AP US Gov. Vocab Exam

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Federalism

is dividing authority between the national and state governments to create laws and public policies that can be shaped, enforced, and challenged at more than one level

Compliance Monitoring

the responsibility of bureaucratic agencies to ensure that actors in their jurisdiction obey all regulations they set (which challenges the bureaucratic agencies ability to implement a policy that matches the presidents goals)

Bureaucratic Rulemaking

the power to make legally binding standards, rules or regulations that all persons or groups under the agency’s authority must follow

Congressional Oversight

the supervision of departments and agencies conducted by congressional committees ex. holding hearings about concerns of an agencies actions

Bureaucratic Discretion

the power to decide how a law is implemented and what congress meant when it passed the law.

Issue Network

tend to form around a single issue, are temporary and larger, they are made of interest groups, policymakers and policy advocators

ex. government and private groups opposed to a proposal to run a pipeline through Native American land

Iron Triangle

broader issues, operate longer, they are made up of the bureaucracy, congress and interest groups (the bureaucracy and congress do not lobby)

Congressional committees, bureaucratic agencies, and interest groups.
ex. veteran affairs and social security

Coalitions

Is a temporary alliance of distinct groups, parties, or individuals uniting to achieve a common political goal, such as winning elections or passing legislation. Are meant to bridge gaps between a politician’s base (someone who will consistently vote for them) and the median voter (someone who might vote for them or might not), that have large public support.

Cloture

a vote to stop a filibuster in the Senate needs 60 votes

Redistricting

states’ redrawing of boundaries of electoral districts following each census

Gerrymandering

the intentional use of redistricting to benefit a specific interest or group of voters

Partisan Gerrymandering

drawing of district boundaries into strange shapes to benefit a political party

Malapportionment

the uneven distribution of the population among legislative districts

Lame Duck Period

period at the end of a presidential term when Congress may block presidential initiatives and nominees

Discharge Petition

a motion filed by a member of congress to move a bill out of committee and onto the floor of the house of representatives for a vote

Bipartisanship

agreement between the parties to work together in congress to pass legislation

Executive Privilege

a right claimed by presidents to keep certain conversations, records, and transcripts confidential from outside scrutiny, especially that of Congress

Executive Agreement

an agreement between a president and another nation that does not have the same durability in the American system as a treaty but does not require Senate ratification

Dissenting Opinion

an opinion that disagrees with the majority opinion and does not serve as precedent

Concurring Opinion

an opinion that agrees with the majority decision, offering different or additional reasoning, that does not serve as precedent

Pork Barrel Spending

legislation that directs specific funds to projects within districts or states

Logrolling

trading of votes on legislation by members of congress to get their earmarks passed into legislation

Consituency

a body of voters in a given area who elect a representative or senator

Malapportionment

the uneven distribution of the population among legislative districts

Hold

is in the senate when a senator wants to delay legislation

What is the first step to amending the constitution?

- Proposal -

• Amendment is passed by both congress and the house with a 2/3rds vote.

• 2/3rds (34) of the state legislatures apply to congress to call a national convention - never been used.

The constitution has only been ratified 27 times but there has been over 10,000 proposals.

What is the second step to amend the constitution?

- Ratification -

• 3/4th (38) of state legislatures approve the amendment.

• Special state conventions are used requiring 3/4th (38) of states to approve using delegates elected only by state legislatures and laws.

Congress chooses which method. Also there is a seven year limit.

Grants-In-Aid

general term for federal money provided to the states to implement public policy objectives

Categorical Grant

HIGHLY RESTRICTED - specific provisions on their use ex. Every Student Succeeds Act and Medicaid

Revenue Sharing

LEAST RESTRICTED - federal funds with none or almost no strings attached (no longer in use since 1986)

Block Grant

MODERATELY RESTRICTED - gives states more authority with funds for broad policy like “education” or “health care.” States want this the most because revenue sharing is not around anymore.

