AP Government Vocabulary

Natural rights

The rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness that the government cannot limit or take away.

Social contract

An agreement where people give their government the right to rule over them to ensure a functioning society, provided the government respects their natural rights.

Popular sovereignty

The concept that the government's power and right to rule come from the people.

Republicanism

A system of government where the authority of the government comes indirectly from the people through their elected representatives.

Inalienable rights

Rights that the government cannot obstruct in any way.

Civil society group

Independent associations outside of government control.

Federalism

The division of powers between the national government and the states.

Judicial review

The authority of the Supreme Court to invalidate laws or executive actions that conflict with the Constitution.

Civil rights

Protections for individuals from discrimination based on race, national origin, religion, sex, and other characteristics, ensuring equal treatment under the law.

Affirmative action

A policy designed to address the consequences of previous discrimination by providing special consideration to individuals based on their characteristics.

Majority-minority district

A district in which voters of a minority ethnicity constitute an electoral majority.

Miranda rights

The right to remain silent and to have an attorney present during questioning, which must be communicated by police to individuals in custody.

Electoral college

A constitutionally required process for selecting the president through states of electors pledged to vote for a nominee.

Super PAC

An organization that may spend unlimited amounts of money on a political campaign, as long as the spending is not coordinated with a campaign.

Political party

An organized group of party leaders, officeholders, and voters who collaborate to elect candidates to political office.

Logrolling

The trading of votes on legislation by members of Congress to get their earmarks passed into legislation.

Gerrymandering

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

Clear and present danger test

A legal standard that determines whether speech posing an immediate threat to national security is not protected by the 1st Amendment.

Protest

A public demonstration designed to call attention to the need for change.

Pendleton Act

An act that created the first U.S. Civil Service Commission to enforce rules on the hiring and tenure of office within the civil service.

Exclusionary rule

A legal principle that prohibits the use of evidence obtained without a warrant in court.

Pocket veto

An informal veto when the president does not sign a bill within ten days while Congress is adjourned.

Filibuster

A tactic through which a senator may use unlimited debate to delay or prevent a vote on legislation.

Natural rights

The rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, which government cannot limit or take away.

Social contract

People giving their government the right to rule over them to ensure a functioning society, as long as this government does not interfere with the natural rights of their citizens.

Popular sovereignty

The idea that the government's power and their right to rule is given to them by the people.

Republicanism

System of government where the government's authority comes indirectly from the people through their elected representatives.

Inalienable rights

Rights the government cannot obstruct in any way.

Liberty

Political, social, and economic freedoms.

Participatory democracy

A theory that widespread political participation is essential for democratic government.

Civil society group

Independent associations outside the government's control.

Pluralist theory

Theory of democracy that emphasizes the role of groups in the process of policymaking.

Elitist theory

Theory of democracy that the elites have a disproportionate amount of influence in the policymaking process.

Political institutions

The structure of governments including the executive, judiciary, and legislative branches.

Constitutional republic

A democratic system with elected representatives under the Supreme Law of the Constitution.

Constitution

A document that sets out the fundamental principles of governance and establishes institutions of government.

Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union

A governing document that created a union of thirteen sovereign states, where the states themselves, not the national government, was supreme.

Unicameral

One house legislation.

Shays Rebellion

A popular uprising against the government of Massachusetts, born out of economic problems under Articles.

Constitutional Convention

A meeting attended by state delegates in 1787 to amend the Articles.

Writ of habeas corpus

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

Bills of attainder

The legislature declaring someone guilty without a trial.

Ex post facto laws

Laws punishing people for acts that were not crimes at the time of commitment.

Virginia Plan

A plan of government calling for a three-branch government with a bicameral legislature, where more populous states would have more representation in Congress.

New Jersey Plan

A plan of government that provided for a unicameral legislature with equal votes for each state.

Grand Committee

A committee at the Constitutional Convention that worked out the compromise on representation.

Great (Connecticut) Compromise

An agreement for a plan of government that drew upon both Virginia and New Jersey plans, settling issues of state representation by calling for a bicameral legislature with the House apportioned proportionately and a Senate apportioned equally.

Bicameral

A two-house legislature.

Three-fifths Compromise

An agreement reached by delegates at the Constitutional Convention that a slave would count as three-fifths of a person in calculating state representation.

