AP Government and Politics Vocab

Politics

who gets what, when, and how

Power

ability to get other people to do what you want

Media

the channels through which information is send and received

Social order

the way we organize and live our collective lives.

Government

system or organization for exercising authority over a body of people

Authority

power that is recognized as legitimate

Legitimate

accepted as "right" or proper

Rules

directives that specify how resources will be distributed

Norms

informal, unwritten expectations that guide behavior and support formal rule systems

Political narrative

persuasive story about the nature of power, who should have it, and how it should be used.

Gatekeepers

journalists and media elite who determine which news stories are covered and which are not

Economics

productions and distribution of a society's material resources and services

Socialist economy

economic system in which the state determines production, distribution, and price decisions, and property is government owned.

Substantive guarantees

government assurance of particular outcomes or results

Procedural Guarantees

government assurance of the process but no promises of particular outcomes

Capitalist economy

economic system in which the market determines production, distribution, and price decisions, and property is privately owned.

Laissez-faire capitalism

economic system in which the market makes all the decisions, and the government plays no role.

Mixed economies

economic systems based on modified forms of capitalism tempered by substantive values.

Democratic socialism

mixed economy that combines socialist ideals with a commitment to democracy and market capitalism, keeping socialism as its goal.

Social democracy

mixed economy that uses the democratic process to bend capitalism toward socialist goals.

Regulated capitalism

market system in which the government intervenes to protect rights.

Authoritarian governments

systems in which the state holds all power over social order.

Totalitarian

system in which absolute power is exercised over every aspect of life

Authoritarian capitalism

system in which the state allows people economic freedom but maintains stringent social regulations to limit noneconomic behavior.

Anarchy

the absence of government and law

Democracy

government that vests power in the people

Popular sovereignty

concept that citizens are the ultimate source of political power.

Advanced industrial democracy

system in which democratic government allows citizens a considerable amount of personal freedom and maintains a free market economy.

Communist democracy

utopian system in which property is communally owned and all decisions are made democratically.

Populism

social movements based on the idea that power has been concentrated illegitimately among elites at the people's expense

Subjects

individuals who are obliged to submit to a government authority against which they have no rights

Citizens

members of a political community with both rights and responsibilities

Divine right of kings

principle that rulers receive their authority from God.

Classical liberalism

political ideology dating from the 17th century emphasizing individual rights over the power of the state.

Social contract

notion that society is based on an agreement to give up some rights in exchange for the protection of others.

Republic

government in which decisions are made through representation of the people

Digital native

individual born after the advent of digital technology who is proficient in and dependent on its use.

Public-interested citizenship

view of citizenship focused on action to realize the common good.

Self-interested citizenship

view of citizenship focused on action to realize an individual citizen's interests

Identity politics

assertion of power, or discrimination, by a group based on their common perception of who they are.

Immigrants

citizens or subjects of one country who move to another country to live or work

Naturalization

legal process of acquiring citizenship

Asylum

protection or sanctuary from political persecution

Refugees

individuals who flee an area or country because of persecution

Nativism

belief that the need of citizens ought to be met before those of immigrants

Political culture

broad pattern of ideas, beliefs, and values that a population holds about its citizens and government.

Values

central ideas, principles, or standards that most people agree are important

Normative

term used to describe beliefs or values about how things should be or what people ought to do rather than what actually is

Individualism

belief that what is good for society is based on what is good for individuals

Ideologies

set of beliefs about politics and society that help people make sense of their world

Conservatives

people who generally favor limited government and are cautious about change

Liberals

people who generally favor government action and view change as progress

Economic conservatives

those who favor a strictly procedural government role in the economy and the social order.

Libertarians

those who favor a minimal government role in any sphere

Economic liberals

those who favor an expanded government role in the economy but a limited role in the social order.

Social conservatives

those who endorse limited government control of the economy but considerable government intervention to realize a traditional social order.

Political correctness

idea that language shapes behavior and therefore should be regulates to control its social effects.

Social liberals

those who favor greater control of the economy and the social order to bring about greater equality and to regulate the effects of progress.

Progressives

contested concept that social liberals use to refer to a philosophy demanding radical structural change to create mare equality

Communitarians

those who favor a strong substantive government role in the economy and the social order so that their vision of a community equals may be realized

Authoritarian populism

radical right-wing movement that appeals to popular discontent but whose underlying values are not democratic

Racism

belief that one race is superior to another

French and Indian war

war fought between France and England and allied native Americans. From 1754 to 1763, resulted in France's expulsion from the new world.

Common Sense

pamphlet written by Thomas Paine in 1776 that persuaded many Americans to supports the revolutionary cause.

Declaration of Independence

political document that dissolved the colonial ties between the United States and Britain

Constitution

the rules that establish a government

Articles of Confederation

first constitution of U.S. creating an association of states with weak central government

Confederation

government in which independent states unite for common purpose but retain their own sovereignty

Popular tyranny

unrestrained power of the people

Shay's rebellion

grassroots uprising 1787 by armed Massachusetts farmers protesting foreclosures.

Constitutional convention

assembly of 55 delegates in summer of 1787 to recast articles of confederation, result was U.S. constitution.

Federalism

political system in which power is divided between the central and regional units

Federalists

supporters of the constitution who favored a strong central government

Anti-federalists

advocates of states' rights who opposed the constitution.

Virginia plan

proposal at the constitutional convention that congressional representation be based on population, favoring large states.

New Jersey plan

proposal at the constitutional convention that congressional representation be equal, favoring small states.

Great Compromise

constitutional solution to congressional representation equal votes in the Senate, votes by population in House.

Three-fifths compromise

formula for counting 5 enslaved people as 3 people for purposes of representation.

Ratification

process thorough which a proposal is formally approved and adopted by vote

The federalist papers

a series of essays written to build support for ratification of the constitution.

Bill of Rights

summary of citizens' rights guaranteed and protected by a government added to the constitution as its first 10 amendments in order to achieve ratification

Legislature

body of government that makes laws

Bicameral legislature

legislature with 2 chambers

Unicameral legislature

legislature with 1 chamber

Executive

branch of government responsible for putting laws into effect

Electoral college

body that elects the president.

Presidential system

government in which the executive is chosen independently of the legislature and the 2 branches are separate.

Parliamentary system

government in which the executive is chosen by the legislature from among its members and the 2 branches are merged.

Judicial power

power to interrupt laws and judge whether a law has been broken.

Judicial review

power of the supreme court to rule on the constitutionality of laws.

Legislative supremacy

acceptance of legislative acts as the final law of the land

Separation of powers

institutional arrangement that assigns legislative, executive, and judicial powers to different persons or groups, limiting the powers of each.

Checks and balances

principle that allows each branch of government to exercise some form of control over the others.

Fusion of powers

alternative to separation of powers. Combining or blending branches of government

Enumerated powers of congress

congressional powers names in the constitution, article 1, section 8

Necessary and proper clause

constitutional authorization for congress to make any law required to carry out its powers.

Supremacy clause

constitutional declaration, article 6, that the constitution and laws made under its provisions are the supreme law of the land.

Concurrent powers

powers that are shared by the federal and state governments.

Dual federalism

federal system under which the national and state governments are responsible for separate policy areas.

Cooperative federalism

federal system under which the national and state governments share responsibilities for most domestic policy areas.