Mandates

MOST RESTRICTED - federal orders that states must follow often because they will with hold other crucial funding often unfunded

Categorical Grant (FORMULA GRANTS)

which allocate funds based on predetermined criteria

Writ of Certiorari

is an order issued by the Supreme Court to a lower court to review the case records for a particular case, it typically requires the agreement of at least four justices (the “rule of four”)

Hard Money

Is allowed in campaigns but restricted. Hard money refers to contributions that are directly given to a candidate’s campaign and are regulated by the Federal Election Commission (FEC), including limits on the amount that can be donated.

Soft Money

Is not allowed in campaigns. Soft money refers to funds that were previously unregulated and could be used by political parties for “party-building activities” but not directly for a candidate’s campaign. The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) of 2002 restricted the use of soft money in federal elections.

Open Primaries

Allows all registered voters to vote, regardless of party affiliation. In open primaries, voters do not have to be registered with a party to vote in that party’s primary election.

Closed Primaries

Only allows registered party members to vote. In closed primaries, only voters who are registered with a particular party can vote in that party’s primary election.

Federal Reserve

has the authority to raise or lower interest rates as part of its role in managing monetary policy

How can a federal official be impeached?

the House of Representatives must impeach the official with a majority vote, and the Senate can remove him from office with a 2/3 vote

Horse Race Journalism

focuses on the competition aspect of elections, turning politics into a game of who is winning and who is losing, often emphasizing polls and campaign strategies rather than policies

Watchdog Journalism

focuses on exposing corruption and holding government officials accountable by investigating and reporting on potential abuses of power and misconduct within the government

Political Machines

organizations that try to recruit members by offering jobs and benefits

Majoritarian Politics

refers to policies where a majority of the population benefits and most people also pay for it, with little opposition because the benefits are widely distributed ex. social security

Committees

Are part of the formal law-making process. They draft, review, and amend legislation, and they hold hearings to gather information on bills and oversee government agencies.

Caucuses

A caucus is a closed meeting of members from a political party or legislative body used to select candidates, elect convention delegates, or decide on policy. They act as local, participatory events to choose party nominees, often replacing or supplementing traditional primary elections, and can also be groups of legislators pursuing specific goals

Senatorial Courtesy

is an informal practice where the President consults with the Senator(s) from the state in which a federal judicial appointment is to be made, particularly for federal district court judges

Social Contract

people allow their governments to rule over them to ensure an orderly and functioning society

Popular Sovereignty

the idea that the government’s right to rule comes from the people

Republicanism

a system in which the government’s authority comes from the people through their representatives

Writ of Habeas Corpus

the right of people detained by the government to know the charges against them

Bills of Attainder

when the legislature declares someone guilty without a trial

Ex Post Facto Laws

laws punishing people for acts that were not crimes at the time they were committed

Front-Loading

a decision by a state to push its primary or caucus to a date as early in the election season as possible to gain more influence in the presidential nomination process

Monetary Policy

government decisions about how to influence the economy using control of the money supply and interest rates, is determined by the FEDERAL RESERVE an independent agency that determines US monetary policy with goals of supporting growth and stabilizing.

Fiscal Policy

Government decisions about how to influence the economy by taxing and spending, can be used to stimulate economic growth during recessions, by increasing government spending and reducing taxes, or to cool down an overheating economy, by reducing government spending and increasing taxes.

Controlled by Congress and the president.

Selective Incorporation

the constitutional doctrine that applies some, but not all, protections of the Bill of Rights to the states and to all levels of government if judges to be fundamental

Exclusionary Rule

protects defendants from abuses of police power by requiring courts to disregard evidence that was found illegally

Due Process Clause

prohibits governments from depriving a person’s life, liberty, or property without due process of law

Affirmative Action

is a policy benefiting those who tend to suffer from discrimination or are members of a historically disadvantaged group

Monetary Theory

Is the why and the how, analyzes the relationship between money, prices, and economic activity. It focuses on conceptual frameworks like the quantity theory of money (velocity of money).

