AP Gov Full Class

Unit 1

Amendment Process

A new amendment can be proposed by a 2/3 supermajority vote in the house and senate, or passed at a national convention called for by 2/3 of the states. Then, it is ratified by a majority ¾ of state legislatures or state ratifying conventions

AoC Weaknesses

Can’t tax, coin money, create military, regulate interstate commerce. Can take on debt, but effectively get money from the states.

Bill of Rights (why were they added)

No BoR was a frequent complaint of Anti-feds - James Madison promised to add a BoR after the constitution was ratified, to keep the states happy and avoid division.

Denied powers of government

Bills of attainder: No legislature can pass a bill allowing people to be declared guilty w/o trial

Ex post facto laws: people can’t be charged for crimes committed before the actions were crimes

Brutus I

Argued that the country was too large to governed as a republic, and that the const. gave too much power to the national government

Checks and Balances

Different branches of government having powers over each other, limiting the power of each branch. Ex: executive veto

Commerce Clause

Gives Congress the power to borrow money, collect taxes, and “regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several states.”

Confederate/Confederal system

System of sovereign states, held together by a “firm league of friendship”

Great (Conneticut) Compromise

Kept bicameral legislature of virginia plan, but gave equal representation in one of the legislative houses, essential to the new jersey plan. Legislative body has strong powers like the virginia plan, but can’t veto state laws.

Consent of the Governed

The government’s authority comes from the people. Not the same as popular sovereignty

Constitution

The new supreme national document, replacing the AoC. Ditches state sovereignty in favor of a strong central government, with a mix of equal and proportional representation.

General Format of Declaration of Independence

Formatted not as a complaint directly to the king, but as a list of grievances, mainly written to inform and rile up the people. Contains enlightenment ideas justifying revolution, and list of breaches of those ideas made by the King.

Democracy

A system where the people govern.

Electoral College

A system in which the people elect electors that represent them, casting votes for the president. Voters technically vote for the electors they want to represent them in the electoral college when voting for president.

Elite theory

Claims that elite members of society have more power than average people in government

Enumerated powers

Specifically written and allowed powers of Congress

Ex post facto laws

People can’t be charged for crimes committed before the actions were crimes

Federalism

Supporters of the constitution, aka a large “federal” or national/central government

Federalists & Antifederalists

Debate surrounding new constitution. Federalists support the new constitution, antifederalists reject it and are against a large, overpowered national government.

Federalist 10

Essay written in support of federalism. Argues that the new constitution was the best counter against the effects of factions

Federalist 51

Essay written in support of federalism. Argues for the system of checks and balances/seperation of powers, argues that it controls human nature and protects minority rights

Grand Committee

The committee that worked out the compromise between the virginia plan and the new jersey plan

Impeachment

Power of congress to remove the president. Needed to pass articles of impeachment is a majority house vote, then it will be passed off to the supreme court, where two thirds vote in favor of impeachment is necessary to remove from office

Limited government

Government has limited powers, not complete control

Natural Rights

Enlightenment idea, rights inherent to men. Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness

Necessary and Proper/Elastic clause

Gives congress the power to pass any bill deemed necessary to effectively enforce their enumerated powers.

New Jersey plan

More antifederalist plan for new constitution. Keeps old structure of congress, only giving more powers over economy and to tax. Basically update to AoC

Participatory theory of democracy

The theory that people participating in groups and democratic processes is how democracy runs

Pluralist theory

The theory that a large amount of groups are what runs democracy, all fighting for different powers

Political institution

Branches/parts of government: Executive, legislative, judicial

Politics

Set of activities associated with making decisions in government/groups

Popular sovereignty

All government power comes from the consent of its people

Republicanism

A philosophy of limited government with elected representatives serving at the will of the people. The government is based on consent of the governed.

Republic

Country using representative democracy. People vote for representatives to represent them in government.

Separation of powers

Done in US using branches - Judicial, Legislative, Executive, alongside state and local government

Shays’s Rebellion

Massachusets rebellion, leading to more widespread support for national government to avoid such uprisings causing problems in future

Social contract

The people consent to a government, in exchange for the protection of their rights.

Supremacy Clause

The constitution and federal government are the supreme law of the land

3/5 Compromise

Slaves count as 3/5 of a citizen, for representative purposes. Compromise between north, who didn’t want slaves considered as citizens, as this would drive up the amount of representatives given to southern states, and the south.

Virginia Plan

Bicameral legislature - Both houses elected proportionally. Congress is given strong powers, including to veto state law

Writ of habeas corpus

People detained by the government need a reason to be detained given to them

Unit 2

Block grant

A grant given by the federal government to the states to reduce federal authority. Ex: Ronald Reagan promised to remove the federal government from state’s internal affairs. He did this with block grants.

