AP U.S. Government and Politics: Chapter 1 Review

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the core concepts, theories of democracy, historical resolutions, and key constitutional tensions from AP U.S. Government and Politics Chapter 1.

Politics

The process through which individuals and groups reach agreement on a course of common action or determine who gets what, when, and how in a society.

Government

The formal institutions and processes through which public policies are made and decisions are resolved for a society.

Natural Rights

Fundamental rights inherent to all human beings that do not derive from a king, the judiciary, or government, but from God, as articulated in the Declaration of Independence and the philosophy of John Locke.

Social Contract

An implicit or explicit agreement between citizens and their government under which individuals surrender some freedom in exchange for the protection of their fundamental rights and social order.

Popular Sovereignty

The political principle that the ultimate authority and legitimacy of the government is derived from the consent of the governed, reflecting political equality among citizens.

Republicanism

A political philosophy and system of government in which citizens exercise power by electing representatives to make laws and govern on their behalf.

Inalienable Rights

Inherent rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, that cannot be legitimately forfeited, surrendered, or revoked by any government.

Liberty

Social, political, and economic freedom from oppressive or arbitrary governmental control over individual actions and choices.

Participatory Democracy

A democratic model emphasizing broad citizen involvement and direct individual participation in political life and the policymaking process.

Pluralist Theory

A political participation theory holding that policymaking is driven by the competition and negotiation of diverse, organized interest groups representing all points of view.

Elitist Theory

A political theory positing that an upper-class economic and political elite dominates public policy and possesses disproportionate influence over government decisions.

Political Institutions

Established organizations and constitutional structures—such as the legislature, executive, and judiciary—created through conscious human action to make and implement public policy.

Constitutional Republic

A system of government where elected representatives govern by the consent of the people, subject to the rule of law and the limitations established by a constitution.

Civil Society Groups

Independent, citizen-organized associations and organizations outside of government control (such as student clubs or community groups) that advocate for collective interests and civic action.

American Political Culture

A set of widely shared beliefs, customs, traditions, and values concerning how government and politics in the United States ought to operate.

Political Ideology

An individual's coherent set of beliefs and values regarding the role, responsibilities, and scope of government, which may sometimes involve conflicting views on social versus economic issues.

Individualism

A core American cultural value emphasizing personal autonomy, self-reliance, and the responsibility of each individual to take initiative and advance in society.

Constitutional Democracy

A democratic structure in which the powers of government are both explicitly described and limited by a written constitution.

U.S. Income Share Trend (1913–2013)

Historical economic data from Piketty and Saez (January 2015) demonstrating that over the past four decades, the top 1% and top 0.1% of American households have captured a significantly larger share of national income.

Resolution of the First Continental Congress (October 14, 1774)

A declaration asserting that American colonists retained all the rights, liberties, and immunities of free, natural-born English subjects, central to which is the right to participate in their legislative council and be represented in matters of taxation and internal polity.

Balancing Individual Liberty and Social Order

The constitutional tension between protecting personal freedoms and exercising governmental authority to maintain public safety, exemplified by mandatory public health quarantines versus individual rights.

2014 Ebola Quarantine Dispute

A public policy conflict in which Maine Governor Paul LePage ordered a 21-day quarantine on healthcare workers returning from West Africa (Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea) to protect 1.3 million Mainers, challenged by nurse Kaci Hickox as an unscientific infringement on individual rights.