The Ultimate Guide to AP United States Government and Politics

Social contract with government

Citizens give up some freedoms in exchange for government protection and services.

Natural rights

Rights like life, liberty, and property granted by God and protected by the government.

Right to revolution

Citizens have the right to revolt if the government violates their natural rights.

Participatory democracy

Broad participation in politics by people at various statuses.

Pluralist democracy

Group-based activism by citizens with common interests seeking the same goals.

Elite democracy

Power is held by the educated/wealthy, limiting participation by the majority.

Republicanism

Supports individualism, natural rights, and popular sovereignty.

Popular sovereignty

Government power comes from the consent of the governed.

Declaration of Independence

Document declaring America's independence from Great Britain, listing grievances.

Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation

Issues like lack of taxation power, no national military, and no control over interstate trade.

Constitutional Convention

Meeting in 1787 to revise the Articles, resulting in the creation of the Constitution.

The Great Compromise

Established a bicameral legislature with the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Three-Fifths Compromise

Enslaved individuals counted as 3/5 of a person for representation in the House of Representatives.

Federalists

Supporters of the Constitution advocating for a strong central government.

Anti-Federalists

Opponents of the Constitution, preferring smaller state governments and fearing tyranny.

Electoral College

System for electing the President, with 538 electors based on state representation.

Federalist Papers

Collection of articles supporting the Constitution written by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay.

Brutus No

Anti-Federalist critique of the Constitution, questioning the power of the national government.

System of Checks and Balances

Designed to prevent any branch of government from becoming dominant.

Federalism

System where national and local governments share powers, with delegated, reserved, and concurrent powers.

Nomination Process

President selects federal judges, cabinet officials, and ambassadors, subject to Senate approval.

Treaty Negotiation

President negotiates treaties, needing 2/3 Senate approval for them to take effect.

Legislative Enactment

Congress passes laws, subject to presidential veto; veto can be overridden by 2/3 majority in both houses.

Amendment Process

Addition of provisions to the Constitution, requiring 2/3 approval from Congress and 3/4 ratification by states.

State Governments

Have executive branches led by governors, bicameral legislatures, and the power to enact state laws.

Congressional Structure

Congress consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate, with unique powers and responsibilities.

Redistricting

Redrawing district boundaries to ensure equal population representation, sometimes leading to gerrymandering.

Legislative Process

Involves bill introduction, debate, and voting in both houses, with potential for veto, override, and committee work.

Committee Legislation

Most legislative work occurs in committees, where bills are debated, amended, and prepared for floor votes.

Congressional Leadership

House has a speaker, majority leader, minority leader, and whips; Senate has a president pro tempore and vice president.

Majority Leader

Controls agenda, acts as policy initiator and power broker, usually given to oldest member of the majority party.

Minority Leader

Similar to majority leader but not a policy initiator or agenda controller.

Pressure to Influence Vote

Comes from own party, opposition, President, colleagues, PACs, constituents, and interest groups.

Notable Legislation - Northwest Ordinance (1787, 1789)

Provided guidelines for settling new territories and creating new states, reaffirmed in the Constitution in 1789.

Notable Legislation - Pendleton Act (1883)

Got rid of the spoils system for government job selection, set up exam-based merit system for candidates.

Notable Legislation - Sherman Anti-Trust Act (1890)

Gave Congress power to regulate and disassemble monopolies in the US.

Notable Legislation - Espionage Act (1917), Sedition Act (1918)

Reduced rights of Americans during war and increased federal government’s power to control public activity.

The President - Commander in Chief

Chief strategist and director of military, relies on Congress for money, can mobilize armed forces.

The President - Executive Office of the President

Helps carry out president’s administrative responsibilities, includes Chief of Staff, National Security Council, Domestic Policy Council, etc.

The Cabinet

Created through custom and usage, run departments, deflect criticism, and explain/promote policy.

Impeachment

Gives Congress the ability to remove the president for crimes, House impeaches, Senate holds trial with Chief Justice presiding.

Types of Law - Criminal Law

Involves crimes that harm others, prosecution must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, held before petit juries.

Types of Law - Civil Law

Solves conflicts over custody, contracts, property, or liability, plaintiff vs. defendant, settlement used to avoid trial.

Structure and Jurisdiction - Federal Courts

Responsible for interpreting/settling disputes from federal law, three levels including District Courts, Circuit Court of Appeals, and Supreme Court.