Compromise of Importation

Congress could not restrict the slave trade until 1808.

Separation of powers

A design of government that distributes powers across institutions in order to avoid making one branch too powerful on its own.

Federalism

The sharing of powers between the national government and the states.

Legislative branch

The institution responsible for making laws.

Expressed / Enumerated powers

Powers and authorities specifically granted to a branch of the government in the Constitution.

Necessary and proper or elastic clause

Language in Article 1, Section 8, granting Congress the powers necessary to carry out its enumerated powers.

Implied powers

Authority of the federal government that goes beyond the explicitly expressed powers.

Executive branch

The institution responsible for carrying out laws passed by the legislative branch.

Judicial branch

The institution responsible for hearing and deciding cases through the federal courts.

Supremacy clause

Constitutional provision declaring that the Constitution and all national laws and treaties are the supreme law of the land.

Amendment

The process by which changes may be made in the Constitution.

Federalists

Supporters of the proposed Constitution, who favored a strong national government.

Antifederalists

Opponents of the proposed Constitution, who favored stronger state governments.

Federalist Papers

A series of eighty-five essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay published between 1787 and 1788 to lay out the theory behind the Constitution.

Federalist No. 51

An essay where Madison argues that the separation of powers and federalism will prevent tyranny.

Factions

Group of self-interested people who use the government to get what they want, and according to Madison, trample the rights of others in the process.

Federalist No. 10

An essay where Madison argues the dangers of factions can be mitigated by a large republic and republican government.

Brutus No. 1

An Antifederalist paper arguing that the country was too large to be governed as a republic and the Constitution gave the national government too much power.

Federalism

A system that divides power between the central and state governments.

Unitary systems

A system of one central government exercising authority over all subnational governments such as states.

Confederal systems

A system where the subnational governments have most of the power.

Federal systems

A system where central government and subnational governments share power.

Commerce clause

Grants Congress the authority to regulate interstate business and commercial activity.

Reserved powers

Powers not given to the national government, retained by the states and the people.

Concurrent powers

Powers granted to both states and the federal government in the Constitution.

Full faith and credit clause

Requires states to recognize the public acts, records, and civil court proceedings from other states.

Extradition

The requirement that officials in one state return a defendant to another state where a crime was committed.

Privileges and immunities clause

Constitutional clause that prevents states from discriminating against people from out of states.

Dual federalism

A form of American federalism in which the states and the national government operate independently in their own areas of public policy.

Selective incorporation

The process through which the Supreme Court applies fundamental rights in the Bill of Rights to the states on a case-by-case basis.

Cooperative federalism

A form of American federalism in which the states and the national governments work together to shape public policy.

Grants-in-aid

Federal money provided to states to implement public policy objectives.

Fiscal federalism

The federal government's use of grants-in-aids to influence policies in the states.

Categorical grants

Grants-in-aid provided to states with specific provisions on their use.

Unfunded mandate

Federal requirements that states must follow without being provided funding.

Block grant

A type of grant-in-aid that gives state officials more authority in the disbursement of federal funds.

Revenue sharing

When the federal government apportions tax money to the states with no strings attached.

Devolution

Returning more authority to state or local governments.

Political culture

The dominant set of beliefs, customs, traditions, and values that define the relationship between citizens and government.

Individualism

The belief that individuals should be responsible for themselves and the decisions they make.

Laissez-faire or free enterprise

An economic system in which government intrudes as little as possible in the economic transactions among citizens and businesses.

Rule of law

The principle that no one, including public officials, is above the law.

Political socialization

The experiences and factors that shape an individual's political values, attitudes, and behaviors.

Political ideology

A set of beliefs about the desired goals and outcomes of a process of government.

Right

Something guaranteed, that the government cannot take away.

Privilege

Something a person may obtain or receive, but that the government can take away.

Party ideology

A party's philosophy about the proper role of government and its set of positions on major issues.

Party identification

An individual's attachment to a political party.

Conservatism

An ideology favoring more control of social behavior, fewer regulations on businesses, and less government interference in the economy.

Liberalism

An ideology favoring less government control over social behavior and greater regulation of businesses and the economy.

Libertarianism

An ideology favoring very little government regulation and intervention beyond protecting private property and individual liberty.