AP US Government and Politics AP Exam Vocab Review

does not include amendments, articles, clauses, required court cases, or foundational documents -just vocab and other info

ideals of the u.s. government

limited government, natural rights, popular sovereignty, republicanism, social contract

limited government

restrictions placed on what rulers can do

natural rights

all men are born free and equal

popular sovereignty

power belongs to the people; the consent of the governed

republicanism

the people elect representatives who are responsible to make and carry out laws

social contract

free individuals give up certain rights in return for a collective security within the community resulting in greater freedom for all

federalists

favor a strong national government by the elite without a bill of rights

anti-federalists

(democratic-republicans) who want a weak national government of the common man with protection of individual liberties in a bill of rights

participatory democracy

a direct democracy where people vote on laws directly; encourages broad participation in politics and civil society

pluralist democracy

interest groups influence policy making

elite democracy

elected representatives act as trustees for the voters; emphasize limited participation; power concentrated with a few wealthy people

shays rebellion

poor farmers lost their farms after the revolutionary war, so they rise up and the government does not have the power to stop them. this resulted in a more effective government that could protect people from rebellion

Virginia plan

-representation based on state population

-3 branches

-bicameral legislature

-supreme national government

-separation of powers

new jersey plan

-equal representation for each state

-limited and expressed powers of national legislature

-sovereignty of states

connecticut plan/great compromise

-bicameral legislature

-house of representatives has representation based on state

-senate has equal representation in all states

electoral college

a body who choose the president where the number of electors for a state is equal to the number of that states congressmen; each state may decide how to choose their delegates who are sent

3/5 compromise

when counting the population for representation in the house of representatives, only 3 out of every 5 slaves would be counted

the constitution

-blueprint for american democracy

separation of powers

-power is shared among 3 branches to prevent any 1 branch from having too much power

-the goal is to limit the effect of majority rule and protect minority rights

checks and balances

powers each branch has to check the power of another branch

impeachment

-the house has the power to impeach the president

-senate serves as the jury to determine guilt or innocence of the president regarding the charges

delegated powers of the federal government

-levy taxes

-regulate interstate and foreign trade

-coin money

-maintain armed forces

-declare war

-establish post offices

-establish courts

delegated powers of the state governments

-tax citizens

-control public education

-punish criminals

-protect public health and safety

-conduct elections

-establish local governments

-make marriage laws

concurrent powers

-maintain law and order

-levy taxes

-borrow money

-take land for public use

-provide for public welfare

federalism

a system of shared power between units of government

federal revenue sharing

taxes collected at the federal level are distributed to state and local governments through various grant programs

marble cake fiscal federalism

based on a pragmatic mixing of authority and programs among the national, state, and local governments

layer cake fiscal federalism

based on a clear delineation of authority and programs among the levels of government

cooperative federalism

-shared costs

-federal guidelines

-shared administration

grants-in-aid

money from the federal government is distributed to state and local government

categorical grants

money for a specific purpose

-strings attached (crossover sanctions, crosscutting requirements)

-project grants and formula grants

block grants

fewer strings attached; up to the discretion of the state

mandates

requirements that direct state or local government to provide additional services in order to receive federal funds

devolution

take power from federal government and give it back to the state and local governments

greater voter participation

running for office, voting, access to government officials

opportunities to impact stages of policymaking

agenda setting, policy formation, policy adoption, policy implementation, policy assessment

decentralization of policies

decisions can be made locally and nationally, which reduces conflict in dc

-but local and state governments may interfere with national goals

congress

house of representatives:

-435 members; representation based on population; 2 year term; centralized leadership

senate:

100 members; 2 per state; 6 year term; power to filibuster

enumerated powers

expressed powers written in the constitution

implied powers

powers that are not expressly written in the constitution

congress and money

-create a budget (a policy document allocating burdens and benefits)

-coin money

-raise revenue (individual income taxes, corporate incomes taxes, social security, sales tax)

congress and military

-declare war

-maintain the armed forces

congress structure and powers

-the senate is a smaller body with longer terms

-powers:

tax bills originate in the house

house determines the president in case of an electoral college tie

house impeaches

senate conducts trials after impeachment

senate approves presidential appointments

senate ratifies treaties

-function:

identical bills must be passed in both houses before the president may sign

duties of congress

-legislators (lawmakers)

