AP Gov Unit 1 Vocab

Unitary System

A government that gives all key powers to the national or central government

Equality of opportunity

a widely shared American ideal that all people should have the freedom to use whatever talents and wealth they have to reach their fullest potential

writ of habeas corpus

A court order requiring jailers to explain to a judge why they are holding a prisoner in custody.

Social Contract

A voluntary agreement among individuals to secure their rights and welfare by creating a government and abiding by its rules.

Economic Liberty

The belief that individuals should be allowed to pursue their economic self-interest without government restrictions.

Government

The institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies

Politician

A person who is running for, or serving in, political office and directing public policy

Natural rights

Life, Liberty, and Property

participatory democracy

a system of government where rank-and-file citizens rule themselves rather than electing representatives to govern on their behalf

pluralist theory

a theory of democracy that holds that citizen membership in groups is the key to political power

Representative Democracy

A system of government in which citizens elect representatives, or leaders, to make decisions about the laws for all the people.

Majority rule

Governance according to the expressed preferences of the majority.

popular sovereignty

A belief that ultimate power resides in the people.

seperation of powers

The division of a central government into two or more branches, each having its own responsibilities and authorities.

checks and balances

A system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power

limited government

A principle of constitutional government; a government whose powers are defined and limited by a constitution.

Elitist Theory

A political system in which the privileged classes acquire the power to decide by a competition for the people's votes and have substantial freedom between elections to rule as they see fit.

articles of confederation

1st Constitution of the U.S. 1781-1788 (weaknesses-no executive, no judicial, no power to tax, no power to regulate trade)

Shay's Rebellion

Rebellion led by Daniel Shays of farmers in western Massachusetts in 1786-1787, protesting mortgage foreclosures. It highlighted the need for a strong national government just as the call for the Constitutional Convention went out.

Bills of Attainder

Laws that dictated prison sentences for accused who were NOT given a trial. These laws cannot be made!

ex post facto law

a law that makes an act criminal although the act was legal when it was committed

Virginia plan

"Large state" proposal for the new constitution, calling for proportional representation in both houses of a bicameral Congress. The plan favored larger states and thus prompted smaller states to come back with their own plan for apportioning representation.

New Jersey Plan

A constitutional proposal that would have given each state one vote in a new congress and equal representation for each state.

Grand Committee

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

Great (Connecticut) Compromise

Compromise agreement by states at the Constitutional Convention for a bicameral legislature with a lower house in which representation would be based on population and an upper house in which each state would have two senators.

three-fifth compromise

The agreement reached at the constitutional convention between the slave free and slave states how to count slaves for representation and taxation purposes.

Legislative Branch

the branch of government that makes the laws

Brutus 1 - Anti-federalists

Before the constitution was ratified; too much power in national government; won't be able to survive because it's too big

devolution

An effort to shirft responsibility of domestic programs to the states in order to decrease the size &activites of the fed. govt; some states have attempted to shift responsibilities further to local govts

Revenue Sharing Grants

federal sharing of a fixed percentage of its revenue with the states

impeachment

An action by the House of Representatives to accuse the president, vice president, or other civil officers of the United States of committing "Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors." and remove them from office.

Unicameral

One-house legislature

federal system

A government that divides the powers of government between the national government and state or provincial governments

Implied Powers

Powers not specifically mentioned in the constitution.

Judicial Review

Allows the court to determine the constitutionality of laws; began with Marbury v. Madison

liberty

Freedom from government control

Full Faith and Credit Clause

Constitution's requirement that each state accept the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other state

Commerce Clause

The clause in the Constitution (Article I, Section 8, Clause 1) that gives Congress the power to regulate all business activities that cross state lines or affect more than one state or other nations.

Supremacy Clause

Article VI of the Constitution, which makes the Constitution, national laws, and treaties supreme over state laws when the national government is acting within its constitutional limits.

Elastic Clause

Article I, Section 8, Clause 18 of the Constitution, which allows Congress to make all laws that are "necessary and proper" to carry out the powers of the Constitution.

13th Amendment

abolished slavery except as punishment for a crime

cooperative federalism

A system of government in which powers and policy assignments are shared between states and the national government. They may also share costs, administration, and even blame for programs that work poorly. AKA Marble Cake Federalism.

