AP gov unit 1 vocab

authority

The right to use power.

bureaucratic view

View that the government is dominated by appointed officials.

democracy

The rule of the many.

direct (participatory) democracy

A government in which all or most citizens participate directly.

elite

Persons who possess a disproportionate share of some valued resource, like money or power.

legitimacy

Political authority conferred by law or by a state or national constitution.

Marxist view

View that the government is dominated by capitalists.

power elite view

View that the government is dominated by a few top leaders, most of whom are outside the government.

pluralist view

The belief that competition among all affected interests shapes public policy.

power

The ability of one person to cause another person to act in accordance with the first person's intentions.

power elite

A political theory espoused by C. Wright Mills which holds that an elite of corporate leaders, top military officers, and key political leaders make most political decisions.

representative democracy

A government in which leaders make decisions by winning a competitive struggle for the popular vote.

amendment

A new provision in the Constitution that has been ratified by the states.

Antifederalists

Those who favor a weaker national government.

Articles of Confederation

A weak constitution that governed America during and immediately after the Revolutionary War.

bill of attainder

A law that declares a person, without trial, to be guilty of a crime.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

checks and balances

The power of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government to block some acts by the other two branches.

coalition

An alliance of factions.

concurrent powers

Powers shared by the national and state governments.

Constitutional Convention

Meeting in Philadelphia in 1787 that produced a new constitution.

enumerated powers

Powers given to the national government alone.

ex post facto law

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

faction

A group with a distinct political interest.

federalism

Government authority shared by national and state governments.

Federalists

Those who favor a stronger national government.

Great Compromise

Plan to have popularly elected House based on state population and a state-selected Senate, with two members for each state.

Habeas Corpus

An order to produce an arrested person before a judge.

inalienable

A human right based on nature or God.

line-item veto

An executive's ability to block a particular provision in a bill passed by the legislature.

New Jersey Plan

Proposal to create a weak national government.

republic

A government in which elected representatives make the decisions.

reserved powers

Powers given to the state governments alone.

separation of powers

Constitutional authority is shared by three different branches of government.

Shays's Rebellion

A 1787 rebellion in which ex-Revolutionary War soldiers attempted to prevent foreclosures of farms as a result of high interest rates and taxes.

unalienable

A human right based on nature or God.

Virginia Plan

Proposal to create a strong national government.