AP Gov Unit 1

political spectrum

Divides political ideas into political left vs. political right

Initiative

Allows registered voters to place issues on the ballot

Referendum

Allows voters to vote in order to create new laws/constitutional amendments

Recall

Voters can remove an elected official from office before their term expires

Linkage Institutions

mechanisms for democracy (elections, media, political parties)

Popular Sovereignty

people are legitimate source of governmental/political power

Social Contract Theory

people give up some of their freedom to the a government-in return they expect certain protections from the government

Liberals

More government in economic regulation, less in social regulation

Conservatives

Less government control in economic regulation, more in social regulation

Representative Democracy

people elect government officials to make decisions for them

Horse race journalism

covering polls (the who’s winning, who’s losing) and not focusing on issues they’re campaigning on

Public Opinion Polls

strong public opinion on a particular issue may affect how elected officials deal with that issue

Watchdog Media

Journalism can draw attention to problems related to public policy, which can pressure elected officials to address certain policies.

Gatekeeper Media

The stories that the media covers tend to be what the public thinks is important-and that could affect what issues elected officials are likely to address.

Articles of Confederation

strong state government, weak central government power, one-house congress, no executive/judicial branch, could not enforce taxes, no central military, and couldn’t regulate interstate trade.

Natural Rights

Inalienable/“god given” rights: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness