Vocab Chapter 1 AP Gov

DEMOCRACY

A system of government where power is held by the people

NATURAL RIGHTS

The right to life, liberty, and property, which the government cannot take away.

SOCIAL CONTRACT

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

POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY

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

REPUBLICANISM

A system in which the government’s authority comes from the people.

INALIENABLE RIGHTS

Rights the government cannot take away.

PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY

A  theory that widespread political participation is essential for democratic government.

PLURALIST THEORY

A theory of democracy that emphasizes the role of groups in the policy making process

ELITIST THEORY

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

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 union, were supreme.

UNICAMERAL

A one-house legislature

SHAY’S REBELLION

A popular uprising against the government of Massachusetts.

CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION

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

WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS

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

A law 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.

GREAT COMPROMISE

An agreement for a plan of government that drew upon both the Virginia and New Jersey Plans; It 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

3/5 COMPROMISE

An agreement reached by delegates at the Constitutional Convention that a slave would  count as three-fifths of a person in calculating a state’s representation.

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 & 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.

EXPRESSED POWERS

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

NECESSARY & PROPER 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; powers not granted specifically to the national government but considered necessary to carry out the enumerated powers.

SUPREMACY CLAUSE

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

FEDERALIST

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

ANTI-FEDERALISTS

A person opposed to the proposed Constitution who favored stronger state governments

FEDERALIST PAPERS

A series of 85 essays written by Alexander Hamiltion, James Madison, and John Jay and published between 1787 and 1788 that lay out the theory behind the Constitution.

FEDERALIST NO. 51

An essay in which Madison argues that separation of powers and federalism will prevent tyranny.

FACTION

A group of self-interested people.

FEDERALIST NO. 10

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

BRUTUS NO. 1

An AntiFederalist paper argued 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 subnational governments.

CONFEDERAL SYSTEM

A system where the subnational 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 government may exercise.

COMMERCE CLAUSE

Grants Congress the authority to regulate interstate business and commercial activity

SUPREMACY CLAUSE

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

10TH AMENDMENT

Reserves powers not delegated to the national government to the states and the people; the 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 federal government in the Constitution.

FULL FAITH & CREDIT CLAUSEFULL FAITH & CREDIT CLAUSE

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

EXTRADITION

The requirement that officials in one state return a defendant to another state where the crime was committed.

PRIVILEGES & IMMUNITIES CLAUSE

Prevents states from discrimination against people from out of state.

13TH AMENDMENT

Constitutional amendment that outlaws slavery

14TH AMENDMENT

Constitutional amendment asserting that persons born in the U.S. are citizens and prohibits states from denying persons due process or equal protection under the law.

15TH AMENDMENT

Constitutional amendment that gave African Americans the right to vote

DUAL FEDERALISM

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

SELECTIVE INCORPORATION

The process through which the Supreme Court applies fundamental rights in the Bill of Rights to the states on a case-by-case basis.

SELECTIVE INCORPORATION

The process through which the Supreme Court applies 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 the 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

The federal government uses grants-in-aid to influence policies in the states.

CATEGORICAL GRANTS

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

UNFUNDED MANDATE

Federal requirement the states must follow without being provided with funding.

BLOCK GRANT

A type of grants-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.