AP Gov Review

Natural Right

rights humans have by being human

Social contract

The purpose of government is to protect the rights of the people

Popular sovereignty

ppl are the source of government power

Limited Government

federal gov have some powers but theyre limited

Participatory democracy

Broad citizen participation and an active role fo individuals in politics

Pluralist Democracy

Role of group based activism to impact policymaking

Elite democracy

Limited citizen participation in politics, small group of elites have most of the power

Great compromise

• Bicameral legislation

  • House is based on pop, and Senate based on state

• 3/5 compromise: southern states over represented in the house

• Electoral college

• Amendment process: ⅔ of both houses of congress propose, ¾ of states ratify

Checks and balances:

• Congress: impeach president, impeach judges

• President: Veto legislation, nominate judges

• Judicial: Declare law unconstitutional, declare presidential act unconsitutitional

Federalism

Division of power between federal, state and local governments

Delegated/exclusive powers

Powers given to the federal gov

Reserved powers

10th amendment, everything not delegated to federal gov. Powers reserved to state

Concurrent powers

powers to both state and federal gov

ex) Both taxes and borrow money

Dynamic federalism

balance of power between state and federal governments can shift depending on the needs of the country and societal changes.

Dual federalism

pretty clear which issue is federal or state issue

Cooperative federalism

FDR and new deal, line between state and federal fade

• Most common is governmental grants

Categorical grants

money to state for specific purpose

• Often include incentives/conditions of aid

Block grants

For broader purpose

Federal revenue sharing

Money for whatever

Mandates

Rules that state must follow, whether federal gov provide money or not

• Shift power towards federal gov

Supremacy clause

Federal is superior

Necessary and proper clause (implied powers)

Article 1 section 8, congress can do anything necessary and proper to carry out enumerated powers

Commerce clause

congress can regulate anything affecting interstate commerce

HOR

• 435 members

• Rep districts

• Serve 2 year terms

• Mor formal, stricter rules

Senate

• 100 members

• Represent state

• Serve 6 year terms

• Less formal, less rules based

Powers of house

• Initiate all tax and revenue bills

• Power of impeachment

• House Rules Committee

• Discharge petition (force a bill out of a committee by a majority vote of full house)

• Committee of the whole

  • The entire house considers a bill and acts as a single committee

  • Speeds up passage of legislation

 Powers of senate

• Confirm nominations

• Ratify treaties

• Have filibusters

  • Long speech to prevent a bill from coming to a vote

  • Cloture: ⅗ votes to end debate on a bill and force a vote

  • Hold: Senator can prevent a bill from being discussed about

  • Unanimous consent agreements: Used by senate to speed up passage of legislation

 Standing committees

• Permanent, bills are sent here first

• Edit/revise/markup bills, hold hearings

• Conduct congressional oversight

• Most bills die here

Committee chairs

• Leaders of congressional committees

• Always from majority party

• Tremendous influence over legislation in committee

Speaker of the House

• Most powerful person in the house

• Presides over the House, schedules bills for debate and vote

• Always from majority party

President of the Senate

• VP of US

• Casts tie breaking votes

Senate Majority Leader:

• Most powerful person in the Senate

• From majority party

Power of the purse

Congress has the power to create a federal budget and spend money

Discretionary spending

• Must approved annually as part of budget bills

• Defense is the largest area of discretionary spending

Mandatory Spending

• Required by law, occurs automatically with no action by Congress

• Includes entitlements and interest on the debt

• ⅔ of all federal spending today is mandatory

• Can be changed by new legislation

Entitlement spending

• Spending on programs people are entitled by law to receive

• Social security, Medicare, Medicaid

Pork barrel legislation

• Provides tangible benefits, jobs, money to districts

Logrolling

• I vote for urs u vote for mine

Trustee

Representative votes his/her conscience regardless of what constituents want

Delegate

Vote how constituents want, even if they personally disagree

Politico

Sometimes act as trustee sometimes act as delegate

Reapportionment

• Changing the # of seats each state has in the HOR

• Occurs following the census

Redistricting

• Redrawing congressional districts

• Done by state legislature

Gerrymandering

• Done oddly to benefit political party

• Is legally allowed

Policy gridlock

Slow/difficult to pass legislation, confirm nominations

President formal powers

• Veto

  • Congress override ⅔ but only happens 4% of the time

• Pocket veto: President takes no action and session of Congress ends within 10 days of receiving bill the bill is not passed

• Commander in Chief: Head of the armed forces, directs troop movements

President Informal powers

• Executive agreements: Agreement w/ foreign heads of state, acts like a treaty but Senate doesnt ratify it

• Executive orders: Have the power of law, doesnt require congressional approval, generally used to direct the bureaucracy and foreign policy

• Signing statements:

  • Written statement issued by the president when signing a bill that provides his interpretation of the bill

• Bargaining and persuasion: Presidential agenda may conflict with congressional agenda therefore need to bargain with Congress on appointments, budgets, and legislative goals.

