AP US Government and Politics Unit 1 Review

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering foundational concepts of American democracy, the Constitution, and federalism from AP US Government and Politics Unit 1 (Chapters 1–3).

Democracy

A system of government where political power is vested in the people, either directly or through elected representatives.

Natural rights

Fundamental rights inherent to all human beings—such as life, liberty, and property—that are not dependent on government authority.

Social contract

An implicit agreement between the governed and the government defining the rights and duties of each, where citizens consent to surrender some freedom in exchange for the protection of their natural rights.

Popular sovereignty

The principle that government authority and power are derived from the consent and will of the people.

Limited government

A political system in which the powers of government are restricted and defined by law, usually through a constitution.

Republican government

A representative form of government where citizens elect leaders to make decisions and execute laws on their behalf.

Inalienable rights

Basic rights and freedoms that cannot be legitimately transferred, surrendered, or taken away by any government.

Participatory democracy

A model of democratic governance that emphasizes broad citizen participation and direct involvement in political decision-making and civil society.

Civil society groups

Independent, nongovernmental organizations and associations formed by citizens to pursue common interests and collective civic goals.

Pluralist theory

A theory of democracy holding that political power is distributed among diverse, competing interest groups that influence policy decisions through bargaining and compromise.

Elite theory

A theory of government and politics contending that a small, wealthy, and powerful elite exercises disproportionate control over the policymaking process.

Political institutions

The established organizations and structures of government, such as the legislature, executive, and judiciary, that create, enforce, and apply public policies.

Unicameral

A legislative body consisting of only one chamber or house.

Bicameral

A legislative body consisting of two separate chambers or houses.

Annapolis Convention 1786

A regional meeting of state delegates held in 1786 to resolve trade and commercial issues under the Articles of Confederation, which issued a call for the 1787 Constitutional Convention.

Shay’s Rebellion

An armed uprising of indebted farmers in Massachusetts led by Daniel Shays (1786–1787), which exposed the national government's weakness under the Articles of Confederation and spurred calls for reform.

Writ of habeas corpus

A constitutional protection requiring a detained individual to be brought before a judge or court to determine if their imprisonment is lawful.

Bills of attainder

Legislative acts that declare an individual or group guilty of a crime and impose punishment without the benefit of a judicial trial, explicitly prohibited by the Constitution.

Ex post facto laws

Laws that retroactively punish an act that was legal when committed or increase the penalties for an infraction after the fact, prohibited by the Constitution.

Constitutional Convention 1787

The assembly of state delegates in Philadelphia that discarded the Articles of Confederation to draft the United States Constitution.

NJ Plan

A proposal at the Constitutional Convention supported by smaller states that called for a unicameral legislature with equal representation for each state.

Great Compromise

The agreement creating a bicameral Congress consisting of the House of Representatives with proportional representation by population and the Senate with equal representation for each state.

Three-Fifths Compromise

The constitutional agreement specifying that three-fifths of the enslaved population would be counted toward a state's representation in Congress and direct taxation.

Separation of powers

The division of basic government responsibilities among distinct branches—legislative, executive, and judicial—to prevent any single entity from gaining complete control.

Checks and balances

The constitutional mechanisms that grant each branch of government powers to limit, monitor, and influence the actions of the other branches.

Federalism

A system of government in which sovereign authority is divided and shared between a central national government and regional state governments.

Enumerated powers

The powers explicitly stated and granted to the national government in the text of the Constitution, notably in Article I, Section 8.

Exclusive powers

Powers that belong solely to the national government and are prohibited to the states.

Necessary and Proper Clause (Elastic Clause)

Article I, Section 8, Clause 18 of the Constitution, granting Congress the authority to pass all laws needed to execute its enumerated powers.

Implied powers

Powers of the national government that are not explicitly written in the Constitution but are reasonably inferred via the Necessary and Proper Clause.

Supremacy clause

Article VI, Clause 2 of the Constitution, establishing that the Constitution, federal laws, and national treaties are the supreme law of the land, taking precedence over state laws.

Federalists

Supporters of the proposed US Constitution who advocated for a strong central government during the ratification debates.

Antifederalists

Opponents of the proposed US Constitution who favored state sovereignty, feared an overly powerful national government, and demanded a Bill of Rights.

Faction

A group of citizens united by a common passion or interest contrary to the rights of other citizens or the permanent interests of the community, as defined in Federalist No. 10.

Unitary system

A form of government where all sovereign power is held by a central national authority, with local or regional governments acting only with derived powers.

Federal system

A governmental structure where power is constitutionally distributed between a central governing body and constituent political units like states.

Due Process Clause

Constitutional clauses in the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments ensuring the government cannot deprive individuals of life, liberty, or property without fair legal procedures.

Tenth Amendment

The constitutional amendment specifying that powers not delegated to the federal government, nor prohibited to the states, are reserved to the states or to the people.

Reserved powers

Powers retained exclusively by state governments under the Tenth Amendment because they are not delegated to the national government.

Concurrent powers

Powers that are shared and exercised simultaneously by both national and state governments, such as taxing and establishing court systems.

Full faith and credit clause

Article IV, Section 1 of the Constitution, mandating that states recognize the public acts, records, and court proceedings of other states.

Privileges and immunities clause

Article IV, Section 2 of the Constitution, prohibiting state governments from discriminating against citizens of other states regarding fundamental rights.

McCulloch v Maryland

An 1819 landmark Supreme Court decision that confirmed the implied powers of Congress under the Necessary and Proper Clause to create a national bank and reaffirmed federal supremacy over state interference.

13th Amendment

The constitutional amendment that abolished slavery and involuntary servitude throughout the United States, except as punishment for a crime.

14th Amendment

The constitutional amendment granting citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the US and prohibiting states from denying due process or equal protection of the laws.

15th Amendment

The constitutional amendment protecting citizens' right to vote from being denied or abridged based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

Duel federalism

A doctrine of federalism where state and national governments operate independently within their own distinct spheres of constitutional authority.

Selective incorporation

The legal doctrine through which the Supreme Court applies specific protections from the Bill of Rights to the states on a case-by-case basis using the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause.

Cooperative federalism

A model of federalism where state and national governments work together, sharing responsibilities, costs, and administrative duties to implement public policy.

Grants-in-aid

Federal financial resources provided to state and local governments to assist in administering and funding public programs.

Categorical grants

Federal grants given to state or local governments that must be spent for specific, narrowly defined purposes and often carry strict federal requirements.

Mandates

Directives issued by the federal government requiring state or local authorities to comply with national standards or rules, which may be funded or unfunded.

Block grants

Federal grants provided for broad policy areas, allowing state and local governments substantial discretion and flexibility over how funds are allocated.

Revenue sharing

A policy mechanism where the federal government distributes a portion of its tax revenue directly to state and local governments with little to no restrictions on spending.