AP Gov Unit 1 + 2

Article I, Section 8

Congress has the power to regulate state between state and country between country

Bicameral

two house legislature

Brutus No. 1

an antifederalism 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

Block Grants

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

Categorical Grants

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

Checks and Balances

form of government that makes sure that no person or branch is too powerful 0 design of government in which each branch has powers that can prevent the other branches from making policy

Commerce Clause

grants Congress the authority to regulate interstate business and commercial activity

Concurrent Powers

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

Conditions/"strings"

what the state has to do in order to meet requirement to receive aid from federal government

Declaration of Independence

democracy was adopted power held by the people - 5 parts - life library and happiness

Electoral College

a constitutional required process for selecting the president through states if electors chosen in each state, who are pledged to vote for a nominee in the residential election

Elite Democracy

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

Enumerated Powers

powers explicitly granted to the national government through the Constitution; also called expressed powers.

Federalism

the sharing of power between the national government and the states

Federalist Papers

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

Federalist No. 10

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

Federalist No. 51

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

Federalists

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

Anti Federalists

those opposed to the proposed Constitution, who favored stronger state governments

Full Faith and Credit Clause

Article IV, Section 1 states that legal judgments like court rulings, marriage certificates etc. are recognized across state lines

Great (Connecticut) Compromise

an agreement for a plan of government that drew upon both the Virginia and New Jersey Plan

House of Representatives

responsible to creating and passing federal laws

Implied Powers

authority of the federal government that goes beyond its powers

James Madison

4th president, drafted the constitution, bill of rights, and worked on the federalist papers

Limited Government

government cannot be all to powerful, makes sure there is not an uneven concentration of power

McCulloch v. Maryland

Does Congress have the constitutional authority to establish the Second Bank of the U.S.? Yes If so, does Maryland have the right to tax the state bank? No Maryland cannot tax it. The Supremacy Clause.

Necessary & Proper Clause

language in Article 1, Section 8, granting congress the powers necessary to carry out its enumerated powers

New Jersey Plan

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

Participatory Democracy

a theory that widespread political participation is essential for a democratic government

Pluralist Democracy

a theory of democracy that emphasizes the role of groups in the policymaking Process

Police Powers

a category of reserved powers that includes the protection of peoples health, safety and welfare

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 through their Representatives

Senate

represents the entire state, 2 from each state,

Separation of Powers

a design of government that distributes in order to avoid institution in order to avoid making one branch too powerful on its own

Social Contract

people allow their government to rule over them to ensure an orderly and functioning Society

Supremacy Clause

constitutional provision declaring that the constitution and all national law and treaties are the supreme law of the land

Tenth Amendment

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

Three Fifths Compromise

an agreement reached by delegate at the Constitutional Conventions that a slave would count as ⅗ of a person in calculating a state’s representation

Unicameral

one house legislature

United States v. Lopez (1995)

Gun Free School Zones Act of 1990, banned firearms in school zones, There is nothing specific to the law about how carrying a gun around a school relates to or impacts interstate commerce

Virginia Plan

a plan of government calling for a three branch government which a bicameral legislature, where more populous states would have more representation in congress

Act

law passed by a legislature

Administrative Procedures

notice and comments process, agencies need to let the public know they’re getting ready to change something

Advice and consent

U.S. constitutional power of the Senate to approve treaties and presidential appointments, such as Cabinet secretaries, federal judges, and ambassadors

Ambassadors

an accredited diplomat sent by a country as its official representative to a foreign country

Appointment/nomination

the formal process through which parties choose their candidates for political office

Authority

the legitimate power to make and enforce rules and laws, and to command resources and obedience

Bicameral

a two house legislature

Bully pulpit

presidential appeals to the public to pressure other branches of government to support his or her policies

Bureaucracy

a complex administrative system with a hierarchical structure, strict rules, and specialized jobs designed for large organizations like governments and corporations. It is characterized by a chain of command, formal procedures, and merit-based hiring, which aims to increase efficiency and rationality

Cabinet

A cabinet in governing is a group of people with the constitutional or legal task to rule a country or state

Caucuses (in Congress)

a process through which a states eligible voters meet to select delegates to represent their preference in the nomination process

