AP U.S. Government: Foundations, Branches, Civil Liberties, and Political Ideologies

Limited government

A government's power cannot be absolute; the ideal of limited government is ensured by the interaction of principles such as separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, and republicanism.

Natural rights

All people have certain rights that cannot be taken away; life, liberty, property.

Popular sovereignty

All government power comes from the consent of its people.

Republicanism

The democratic principle that the will of the people is reflected in government debates and decisions by their representatives.

Social contract

An implicit agreement among the people in a society to give up some freedoms to maintain social order.

Representative democracy

A system of government in which all eligible citizens vote on representatives to make public policy for them.

Participatory democracy

Emphasizes broad participation in politics and civil society.

Pluralist democracy

Emphasizes the interaction of diverse groups in politics.

Elite democracy

Emphasizes limited participation in politics and civil society.

Declaration of Independence

Drafted by Thomas Jefferson (with help from Adams and Franklin), restates the philosophy of natural rights, and provides a foundation for popular sovereignty.

U.S. Constitution

An example of a social contract that establishes a system of limited government; provides the blueprint for a unique form of democratic government in the United States.

Federalist 10

Focused on the superiority of a large republic in controlling the 'mischiefs of faction,' delegating authority to elected representatives and dispersing power between the states and national government.

Brutus 1

Adhered to popular democratic theory that emphasized the benefits of a small, decentralized republic while warning of the dangers to personal liberty from a large, centralized government.

Articles of Confederation

Specific incidents and legal challenges that highlighted key weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.

Electoral College

Created a system for electing the president by electors from each state rather than by popular vote or by congressional vote.

3/5ths Compromise

Provided a formula for calculating a state's enslaved population for purposes of representation in the House and for taxation.

Constitutional Convention

A meeting of delegates from the several states in 1787 intended to revise the Articles of Confederation and ultimately drafted the United States Constitution.

Anti-Federalist

Opposed the ratification of the Constitution and wanted more power reserved to state governments rather than a strong central government.

Federalist

Supported ratification of the Constitution and a strong central government.

Democracy

A system of government in which power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or through freely elected representatives.

Faction

A party or group that is often contentious or self-seeking.

Shays's Rebellion

An armed uprising in western Massachusetts in opposition to high taxation and insufficient economic policies that exposed concern over the weaknesses of the national government under the Articles of Confederation.

Great (Connecticut) Compromise

Created a dual (bicameral) system of congressional representation with the House of Representatives based on each state's population and the Senate representing each state equally.

Checks and balances

Allow legal actions to be taken against public officials deemed to have abused their power.

Federalist 51

Explains how constitutional provisions of separation of powers and checks and balances control potential abuses by majorities.

Impeachment

The House formally charges an official with abuse of power or misconduct.

Removal (impeachment process)

If the official is convicted in a Senate impeachment trial.

Federalism

The system of government in the United States in which power is shared between the national and state governments.

Enumerated powers

Written in the Constitution.

Implied powers

Not specifically written in the Constitution but are inferred from the Necessary and Proper Clause.

Reserved powers

Those not delegated or enumerated to the national government but are reserved to the states, as stated in the Tenth Amendment.

Concurrent powers

Shared between both levels of government such as the power to collect taxes, the power to make and enforce laws, and the power to build roads.

Revenue sharing

National funding with minimal restrictions to the states on its use and is the least used form of funding.

Categorical grants

National funding that is restricted to specific categories of expenditures, is preferred by the national government, and is the most commonly used form of funding.

Block grants

National funding with minimal restrictions to the states on its use and is preferred by the states.

Mandates

Requirements by the national government of the states.

Tenth Amendment

The last of the Bill of Rights to define the balance of power between the federal government and the states.

Fourteenth Amendment

Due Process Clause and Equal Protection Clause as applied to the states.

Commerce clause

Gives the national government the power to regulate interstate commerce, but Supreme Court interpretations can influence the extent of this power.

Necessary & Proper clause / Elastic clause

Gives Congress the power to make laws related to carrying out its enumerated powers, but Supreme Court interpretations can influence the extent of these powers.

Supremacy Clause

Gives the national government and its laws general precedence over states' laws, but Supreme Court interpretations may affect when specific actions exceed this constitutional power.

