94 Terms AP GOV

Federalist #10

Essay by James Madison arguing that a large republic is the best way to control the negative effects of factions.

Federalist #51

Essay by Madison explaining how the Constitution's structure (checks and balances/separation of powers) protects liberty.

Federalist #70

Essay by Alexander Hamilton arguing for a strong, single executive (President).

Federalist #78

Essay by Hamilton discussing the power of judicial review and the importance of an independent judiciary.

Brutus #1

Anti-Federalist essay arguing that a large central government would be tyrannical and that power should remain with the states.

Articles of Confederation

The first U.S. governing document; created a weak central government with no power to tax or regulate commerce.

Declaration of Independence

Document stating the colonies' grievances against King George III and declaring their independence based on natural rights.

Letter from a Birmingham Jail

Martin Luther King Jr.'s response to critics, defending nonviolent direct action and arguing that 'injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.'

Incorporation Doctrine

The legal concept under which the Supreme Court has applied most of the Bill of Rights to the states via the 14th Amendment.

Iron Triangle (Issue Networks)

The three-way relationship between congressional committees, interest groups, and bureaucratic agencies.

Commerce Clause

Gives Congress the power to regulate interstate and international business.

Necessary & Proper Clause (Elastic)

Allows Congress to pass laws needed to carry out its expressed powers.

Dual v. Cooperative Federalism

Dual (layer cake) sees state and federal power as distinct; Cooperative (marble cake) involves shared responsibilities.

Categorical v. Block Grants

Categorical grants have specific purposes and 'strings attached'; Block grants give states broad discretion.

Unfunded Mandates

Federal requirements that states must follow without being provided the money to pay for them.

Nullification

The theory that a state can declare a federal law void if it deems the law unconstitutional.

Supremacy Clause

Establishes that the Constitution and federal laws are the supreme law of the land.

Full Faith and Credit Clause

Requires states to recognize the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of other states.

Eminent Domain (Kelo)

The government's power to take private property for public use with just compensation; Kelo expanded this to include economic development.

Divided Government

When one political party controls the presidency and the other controls one or both houses of Congress.

Electoral College

The system used to officially elect the President and Vice President based on state-allocated electors.

EOP - White House Office

The President's closest staff and advisors, such as the Chief of Staff and Press Secretary, who do not require Senate confirmation.

Executive Orders

Presidential directives that have the force of law without needing Congressional approval.

Executive Privilege

The power claimed by the President to withhold information from Congress or the courts to protect national security or internal communications.

Filibuster/Cloture

A filibuster is a delay tactic in the Senate; cloture is the vote (60 senators) required to end a filibuster.

1st Amendment

Protects freedoms of speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition.

10th Amendment

States that powers not delegated to the federal government are reserved for the states or the people.

12th Amendment

Requires electors to cast separate ballots for President and Vice President.

14th Amendment

Grants citizenship to all born in the U.S. and guarantees equal protection and due process.

15th Amendment

Prohibits the denial of the right to vote based on race.

19th Amendment

Granted women the right to vote.

22nd Amendment

Limits the President to two terms in office.

24th Amendment

Prohibited the use of poll taxes in federal elections.

25th Amendment

Clarifies presidential succession and procedures for presidential disability.

26th Amendment

Lowered the voting age to 18.

Grass Roots/Astroturf

Grass roots is genuine community-level lobbying; Astroturf is artificially created 'fake' public support by interest groups.

Jim Crow Laws

State and local laws that enforced racial segregation in the Southern United States.

Equal Time Rule

Requires broadcasters to provide equivalent opportunities to opposing political candidates.

Prior Restraint

Government action that prohibits speech or other expression before it can take place (censorship).

Gridlock

A situation where there is difficulty passing laws that satisfy the needs of the people, often due to divided government.

Line-Item Veto

The power (now unconstitutional for the President) to veto specific parts of a bill while signing the rest.

OMB (Office of Management and Budget)

The agency responsible for preparing the President's budget proposal and reviewing agency regulations.

Legislative Veto

A requirement that an executive action be submitted to Congress for approval (ruled unconstitutional).

Bully Pulpit

The President's use of their prestige and visibility to guide or enthuse the American public.

War Powers Resolution

A law intended to check the President's power to commit the U.S. to an armed conflict without Congressional consent.

Advice and Consent

The Senate's power to review and approve treaties and presidential appointments.

Rules Committee

The House committee that sets the rules for debate and amendments for a bill.

Ways and Means Committee

The House committee responsible for reviewing all tax and revenue-raising legislation.

Conference Committee

A joint committee created to reconcile differences between House and Senate versions of a bill.

Standing Committees

Permanent committees in Congress that handle most of the legislative work.

Gerrymandering

Redrawing legislative boundaries to benefit a specific political party or group.