Chief administrator

executive powers are in constitution but the administrators are not, POTUS has power to control executive agencies and they can make new rules and regulations POTUS helps

Chief legislator

because of bully puppet and veto threat, elections are often about things they don't directly control, conversation on legislation is what the president whats

Cloture

a procedure through which senators can end a filibuster and proceed to action, provided ⅗ of senators agree to it

Commander-In-Cheif

president has the ability to control the military force in the United States - they cannot declare war but they can manage forces

Committee chairs

leader of a congressional committee who has authority over the committee’s agenda

Committees

smaller group of members tasked with a specific function

Congressional oversight

U.S. Congress's power to review, monitor, and supervise the executive branch and federal agencies to ensure laws are being implemented as intended

Debt

outstanding deficit, cumulatively minus service paid on debt

Deficit

annual amount of federal government spends more than you take in

Delegated discretionary

authority is the power given to an executive agency or official to make decisions and interpret laws to implement policy

Department of Agriculture

Focuses on farming, food, and rural communities

Department of Defense

Oversees the military departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force

Department of Education

Handles federal education policy

Department of Homeland

Focuses on national security and emergency response

Department of Justice

Enforces federal laws

Department of State

Manages foreign relations

Discretionary spending

spending for programs and policies at the discretion of Congress and the President

Enumerated/expressed powers

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

Environmental Protection Agency

a U.S. government agency that works to protect human health and the environment

Executive order

policy directives issued by presidents that do not require congressional approval

Filibuster

a tactic through which an individual senator may use the right of unlimited debate to delay a motion or postpone action on a piece of legislation

Formal powers

powers of the president expressly granted in the Constitution

Gerrymandering

the international use of redistricting to benefit a specific interest or group voters

Impeachment

government official is charged with misconduct, which can lead to a trial and removal from office

Imperial presidency

a term that describes the president that is all too powerful, that they have excessive power beyond what the Constitution allows

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

Informal powers

powers not laid out in the Constitution but used to carry out presidential duties

Iron triangles

coordinated and mutually beneficial activities of the bureaucracy, Congress and interest groups to achieve shared policy goals

Issue networks

webs of influence between interest groups, policymakers and policy advocates

Lame duck period

period at the end of a presidential term when Congress may block presidential initiatives and nominees

Line item veto

when the bill is approved but one line of the bill is taken out and not passed

Mandatory spending

spending required by existing laws that is “locked in” the budget

Merit system

a system of hiring and promoting based on competitive testing result, education and other qualifications rather than politics and personal connections

Notice and comment

informal rulemaking process government administrative agencies use to allow the public to participate in developing rules. It involves an agency publishing a proposed rule, providing a public period (often 60 days) to submit comments, and then considering those comments before issuing a final rule

Pendleton Civil Service Act

established a merit

Pocket veto

an informal veto caused when the president chooses not to sign a bill within ten days, during a time when Congress has adjourned at the end of a session

Power

power is the authority and ability to influence or direct the actions of others within a given jurisdiction, such as creating, enforcing, and interpreting laws

Power of the purse

the authority of legislator to control government by deciding where public money is spent

Recess appointments

recess appointment is a temporary appointment made by the U.S. President to fill a vacant federal position while the Senate is in a formal recess, thereby bypassing the normal requirement for immediate Senate confirmation

Redistricting

states redrawing of boundaries of electoral districts following each census

Senate Majority Leader

the person who has the most power in the Senate and is the head of the party with the most seats

Speaker of the House

the leader of the House of Representatives chosen by an election of its members

Spoils/patronage system

practice of a political victor rewarding their supporters with government jobs and other benefits, prioritizing loyalty over merit

State of the Union

an address from the president and he reports about the state of the legislation and recommend a legislative program

Twelfth Amendment

U.S. constitutional amendment ratified in 1804 that established separate ballots for the presidential and vice-presidential elections -making it nearly impossible for a president and vice president from opposing parties to serve together

Twentieth Amendment

moved the presidential inauguration date to January 20th and the start of each new congressional term to January 3rd. It also addressed succession by stating that if a president elect dies before the inauguration, the vice president-elect becomes president. The amendment's purpose was to shorten the "lame duck" period between an election and the start of the new term for both Congress and the presidency