  • Rely on persuasion to gain support for agenda from public and Congress

Tension between Senate and President

• Nominations

  • Federal judges

  • Cabinet secretaries

  • Ambassadors

  • Head of executive agencies

Bully pulpit

a position of authority that allows the president to speak out and bring attention to any issue

State of the Union address

nationally televised speech delivered Pres to congress in attempt to gain support for his agenda and pressure Congress

Precedent

Ruling that will influence future decisions (Stare decisis)

Judicial restraint

courts should defer to democratically elected branches whenever possible

Judicial activism

courts can and should overrule other branches when wrong, should freely use their power to advance societal goals

Cabinet departments

• Major area of responsibility over broad policy area

• Department of Homeland Security, Transportation, Veterans Affairs, Education

Executive agencies

• Perform public services

• Environmental Protection Agency

Independent regulatory commissions

• Make rules regulating specific industries to protect public

• Narrow area of responsibility

• Federal Elections Commission, Securities and Exchanges Commission

Government corporations

• Provide services that could be provided by private companies but are not profitable

• Amtrak, Tennessee Valley Authority

Administrative tasks

• Writing and enforcing regulations

• Issuing fines

• Testifying before Congress

• Issue networks and iron triangles

Iron triangles

• Congressional committees, interest groups, bureaucratic agencies

• Interest groups provide electoral support, committees make favorable legislation, agencies make favorable regulations, agencies receive funding for Congress, and implements policy as Congress intends

Issue networks

looser iron triangles

Congressional oversight

• Committee hearings & investigations into an agency’s activities

• Allows Congress to ensure that they are satisfied with what the agency/dept is doing

• Agencies r doing their job properly

• Committee hearings: Agency heads must testify before Congress about agency’s activities

• Power of the purse: increase/decrease funding for those agencies depending on what they hear at committee hearings

Bill of Rights

Protects individual personal liberty by limiting the federal government

Establishment clause

No official religion or preferential treatment for a religion

Free exercise clause

exercise any religion

2nd amendment

There is an individual right to bear arms for self defense

8th Amendment

Death penalty is constitutional however minors and mentally deficient ppl cannot receive death penalty

Due process clause 14th amendment

no shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law

• Selective incorporation: 

  • Application of the Bill of Rights to the states

  • States become restricted by the guarantees of freedom found in the Bill of Rights

  • Bill of Rights has been applied to states on a case by case basis

Miranda rule

Suspects in custody must be informed of their 5th and 6th amendment rights

Public safety exception

If a question is asked to neutralize a dangerous situation and a suspect responds voluntarily, the statement can be used even through it was made before the Miranda rights were read

4th Amendment

Provides protection against warrantless searches of cell phone data

Metadata

Limitations placed on bulk collection of telecommunication metadata

Right of privacy

not enumerated in bill of rights, established and incorporated in Griswold v Connecticut

Civil rights

Rights guaranteed to all citizens by law, focusing on ensuring fairness, equality, and protection from discrimination based on characteristics like race, gender, or nationality.

Civil liberties

Protection of individual freedoms from government interference, encompassing rights such as freedom of speech, religion, and assembly.

Equal protection clause

nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws

• Source for alot of social movements

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Banned literacy tests or other obstacles to vote, required states with a history of voter discrimination to obtain federal approval for changes to election laws and policies

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Civil Rights Act of 19Prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Enforced by the EEOC, it protects equal rights in employment and public accommodations.64

Title XI of the educational amendments act of 1972

Prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any federally funded education program

Colorblind constitution

Belief that the equal protection clause bans any policy that makes racial distinction, even if they’re intended to help minorities

Affirmative action

Preferential admission and hiring policies for minorities; allowed but no quota system, no points awareded for race

Individualism

each person is responsible for herself, free to do what she chooses

Equal opportunity

Each person has an opportunity to succeed, however equality of outcome is not guaranteed

Rule of law

no person is above the law

Political socialization

The process of a person obtaining their political ideology. Family/parents, peers, education, media, religion

Generational effects

Different voting patterns and political beliefs of people from different generations

Lifecycle effects

People focus on different issues at different points in life

Globalization

US political culture has both influenced and been influenced by the political values of people from other countries

Public opinion polls

Poll to measure public opinion on a particular issue

Benchmark poll

Used to find out where a candidate stands before any campaigning, learn strengths, weaknesses, what issues to focus on

Tracking poll

A continuous poll to chart changes in opinion over time

Entrance/exit polls

Conducted on election day as ppl enter/exit polling place, be able to predict who wins elections

Valid poll

• Random sample

• Stratified sample: population divided into subgroups and weighted based on population demographic

• Sampling error: A polling error arising from using only a sample of a population

• Margin of error: 3% is an acceptable margin of error

• Wording of question: must be neutral/unbiased

Political ideology

Consistent set of political values and beliefs about the purpose and scope of government

Conservatives

• Less economic regulations

• Lower taxes

• Cut gov spending on entitlement programs

• Increased defense spending, more police, more punishment of crime

• Gov should protect traditional values even if this intrudes on individual freedoms

• Support vouchers to attend private schools, including religious schools

• Favor social order

Liberals

• More economic regulations

• Higher taxes on those with higher incomes

• Favor gov spending on entitlement programs to promote social and economic equality

• Decreased defense spending, focus on protecting the rights of the accused

• Gov should not regulate private, personal matters

• Support public education, oppose vouchers, especially those that can be used to attend religious schools

• Favor social liberty

Libertarians

• Little to no regulations beyond protection of property rights

• Minimal taxation

• Dramatic decrease in government spending, including on entitlement programs

• Favor a dramatic reduction in defense spending, decriminalization of victimless crimes and protecting the rights of the accused

• Believe gov should not regulat private, personal matters

• Favor privatization of education, expanded school choice

• Favor social liberty

Keynsian economics

• Gov should stimulate the economy during recessions by increasing government spending to jumpstart the economy

Supply side economics:

• Gov should stimulat the economy during recessions by cutting taxes to encourage businesses to grow and taxpayers to spend more money

Free market economics:

• Gov should take no action during a recession; economy will fix itself

Fiscal policy:

• Gov tax and spending policies

• Conducted by congress and the president