Categorical grant

A grant given to the states requiring the money to be spent on specific uses and programs. Increases federal authority. Ex: Highway funding

Commerce clause

Article 1, section 8 of the constitution. Gives the national government power to regulate interstate, foreign, and indian commerce. Ex: The national government has authority over ferry regulation, given the ferry crosses over multiple states

Concurrent powers

Powers held by both the federal and state/local government. Ex: Levying taxes

Cooperative federalism (marble cake)

Federalism where the federal and state governments work in the same areas together in collaboration, like a marble cake. Ex: Social programs, like the new deal incorporated federally

Devolution

A decrease in power of the federal government in the states. Ex: Bill Clinton removing some federal programs in the states

Dual Federalism (Layer cake)

Federalism where the state and federal government work separately on seperate issues. Ex: State exclusively controlling education, federal government exclusively controlling immigration

Enumerated powers of Congress

All powers specifically given to congress. Declare war, tax, borrow money, regulate commerce, raise and support military, establish federal courts, post office. Ex: See above

Exclusive powers

A power specifically held by one level of government. Ex: Declaring war, federal government

Federalism

A system of government where power is shared between the states and the federal government. Ex: The US

Fiscal federalism

The financial relationship between the federal and state governments, particularly with grants-in-aid. Ex: Congress giving a grant to the states for highway building, in exchange for making the drinking age 21.

Full faith and credit clause

States must honor public acts, records, and judicial proceedings throughout the states. Ex: A Maryland drivers license is fine for driving in Virginia (although it shouldn’t)

Gonzalez vs. Raich

A case regarding the federal government’s authority to regulate home-grown cannabis under the interstate commerce clause. Resulted in federal victory, further increasing national power to regulate interstate commerce. Ex: N/A

Gibbons vs. Ogden

A case regarding the federal government’s authority to regulat steamboat routes cutting through several states, even if the steamboat isn’t carrying commercial goods. Resulted in favor of national government. Increased federal power and definition of “interstate commerce”. Ex: N/A

Grants-in-aid

The federal government send money to the states, in order to carry out a policy the federal government wants. Ex: a grant is given to the states, in order to increase disability accessibility

Heart of Atlanta Motel vs. United States

The Heart of Atlanta Motel refused to serve black patrons. In a supreme court case, it was unanimously decided that the civil rights act was constitutional under the commerce clause. Ex: N/A

Inherent powers

Powers inherent to a government. Ex: The power to regulate immigration

McCulloch vs. Maryland

Involved Maryland refusing to pay tax to a federal bank. Federal bank wins, Affirmed the constitutionality of a federal bank. Ex: N/A

Necessary and Proper/Elastic clause - implied powers

Powers congress requires to enforce it’s enumerate powers.

No Child Left Behind

A federal bill giving grants to the states if they implement standardized tests at certain grade levels. Ex: SOLs

Privileges and Immunities clause

States can’t discriminate against citizens of other states. Ex: Can’t refuse entrance to state buildings based on statehood

Revenue sharing

The federal government gives money to the states with no strings attached. Ex: COVID aid

Supremacy clause

When laws conflict between states and federal government, the federal laws are on top. Ex: Cannabis regulation

TANF and PWRORA of 1996

Provides welfare services to low income families. This act replaced the old federal system with a block grant system, giving the states more power over welfare programs. Ex: Previously, welfare may be controlled by federal government, changed to state government

Tenth amendment - reserved powers

Reserves all powers not given to the federal government for the states. Ex: Education and police

13th, 14th, 15th amendments

13th abolished slavery, 14th gave citizenship for all people born in the US, 15th prohibited denying voting rights based on race, color, or previous servitude. Ex: It’s federally illegal to not allow someone to vote based on their race

Unfunded mandates

Things states are required to do but are not funded by the federal government. Ex: Americans with Disabilities Act

United States vs. Lopez

A case involving a high school student bringing a gun to school. Case centers around if the federal government can regulate guns in school zones based on the commerce clause. Ruled in favor of Lopez. Decreased federal power. Ex: N/A

Unitary, confederal, federal systems

Unitary - All power held in national government. Confederal - All power held in state government. Federal - Power shared between state and national government. Ex: The US is a federal system

Wickard vs. Filburn

A case about if wheat grown for personal use can be regulated under the interstate commerce clause. Ruled in favor of federal government. Ex: N/A

Unit 3

Political Culture

The shared attitudes, values, and beliefs of a population about government, power, and their role in the political system. Ex: As Americans, we believe in limited government.