Dual Federalism

A system of government in which both the states and the national government remain supreme within their own spheres, each responsible for some policies. AKA Layer Cake Federalism

Unfunded Mandates

actions imposed by the federal or state government on lower levels of government which are not accompanied by the money needed to fund the action required.

Constiution

a set of basic principles that determines the powers and duties of a government

Federal Aid Programs

money that the federal government gives to the states

9th Amendment

Citizens entitled to rights not listed in the Constitution

10th Amendment

Powers Reserved to the States

McCulloch v. Maryland

Maryland was trying to tax the national bank and Supreme Court ruled that federal law was stronger than the state law. Supremacy Clause and Implied Powers used in this decision.

Politics

Method of maintaining, managing, and gaining control of government (who gets what, when, and how)

Democracy

A political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them

American Political Culture

the set of beliefs, customs, traditions, and values that Americans share

bicameral

The principle of a two-house legislature.

Constitutional Convention

A meeting in Philadelphia in 1787 that produced a new constitution.

Federalist 10 (Madison)

Topic = factions (interest groups); minority factions controlled by majority; majority faction controlled by greater size of USA + virtuous leaders

Separation of Powers

Constitutional division of powers among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, with the legislative branch making law, the executive applying and enforcing the law, and the judiciary interpreting the law

civil society groups

independent associations outside the government's control

Confederal System

a political system in which a weak central government has limited authority, and the states have ultimate power.

Expressed (Enumerated) Powers

powers directly stated in the constitution

15th Amendment (1870)

U.S. cannot prevent a person from voting because of race, color, or creed

Categorical Grants

Federal grants for specific purposes, such as building an airport

Block Grants

Federal grants given more or less automatically to states or communities to support broad programs in areas such as community development and social services

Declaration of Independence

the document recording the proclamation of the second Continental Congress (4 July 1776) asserting the independence of the colonies from Great Britain

Political Institutions

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

exclusive powers

Those powers that can be exercised by the National Government alone

concurrent powers

Powers held jointly by the national and state governments.

14th Amendment

Declares that all persons born in the U.S. are citizens and are guaranteed equal protection of the laws

Compromise on Importation

Congress could not restrict the slave trade until 1808

federalists

A term used to describe supporters of the Constitution during ratification debates in state legislatures.

Federalist Papers

A collection of 85 articles written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison under the name "Publius" to defend the Constitution in detail.

Federalist 51 (Madison)

"Ambition must be made to counteract ambition." But what is government itself but the greatest of all reflections on human nature." If men were angels.... checks and balances. Give the constitutional means and personal motives to resist encroachment of the others. People are the primary check.

Executive Branch

the branch of government that carries out laws

Judicial Branch

Branch of government that decides if laws are carried out fairly.

anti-federalists

Anti-Federalists rose up as the opponents of the Constitution during the period of ratification. They opposed the Constitution's powerful centralized government, arguing that the Constitution gave too much political, economic, and military control. They instead advocated a decentralized governmental structure that granted most power to the states

federalism

A system in which power is divided between the national and state governments

Inherent Powers

The powers of the national government in foreign affairs that the Supreme Court has declared do not depend on constitutional grants but rather grow out of the very existence of the national government.

Executive Agreements

Agreements with other countries that do not need senate approval

Republic

A philosophy of limited government with elected representatives serving at the will of the people. The government is based on consent of the governed.

grants-in-aid program

grants of federal money or other resources to States, cities, counties, and other local units

Fiscal Federalism

The pattern of spending, taxing, and providing grants in the federal system; it is the cornerstone of the national government's relations with state and local governments.

faction

A group with a distinct political interest

Electoral College

A group of people named by each state legislature to select the president and vice president

Amendment

A change in, or addition to the US constitution

revenue sharing

federal sharing of a fixed percentage of its revenue with the states

reserved powers

Powers not specifically granted to the federal government or denied to the states belong to the states and the people

US v. Lopez

Gun Free School Zones Act exceeded Congress' authority to regulate interstate commerce, limiting federal government power.

Inalienable Rights

Rights that can not be taken away. Found in the Declaration of Independence. Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

Extradition

A legal process whereby an alleged criminal offender is surrendered by the officials of one state to officials of the state in which the crime is alleged to have been committed.

Privileges and Immunities Clause

prevents a state from treating citizens of other states in a discriminatory manner.

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