Keynesianism Economics

is an economic theory that emphasizes the role of government intervention in stabilizing the economy by spending money to encourage economic growth encouraging, particularly during periods of recession

DEMOCRATS

ex. an executive order that built three solar panel farms and two wind-powered generators in rural areas to decrease unemployment

Supply-Side Theory

simulates the economy by lowering taxes to encourage businesses to grow because of the increase in people wanting to work and taxpayers to spend more money

REPUBLICAN

Due Process

the legal requirement that an individual’s rights must be respected by a state or government; protected at the federal level by the Fifth Amendment, and at the state level by the Fourteenth

Prior Restraint

refers to government actions that prevent speech or publication before it happens, the Supreme Court has ruled that this is almost always unconstitutional

ex. a court order blocks a news outlet from publishing a story

Due Process Clause of the 14 Amendment

“nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.”

Position Issue

are issues that are divisive and that the public has different opinions about

Valence Issue

are issues that the American electorate uniformly likes or dislikes

Prospective Voting

describes voting based on how a citizen thinks a candidate will act and perform if elected to office

Retrospective

describes voting based on the recent record in office of a candidate or others in their party

Motor Voter Laws

these laws have increased voter turnout by allowing citizens to register when they apply for or renew their driver’s license

Due Process

A citizen's entitlement to fair treatment through the judicial system. Due process requires the state to respect the legal rights owed to an individual or group.

Bully Pulpit

Refers to the unique platform that the President of the United States has to advocate for their agenda and influence public opinion and is an informal power.

Civil Right

Guarantees of equal protection and freedom from discrimination by the government.

Civil Liberties

Protections from the arbitrary government interference, the right to due process.

New Jersey Plan

(Small state plan) proposed a unicameral legislature with equal state representation.

Virginia Plan

(Large state plan) proposed a strong national government with a bicameral legislature based on population.

Medicare

is a federal program primarily for people aged 65+ or with specific disabilities, covering hospital and medical costs regardless of income

Medicaid

is a joint federal-state program for individuals with limited income and resources, covering wider services like long-term care

Categorical Grant (Project Grant)

Awarded based on merit and competitive

Dual Federalism

“Layer Cake” where the powers of the federal and state governments are seperate.

Cooperative Federalism

“Marble Cake” where state and federal governments share and collaborate on policy.

Expressed (Enumerated) Powers

Specifically written in the Constitution.

Ex. Coining money, declaring war, regulating interstate commerce, raising an army.

Implied Powers

Not written, but "necessary and proper" for carrying out expressed powers.

Ex. Creating a national bank, establishing an air force, constructing interstate highways.

Concurrent Powers

Both the state and federal government powers.

Ex. Levying taxes, borrowing money, establishing courts, making/enforcing laws.

Reserved Powers

Powers not given to the federal government and reserved for states by the 10th Amendment.

Ex. Regulating intrastate commerce, conducting elections, establishing schools, police powers (safety/morals).

Libertarian

wants as little government intervention as possible, lean more the conservative side with economics and the liberal side with social issues

Liberal

government intervention is crucial but only to ensure that social and economic opportunities are equal (supports same-sex marriage, pro-abortion and marijuana should be legalized are stereotypes)

Conservative

Conservatives tend to believe that government should be small, operating mainly at the state or local level. They favor minimal government interference in the economy and prefer private sector-based solutions to problems. “Social Conservative” want strong restrictions or total elimination of same-sex marriage, contraceptives and abortion.

Political Realignment

Is a profound shift in the balance of power between major political parties, a realignment is a fundamental and long-lasting change in coalitions of voters.

Prospective Voting

involves considering how a party or candidate will perform in the future

Retrospective Voting

involves analyzing recent past performance in making a decision about whom to vote for

Position Issue

are issues that are divisive and that the public has different opinions about

Valence Issue

are issues that the American electorate uniformly likes or dislikes

Fiscal Federalism

Balance of power between state a federal government through MONEY.