-committee members:

standing committees, select committees (specific purpose for a limited time), joint committees, conference committees (both houses have to pass an identical bill); legislative oversight (monitoring bureaucracy and the execution of laws)

house of representatives chamber and debate rules

-centralized leadership

-rules committee controls the agenda

-limited debate time

-powerful speaker of the house

senate chamber and debate rules

-less centralized leadership

-committees have less authority

-loose debate with the power to filibuster (stopped with cloture)

-leaders are less powerful

filibuster

taking a bill to death

cloture

a vote to stop the filibuster

unanimous consent

approval of all senators

holds

measure to stall a bill

treaty ratification

requires a 2/3 vote

house committee of the whole

100 members present to conduct business

house discharge petition

force a bill out of comittee

expenditures

government spending

discretionary spending

congress debates to determine who will get a piece of the pie

mandatory spending

entitlement programs that must be covered as a result of legislation

-social security

-medicare and medicaid

-unemployment programs

deficit

expenditures exceed revenues in a fiscal year

pork-barrel spending

money set aside (earmarked) in a bill for a pet project in a congressman’s district

logrolling

one congressman votes for another congressman’s project hoping they will return the favor

riders

a non-related bill added to another bill likely to pass in the senate

bipartisanship

leads to negotiation and compromise

partisanship

leads to gridlock

gerrymandering

drawing district lines to benefit a political party

requirements for creating districts

contiguous, equal number of inhabitants, compact

packing districts

concentrating opposition in few districts

cracking districts

spread opposition thinly to limit winning anywhere

trustee model

representatives vote according to their conscience

delegate model

representatives vote according to their constituents wishes

partisans

representatives who have an allegiance to their party

politicos

combination of all of the all of the above

roles of the executive branch

chief of state; chief executive; chief administrator; chief diplomat; commander in chief; chief legislator; chief of party; chief citizen

veto

presidential power to stop a bill congress has passed from becoming law

(may be overridden by 2/3 vote of both houses of congress)

pocket veto

when a president does not sign a bill during the last 10 days of a congressional session

president and foreign policy

-formally the commander in chief and can sign and negotiate treaties

-informally issues executive agreements

executive orders

-implied power

-helps the president manage the federal government

signing statements

-informal power

-document informing congress and the public of how the president will interpret a law that has passed

the cabinet

-president chooses administrators

-impact on bureaucracy

-14 offices and the attorney general

-carry out the laws congress makes

national security council

advises president on foreign policy and military matters matters

office of management and budget

-prepare the presidents budget

-review legislative proposals

presidential requirements

-35 years old

-natural born citizen

-lived in the US for 14 years

presidential term

-4 years

-may serve 2 terms

presidential communication

-modern technology

-social media

-rapid response expectation

-press as the primary linkage institution between president and people

warren court

activist court of the 50s and 60s

burger court

conservative court with liberal decisions

rehnquist and roberts couts

difficult to predict with swing voters

judicial restraint

limit judicial power; only strike down laws that are obviously unconstitutional

judicial activism

judges strike down a law

supreme court restrictions

-congressional legislation to modify the impact of prior supreme court decisions

-constitutional amendments

-judicial appointments and confirmations

-the president and states evading or ignoring supreme court decisions

-legislation impacting court jurisdiction

bureaucratic tasks

-writing and enforcing regulations

-issuing fines

-testifying before congress

-issue networks and “iron triangles”

limited effectiveness reforms

political patronage

advanced effectiveness reforms

-civil service

-merit system

bureaucratic organization

-presidents cabinet

-independent regulatory commissions

-government corporations

-independent executive agencies

discretionary authority

-rule making

-implementation

congress and the bureaucracy

-approve the presidents appointments

-hold committee hearings"

-alter an agency’s budget through “power of the purse”

congressional oversight

-congress’s check on the presidents power

-authorization

-appropriations

agency implementation

impacted by:

-presidential ideology

-presidential authority

-presidential influence

compliance monitoring

ensuring companies subject to regulation are following the law

-often leads to inefficiency through:

-red tape

-waste

-duplication

-unnecessary complexity and growth

bill of rights

-first 10 amendments

-added to protect civil liberties from government abuses

civil liberties

personal freedoms protected from government interference or deprivations

interpreting the bill of rights

-job of the supreme court

-varies over time