Federal budget

Generated by Congress to address both mandatory and discretionary spending

Formal power

Power delegated to a branch of government explicitly listed in the U.S. Constitution

Informal power

Powers not listed in the U.S. Constitution but implied or granted

Bicameral

Two-house legislature

Senate

Designed to represent states equally; has 100 members and debate is less formal than the House

House

Designed to represent the people

Oversight

Congressional authority to ensure legislation is implemented as intended, including review, monitoring, and supervision of bureaucratic agencies

Speaker of the House

Elected by a majority of House members and presides over the legislative work in the House

Bill

A draft or proposed law in Congress

Committee

Conduct hearings and debate and mark up bills with revisions and additions

Committee hearing

A method by which committee members gather and analyze information, evidence, and testimony in deliberation over a bill

Mark up

Additions and/or revisions of a bill done in congressional committee

Rules Committee

Establishes rules for debate on a bill in the House

Committee of the Whole

A committee formed in the House to expedite debate on bills

Discharge petition

A filing by a House member to have a bill brought to the floor for debate, but rarely done

Unanimous consent

A typical Senate procedure to bring bills to the floor for debate and vote

Hold

A filing by a Senator to prevent a bill from getting to the floor for a vote

Filibuster

A tactic to prolong debate and delay or prevent a vote on a bill

Cloture

A procedure to end a debate

Conference committee

Meets when a bill passed by both chambers on the same topic has variation in its wording and attempts to reconcile those differences

Mandatory spending

Required by law for entitlement programs such as Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid

Entitlements

Any government-provided or government-managed benefit or service to which some or all individuals are entitled

Social Security

A social insurance program funded by a payroll tax on current employers and employees

Medicare

A federal government-subsidized healthcare program for qualified elderly Americans

Medicaid

A federal government-subsidized healthcare program for qualified low-income households

Discretionary spending

Approved on an annual basis for defense spending, education, and infrastructure

Infrastructure

A set of facilities, structures, and utilities developed, owned, operated, and maintained by the federal, state, and/or municipal government

Pork barrel

Funding for a local project in a larger appropriation bill

Logrolling

Combining several pieces of legislation into one bill to secure enough votes for passage

Partisan voting

When members of Congress vote based on their political party affiliation

Polarization

When political attitudes move toward ideological extremes

Gridlock

A situation in which no congressional action on legislation can be taken due to a lack of consensus

Reapportionment

Redistribution of congressional seats to the several states based on the U.S. Census held every 10 years

Redistricting

Redrawing of congressional districts by state legislatures based on congressional reapportionment

Gerrymandering

Redrawing of congressional districts with the intent to create undue advantage for a political party

Divided government

When one party controls the presidency and the other party controls at least one of the chambers of Congress

Lame duck

An outgoing politician or group of politicians who continue to serve until the assumption of their elected successors

Trustee representative

A representative who will vote on issues based on their own knowledge and judgment

Delegate representative

A representative who sees themselves as an agent of those who elected them and will vote on issues based on the interests of their constituents

Politico representative

Uses a combination of trustee and delegate role conceptions

Policy agenda

A list of subjects or issues to which government officials will agree to consider as part of public policymaking

Cabinet

An advisory body to the President made up of the heads of the 15 executive departments and the Vice President

Executive Office of the President

Comprises the offices and agencies that support the work and agenda of the President

Veto

Formal power of the President to check Congress, but vetoes can be overridden with a 2/3 vote of both houses of Congress

Pocket veto

Formal power of the President to check Congress, and cannot be overridden with a 2/3 vote of both houses of Congress

Line item veto

(unconstitutional) authority of the President to reject or veto particular provisions of a bill passed by Congress

Congressional agenda

the formal list of policies Congress is considering at any given time

Commander in Chief

formal foreign policy power of the President

Executive agreement

informal foreign policy power of the President

Treaty

formal foreign policy of the President

Bargaining and persuasion

informal power of the President to secure congressional action

Executive order

an informal power to allow the president to manage the federal government

Signing statement

an informal power of the President to inform Congress and the public of the president's interpretation of laws

Senate confirmation

an important check on appointment powers

State of the Union

formal power of the President that is a nationally broadcast message for agenda setting

Bully pulpit

informal power of the President for agenda setting that uses the media to influence public views

Agenda setting

the President uses their formal and informal powers to influence public policy and public opinion

Article III

foundation for powers of the judicial branch; life tenure for justices allows the court to function independent of the current political climate

Judicial restraint

asserts that judicial review should be constrained to decisions that adhere to current Constitutional and case precedent