AP Gov ch1&2 vocab

American political culture

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

the collection of widely shared beliefs, values, and norms that shape how citizens view their government and interact with one another

Civil society groups

an independent association outside the government’s control.

voluntary, autonomous organizations that operate independently of the state to represent citizen interests

Conservative

someone who advocates for the preservation of traditional institutions, customs, and social order, favoring gradual, cautious change over rapid or radical transformations

someone whose political ideology favors limited national government intervention in the economy and social welfare, preferring that states, markets, or individuals handle these issues instead

Constitutional republic

a democratic system with elected representatives in which the constitution is the supreme law.

a system of government where citizens elect representatives to make laws for them, and both the citizens and the government must follow the supreme rules of a constitution

Elitist theory

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

the political model arguing that a small, wealthy, well-educated, and well-connected group holds the majority of political power and makes key policy decisions, regardless of how democratic a system looks on paper

Government

the rules and institutions that make up that system of policymaking.

the institution that make/create public policy in a society

liberal

a political ideology that favors more national government involvement to address social and economic issues, alongside a strong emphasis on social equality and civil rights

Libertarian

a political belief system that generally favors minimal government involvement in both economic and social/personal matters, limiting government action almost exclusively to protecting private property and individual liberty

Natural rights

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

Participatory democracy

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

a model of representative democracy that emphasizes broad, direct participation by ordinary citizens in politics and civil society

• Relies on individual involvement rather than just relying on elected officials.

Pluralist theory

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

a model of democracy where power is spread across many competing non-governmental groups—such as interest groups, labor unions, and business associations—so that no single group dominates politics

Political ideology

a coherent and consistent set of beliefs about the proper role of government, individual rights, and the economy

Politics

the process of influencing the actions and policies of government.

the process by which we select our governmental leaders and the policies these leaders pursue, producing authoritative decisions about public issue

Popular sovereignty

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

Social contract

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

an implicit agreement where individuals willingly give up certain absolute freedoms to a government in exchange for social order, security, and the protection of their remaining natural rights

Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union

a governing document that created a union of thirteen sovereign states in which the states, not the union, were supreme.

the first written constitution of the United States, in effect from 1781 to 1789.

it serves as the prime example of a confederal system—a loose alliance where independent, sovereign states hold the vast majority of power and the central government is intentionally weak

Shay’s Rebellion

a popular uprising against the government of Massachusetts.

an armed uprising of indebted Massachusetts farmers, led by Revolutionary War veteran Daniel Shays, that exposed the fatal weakness and lack of centralized military power in the national government under the Articles of Confederation

Constitutional Convention

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

1787 in Philadelphia gathered 55 delegates who intended to revise the Articles of Confederation but instead wrote an entirely new framework for American government

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.

a 1787 proposal at the Constitutional Convention that called for a strong national government with three branches and a bicameral legislature based on population

New Jersey Plan

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

a proposal at the 1787 Constitutional Convention that called for a single-house legislature with equal representation for each state.

• Unicameral (one house), where every state got exactly one vote regardless of population size

Great (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.

the 1787 Constitutional Convention agreement that established a bicameral legislature featuring a House of Representatives apportioned by population and a Senate with equal representation for every state

Three-Fifths 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.

an agreement at the Constitutional Convention to count three-fifths of a state's enslaved population for determining both congressional representation in the House of Representatives and direct federal taxation

Separation of Powers

a design of government that distributes powers across institutions in order to avoid making one branch too powerful on its own.

a constitutional principle that divides the federal government's authority into three distinct branches—legislative, executive, and judicial—so that no single branch holds all the power or can dominate the others

Checks and Balances

a design of government in which each branch has powers that can prevent the other branches from making policy.

the constitutional system where each of the three branches of government holds specific powers to limit and block the actions of the other two

Federalism

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

a system of government where power is divided and shared between a central national government and regional or state governments

Expressed or Enumerated Powers

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

the specific powers granted to the federal government explicitly written down in the U.S. Constitution

Necessary and Proper or Elastic Clause

language in Article I, Section 8, granting Congress the powers necessary to carry out its enumerated powers.

a section in the U.S. Constitution that gives Congress the power to pass any law needed to carry out its listed 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.

powers of the national government that are not specifically written in the Constitution, but are reasonably inferred to carry out the written, explicit enumerated powers

Supremacy Clause

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

Supremacy Clause is found in Article VI of the U.S. Constitution and states that the Constitution, federal laws, and treaties are the "supreme Law of the Land

Amendment

a constitutional provision for a process by which changes may be made to the Constitution.

a formal, permanent change or addition to the text of the U.S. Constitution, outlined and governed by Article V

Federalists

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

supporters of ratifying the U.S. Constitution during 1787–1788 who argued that a strong national government was necessary

Antifederalists

a person opposed to the proposed Constitution who favored stronger state governments.

a diverse coalition of individuals who opposed the ratification of the U.S. Constitution in 1787–1788, fearing that a powerful central government would crush state sovereignty and threaten individual liberties

Federalist Papers

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

a collection of 85 essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay under the pen name "Publius" between 1787 and 1788 to persuade states—especially New York—to ratify the U.S. Constitution

Federalist No. 51

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

in 1788 that explains how and why the U.S. Constitution divides government power to prevent tyranny

defends the separation of powers and checks and balances in the U.S. Constitutio

Federalist No. 10

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

a large, diverse republic is the best way to control the negative effects of factions

Brutus No. 1

an Antifederalist 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.

a foundational Anti-Federalist essay written in 1787 that argues against ratifying the U.S. Constitution