congress.

unitary government

D: System where the central government holds most political power.

S: Contrasts with federalism, where power is divided between national and state governments.

veto

D: Power to reject a proposed law.

S: The presidents veto is an important check on Congress.

Virginia Plan

D: Proposed representation in Congress based largely on state population.

S: Favored large states and helped lead to the Connecticut/Great Compromise.

Federalist No. 39

D: Essay by James Madison explaining that the Constitution creates a government that is both republican and federal.

S: Shows that government gets its power from the people and divides power between the national and state governments.

Mills

D: Mills argue: small group of powerful people in poltical, economical, and the military have the most influence over society.

S: Elite & class theory, political power is concentrated among a small, wealthy and powerful group.

Dahl

D: Dahl argue: political power is spread among many different groups that compete to influence government.

S: Pluralist theory because no single group always controls government decisions.

Tocqueville #1

D: Tocqueville describes how Americas geography, history, and social conditions helped democracy develop. (study at origin)

S: Equality and democratic government became important parts of American political culture.

Tocqueville #9

D: Tocqueville explains how American laws and political institutions help maintain democracy.

S: Federalism, local government, and an independent judiciary help protect American democracy.

Totalitarian

D: Government where the state attempts to control nearly all parts of society, including politics, information, and personal life.

S: Opposite of limited democratic government because citizens have very little political freedom.

Authoritarian

D: Government, political power is concentrated in one leader or a small group + citizens have limited political freedoms.

S: Shows difference between democratic government and concentrated political power.

Dictatorship

D: One ruler or a small group holds all political power w/o limits.

S: Contrasts with U.S. principles such as limited government, checks and balances, and popular sovereignty.

levels of government

D: Different layers of government, mainly federal, state, and local.

S: Important to federalism because government responsibilities and powers are divided among different levels.

Declaration of Independence

D: 1776 document declaring the American colonies independent from Great Britain and explaining why.

S: Established ideas such as natural rights, equality, popular sovereignty, and consent of the governed that became foundations of U.S. democracy.

3/5 compromise

D: Constitutional Convention agreement that counted three-fifths of the enslaved population when looking at representation and taxation.

S: Increased the political representation of slaveholding states and demonstrated the Constitutions compromises over slavery. It was later made obsolete by the 13th and 14th Amendments. (Civil War)

Block grants

D: Federal money given to state or local governments for a broad purpose.

S: