AP Government Unit 1: Key Concepts and Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering introductory government terms, reasons for government, structures, and regimes from Chapter 1 through Chapter 6 notes.

Government

The people in power who hold authority to make and enforce laws, rules, and regulations.

Public Policy

An umbrella term for laws, rules, and regulations that express the government's official position on public issues.

Legitimacy

The recognized authority and right of a government or leader to function and rule, which can stem from individual expertise, elections, religion, or institutional structures.

Sovereignty

The political term for power, defined as the ability of a government to make its own decisions and exercise authority over a country or territory.

Protection and Security

One of the fundamental reasons expert sources cite for needing government, operating at international levels (e.g., military) and local levels (e.g., police law enforcement).

Services

Provisions supplied by government to society, such as public schools, roads, and fire departments, which might not be universally accessible if privately owned.

Agent of Change

The role of government as a large entity capable of implementing societal and structural changes more quickly and efficiently than other institutions.

Necessary Evil

A description of government originating from Thomas Paine in Common Sense, stating that citizens surrender certain rights and pay taxes in exchange for societal safety and structure.

Unitary System

A system where power is concentrated in a single national government and subnational units are not constitutionally protected, used by 165 of 192 recognized countries (e.g., China, UK, Iran).

Federal System

A system where governing power is constitutionally divided between a central national government and regional state governments (e.g., US, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia).

Presidential System

A system of government where the executive branch (led by a president) and the legislative branch are completely separate.

Parliamentary System

A system of government where the executive (prime minister) and legislative branches are combined into one unified branch.

Fusion of Power

The organizational feature of a parliamentary system where executive and legislative roles are integrated within the same officials and branch.

Semi-Presidential System

A system of government that features both a president and a prime minister to combine elements of presidential and parliamentary structures (e.g., China, Russia).

Regime

The long-term institutional structure, rules, patterns, and framework (such as a constitution) that define how a government is organized.

Regime Change

A fundamental shift in the structural rules, organization, or constitutional framework of a government system.

Change of Government

A change in the specific people or leaders holding positions of power without altering the state's underlying structural rules or regime.