AP Gov Unit 1 Vocabulary

All of the words and definitions for Mr. Dockery Unit 1 Quiz.

Anti-Federalist Papers

a collection of essays and articles written in 1787 and 1788 by opponents of the U.S. Constitution who argued that a strong national government would threaten state power and individual liberties

Articles of Confederation

The first constitution of the United States, in effect from 1781 to 1789, which established a loose confederation of sovereign states with a deliberately weak central government

Article V

Created a unicameral (one house) legislature

Block Grants

a type of grants in aid that gives state officials more authority in the disbursement of federal funds.

Brutus No. 1

A 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.

Categorical Grants

grant in aid provided to states with specific provisions on their use.

Checks and Balances

A system whereby each branch of government exercises some control over others

Commerce Clause

Gives congress the power to regulate trade with foreign nations, among the several states, and with Indian tribes

Compromise of the Importation of Slaves

Congress could not restrict slave trade until 1808

Concurrent Powers

Political powers shared by both the national and state governments under the U.S. Constitution

The Declaration of Independence

A foundational document that justified the 13 colonies’ separation from Great Britain using core Enlightenment principles

Delegated/Enumerated Powers

Authority specifically granted to a branch of government in the constitution

Electoral College

The constitutional system for electing the president, which is allocated to the states.

Elitist Democracy

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

Executive Branch

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

Federalism

The sharing of the power between the national government and the states

Federalist No. 10

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

Federalist No, 51

An essay which Madison argues the separation of powers and federalism will prevent tyranny

Fourteenth Amendment

Guarantees citizenship, due process, and equal protections under the law, serving as the legal foundation for civil rights and selective incorporations.

Funded Mandate

A federal rule or order that requires state or local government to take action and provides the necessary federal money to pay for it

Great Compromise (Connecticut 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.

Implied Powers

Authority of federal government that goes beyond its expressed powers

James Madison

The chief architect of the U.S. Constitution and author of key foundational documents who argued that a large republic and separated powers control factions and stop tyranny.

Judicial Branch

The institution responsible for hearing and deciding cases through federal courts

Legislative Branch

The institution responsible for making laws

Limited Government

The democratic ideal that a government's power is restricted by law and constitutional boundaries so it cannot become absolute

McCulloch v. Maryland

Chief Justice Marshall ruled that the Necessary and Proper Clause gives Congress implied powers (like chartering a national bank) and that the Supremacy Clause blocks states from taxing or interfering with the federal government.

Natural Rights

The rights to life, liberty, and property (the pursuit of happiness) that the government can't take away.

Necessary and Proper Clause (Elastic Clause)

Grants congress the authority to pass all laws needed to execute its enumerated powers

Participatory Democracy

A theory that widespread participation is essential for democratic government.

Philadelphia Convention

A gathering in 1787 of 55 delegates in Philadelphia tasked with revising the weak Articles of Confederation, which instead resulted in drafting an entirely new United States Constitution.

Pluralist Democracy

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

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

Reserved Power

Political powers that the Constitution does not give to the national government or deny to the states

Separation of Powers

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

Shay’s Rebellion

A popular uprising against the government of Massachusetts.

Social Contract

An Implicit agreement where people give up certain individual freedoms in exchange for social order, security, and the protection of their remaining natural rights.

Tenth Amendment

The constitutional source for reserved powers, stating that any power not specifically delegated to the federal government belongs to the states or the people

Three-Fifths Compromise

An agreement reached by delegates at the Constitutional Convention that a slave would count as three-fifths of a person in calculation a states representative

Unfunded Mandate

A federal rule or requirement that forces state or local governments to comply with national standards without receiving federal money pay for the costs

United States v. Lopez

A Supreme Court case that limited congress's power under the Commerce Clause and reinforced state power under federalism

United States Constitution

The supreme law and foundational 1787 legal framework that defines the structure, powers and limits of the federal government.