AP U.S. Government & Politics: Key Concepts and Historical Foundations

Politics

The process of deciding who gets what, when, and how in society, including the distribution of power and resources.

Inalienable rights

Rights that cannot be taken away by government, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Government

The institutions and processes through which public policies are made and enforced.

Liberty

Freedom from government interference in personal life, balanced by responsibility to others.

Democracy

A system of government where power is vested in the people, who rule directly or through elected representatives.

Participatory democracy

A model of democracy emphasizing broad, direct participation of citizens in politics and civil society.

Natural rights

Fundamental rights given to all people by nature or God, not dependent on laws or governments.

Civil society groups

Independent associations outside of government that influence public policy and social issues.

Social contract

The idea that people give up some freedoms to government in exchange for protection of their rights.

Pluralist theory

A theory that political power is distributed among many competing interest groups.

American political culture

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

Political institutions

Structures of government, such as Congress, the presidency, and the courts, that make, enforce, and interpret laws.

Popular sovereignty

The principle that government power comes from the consent of the governed.

Constitutional republic

A system where representatives are elected to govern under the framework of a constitution that limits government power.

Republicanism

A political ideology that emphasizes limited government, elected representatives, and the protection of individual liberty.

Constitution

A written plan of government that establishes the structure, powers, and limits of government.

Republic

A form of government in which power rests with the people, who elect representatives to govern on their behalf.

Articles of Confederation

The first U.S. constitution, which created a weak central government and gave most power to the states.

Unicameral

A one-house legislature.

Shays's Rebellion

An armed uprising of Massachusetts farmers in 1786-87 protesting debt and taxes, exposing weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.

Constitutional Convention

Meeting in 1787 in Philadelphia where delegates created the U.S. Constitution.

Writ of habeas corpus

A court order requiring authorities to explain why someone is being held in custody.

Bills of attainder

Laws that declare a person guilty without a trial (forbidden by the Constitution).

Ex post facto laws

Laws that punish actions retroactively, even if the act was legal when committed (forbidden by the Constitution).

Virginia Plan

Proposal at the Constitutional Convention for representation in Congress based on state population.

New Jersey Plan

Proposal at the Constitutional Convention for equal representation of states in Congress, regardless of population.

Grand Committee

Group at the Constitutional Convention that crafted compromises on representation and other issues.

Great Compromise (aka CT Compromise)

Agreement creating a bicameral legislature: House of Representatives based on population, Senate with equal representation.

Bicameral

A two-house legislature.

Three-Fifths Compromise

Agreement that each enslaved person would count as three-fifths of a person for representation and taxation.

Compromise on Importation

Agreement at the Constitutional Convention that Congress could not ban the importation of enslaved people before 1808.

Separation of powers

The division of government powers into legislative, executive, and judicial branches to prevent tyranny.