Individualism

People can do the things they want to do, shaping their life through their choices. Ex:

Equality of Opportunity

Everybody has an equal chance to participate. Ex: An open job call, where everybody has the chance to apply and prove themselves.

Free enterprise/Laissez-faire

A form of economy where the Government doesn’t interfere with the economy at all, leaving the economy to work by itself. Ex: A black market where the government is not regulating anything, resulting in the economy effectively running itself

Rule of law

Everybody must be held equally accountable in a court of law, regardless of power or wealth. Ex: We have checks & balances in place in our government, insuring that everybody is held accountable for their actions

Limited government

A government not having absolute authority over the people, preventing the government from taking away our natural rights. Ex: The US government is a limited government, held up by the limits of the constitution, checks and balances, and separation of powers

Political socialization

The lifetime process of obtaining and building political beliefs, ideologies, and values, through several agents of socialization. Ex: Our family, school, church, and peers heavily influence our political beliefs

Political ideology

A belief structure (set of beliefs and practices) about the place for and values of government, and how our society should work. Ex: Conservatism values higher control over social issues and lower control over economic issues

Agents of political socialization

The things that influence our political socialization. Family, education, peers, church, media, life experience

Globalization

The increasing interconnectedness and interdependedness of our world in cultures, economies, and population through trade and communication. Ex: The US relying on oil reserves from other countries

Impacts of globalization on the economy, democracy

Trade, technology, and communication across the world grows our economy and makes it more interdependent with other countries across the world. Globalization can spread democracy across the world and lead to governments being held accountable, but also creates new power dynamics with large multinational corporations that can effect democracy. Ex: Someone from Russia can go online to see decent of their government, and McDonald’s going multinational can grow the economy in all countries involved

Effects of political events on generations

Major political events are agents of political socialization for the people who experienced them. Ex: Millennials tend to be more conservative with their money, saving and distrusting financial organizations. This is due to the 2008 recession they lived through

Political polarization

An increasingly wide divide between common political ideologies, creating ideological extremes. Ex: Republicans refusing to vote in any supreme court candidate Obama nominated, no matter what candidate

Public opinion

The collective beliefs of the population regarding specific issues and general beliefs. Ex: There is a declining trust in news organizations amongst the public

Scientific poll

A method of gauging public opinion that uses statistical methods like random sampling to create a survey with a representative sample of a population. Ex: A scientific poll will randomly chose respondents, and weigh their results with census data

Process of scientific polling

A scientific poll must identify a target audience they want to poll, and randomly sample from this audience to avoid bias in respondent selection. The questions in the poll must be neutral to avoid weighting the poll towards a certain ideology. The poll will be weighted with existing data to make the poll into a representative sample of the population they intended to poll. Ex: N/A

Types of surveys

Opinion polls, tracking polls, exit polls, benchmark polls, push polls

Horse race journalism

Journalism specifically about who is leading in the polls - often criticized for just focusing on the results of polls, that often have a margin of error that makes the data not very useful, instead of focusing on the real issues of the campaign. Ex: Articles about Kamala Harris leading in the presidential polls, instead of talking about Kamala Harris’s immigration policy

Impacts of question wording

A question worded in a way that favors a specific, denoted answer can lead to a poll leaning towards that option compared to another poll that words all options equally. Ex: a agree/disagree question leans towards the agree option that’s already written out in front of you

Challenges of polling

Declining response rates in several polling mediums, difficulty in creating representative samples, lack of public trust. Ex: responses to phone interview calls have dropped extremely low due to caller id and our habits with picking up the phone

Gender gap

American women are more likely to vote Democrat while American men are more likely to vote Republican. Ex: N/A

How characteristics like age, gender and race impact polls

Older Americans turn out for polling and voting more than younger Americans, Women tend to be more left leaning then men, white Americans tend to vote more than other races

How policymakers use polling

Policymakers can analyze polls to decide what issues they want to run on, and to gauge their success in choosing sides for issues. They also use benchmark polls to gauge political support. Ex: A member of congress consults polls of their political party to determine if they will support or oppose a TikTok ban

Right

A gaurunteed protection that individuals possess that cannot be taken away, upheld by the Constitution and laws. Ex: Free speech, bare arms

Privilege

Something that the people may have or obtain, but can be taken away. Ex: Elected officials have the privilege to speak for the people, but this can be taken away in elections

Party ideology

The beliefs a political party has about the way government should work and the balance of american ideals, usually expressed in a set of positions. Ex: Republicans are pro-life, while Democrats are pro-choice