Reapportionment vs. Redistricting

Reapportionment is redistributing House seats based on the census; redistricting is the actual redrawing of district lines within a state.

Miranda Rights

The requirement that police inform suspects of their right to remain silent and to an attorney upon arrest.

Amending the Constitution

The two-stage process (proposal and ratification) used to change the Constitution.

"Horse Race" Journalism

News coverage that focuses on who is winning or ahead in the polls rather than on policy issues.

Strict vs. Loose Construction/Original

Strict construction follows the literal text; loose construction allows for broader interpretation; originalism seeks the framers' original intent.

Activist vs. Restraintist Courts

Judicial activism involves overturning laws to create policy; judicial restraint encourages judges to limit their own power and defer to legislatures.

Entitlements

Federal programs, like Social Security or Medicare, that guarantee benefits to a specific group of people.

Incumbency Advantage

The various institutional advantages (name recognition, fundraising, franking) that help current officeholders win reelection.

PACS/SuperPACs

PACs raise money for candidates with limits; SuperPACs can raise unlimited funds for independent expenditures but cannot coordinate with campaigns.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Landmark legislation that banned discrimination in public accommodations and employment based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Law that eliminated literacy tests and other barriers to voting for African Americans.

Original vs. Appellate Courts

Original jurisdiction is the authority to hear a case first; appellate jurisdiction is the power to review a lower court's decision.

Symbolic Speech

Nonverbal communication, such as burning a flag or wearing an armband, that is protected under the 1st Amendment.

Exclusionary Rule

A legal rule that prevents evidence collected in violation of the defendant's rights from being used in court.

Writ of Certiorari

An order by a higher court (like the Supreme Court) to a lower court to send up a case for review.

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

Established the principle of judicial review, giving the Supreme Court the power to declare laws unconstitutional.

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

Confirmed the supremacy of federal law over state law and established the 'implied powers' of Congress.

Schenck v. US (1919)

Ruled that speech can be limited if it creates a 'clear and present danger.'

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

Overturned Plessy v. Ferguson and ruled that 'separate but equal' schools are inherently unequal.

Baker v. Carr (1961)

Established the 'one person, one vote' principle, allowing courts to hear cases regarding legislative redistricting.

Engel v. Vitale (1962)

Ruled that state-sponsored prayer in public schools violates the Establishment Clause of the 1st Amendment.

Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

Guaranteed the right to an attorney for those who cannot afford one, regardless of the crime.

Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)

Ruled that students do not 'shed their constitutional rights... at the schoolhouse gate' (protecting symbolic speech).

NY Times v. US (1971)

Bolstered freedom of the press by limiting the government's use of prior restraint (Pentagon Papers case).

Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)

Ruled that individual interests in the free exercise of religion outweigh the state's interest in compelling school attendance.

Roe v. Wade (1973)

Established a constitutional right to privacy that protected a woman's right to choose to have an abortion.

Shaw v. Reno (1993)

Ruled that redistricting based solely on race must be held to a standard of strict scrutiny.

US v. Lopez (1995)

Limited Congress's power under the Commerce Clause, ruling that carrying a gun in a school zone is not an economic activity.

McDonald v. Chicago (2010)

Incorporated the 2nd Amendment right to keep and bear arms to the states.

Citizens United v. FEC (2010)

Ruled that corporate and union funding of independent political broadcasts cannot be limited under the 1st Amendment.

Franking

The privilege of members of Congress to send mail to constituents for free by using their signature instead of a stamp.

Supreme Court - Life Terms

Federal judges serve for life (during 'good behavior') to ensure judicial independence from political pressure.

Political Socialization

The process by which individuals acquire their political beliefs and values (e.g., family, school, media).

Critical Elections

An election that signals a party realignment, where long-term changes in voter loyalty occur.

Establishment/Free Exercise Clause

The Establishment Clause prevents government-sanctioned religion; the Free Exercise Clause protects individual religious practice.

Plurality

Winning more votes than any other candidate, but not necessarily a majority (over 50%).

POTUS vs. Congress

Refers to the ongoing tension and struggle for power between the President and the legislative branch.

House vs. Senate

Comparison of the two chambers; the House is more formal and based on population, while the Senate is more deliberative and based on state equality.

Party Demographics

The study of which groups (age, race, gender, religion) typically vote for the Democratic or Republican parties.

Independent Regulatory Agency

A government agency responsible for making and enforcing rules to protect the public interest (e.g., the EPA or SEC).

Problem with Articles of Conf.

Included the inability to tax, no national executive, and the requirement of a unanimous vote for amendments.

Primary (open/closed) vs. General Election

Primaries select party candidates (open allows any voter; closed is party members only); General elections select the officeholder.

Amicus Curiae Briefs

'Friend of the court' briefs submitted by outside groups to influence a court's decision on a case.