The Politics of the Judiciary

Judges appointed by the president for life, must go through confirmation process in Senate, appointments have become political.

Judicial Review

The power of the Supreme Court to review and potentially invalidate laws or governmental actions that are deemed unconstitutional.

Writ of Certiorari

A document issued by the Supreme Court to request the lower court's transcripts for review when at least four justices agree to hear a case.

Justiciable

Cases that involve a real legal dispute and are eligible for judicial review.

Standing

The requirement that a petitioner must have a direct interest in the outcome of a case to bring it before the Supreme Court.

Marbury v

Landmark case where Chief Justice John Marshall established the principle of judicial review.

Amicus Curiae Briefs

Legal documents submitted by interest groups not directly involved in a case to provide additional arguments and influence the justices.

Unanimous Opinion

A Supreme Court decision where all justices agree, carrying significant weight in future legal cases.

Majority Opinion

The official decision of the Supreme Court, supported by the majority of the justices.

Concurring Opinion

Written by justices who agree with the majority decision but for different reasons.

Dissenting Opinion

A statement written by justices who disagree with the majority decision.

Bureaucracy

The administrative system responsible for implementing government policies and programs.

Government Corporations

Hybrid organizations combining aspects of private businesses and government agencies to generate revenue and support themselves.

Regulatory Agencies

Independent bodies tasked with overseeing specific sectors to ensure compliance with laws and regulations.

Civil Liberties

Protections from government abuse of power, as outlined in the Bill of Rights.

Civil Rights

Protections against discrimination based on factors like race, gender, or other minority statuses.

United States v

A 5-4 decision ruling that states cannot impede citizens' rights to keep and bear arms.

Third Amendment

Forbids quartering of soldiers and direct public support of armed forces, considered the most antiquated amendment.

Fourth Amendment

Restricts government agencies in investigations, protects against "unreasonable searches and seizures," requires police to justify searches before a judge.

Exclusionary Rule

Prohibits the use of evidence illegally obtained by police in court.

Fifth Amendment

Protects citizens from federal government powers, includes rights to grand jury, protection from double jeopardy, and eminent domain.

Gideon v

A 1963 case establishing the right to an attorney under the 6th Amendment.

Miranda Rights

Rights to remain silent, have an attorney, and protection against self-incrimination when arrested.

Sixth Amendment

Allows the accused to be prosecuted by an impartial jury, informed of charges, confront witnesses, and have a lawyer.

Ninth Amendment

Ensures rights not mentioned in the Constitution are still protected, including implied right to privacy.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Increased rights of African Americans and minorities, banned discrimination in public areas and government-funded programs.

Objective News Reporting

Most news organizations strive to present news in an unbiased manner, catering to consumers from various political spectrums.

Time and Space Bias

Constraints like limited time and space can lead to bias in news reporting, favoring simpler and faster stories.

Political Influence on News

Politicians often try to influence news coverage through tactics like photo ops, press releases, and planning appearances based on audience demographics.

Political Participation Models

Rational choice, retrospective voting, prospective voting, and party-line voting are models that explain citizen participation in elections.

Political Parties

Organizations with similar ideologies that aim to influence election outcomes and legislative issues, endorsing candidates and expecting loyalty to party goals.

Functions of Political Parties

Recruiting candidates, mobilizing voters, providing campaign funds, organizing government activities, and promoting negotiation and compromise in society.

Party Coalitions

Political parties form coalitions to attract voters, relying on certain groups for support and creating winning strategies.

Third Parties

Represent constituencies feeling disenfranchised by major parties, forming around ideologies or single issues, but often face challenges due to the two-party system.

Interest Groups

Organizations lobbying for specific political goals, influencing government through tactics like direct lobbying, socializing, political donations, and propaganda.

PACs and Super PACs

Political Action Committees raise campaign funds with restrictions, while Super PACs have no fundraising limits but must not coordinate with candidates, influencing elections through donations and advertisements.

Testing the Waters

Pre-primary activities to increase public profile, take positions on issues, and assemble campaign staff.

Campaign Finance

Importance of raising money, federal matching funds, spending limits, and consequences for not meeting requirements.

National Conventions

Events to confirm nominees, unify party, negotiate party platform, and impact on general election results.

Electoral College

System where states' electors determine the winner, focus on swing states, and campaigning differences from primaries.

Media Influence

Role of news media in providing campaign information, focus on polls, and impact on voter turnout.

Policy Making Objectives

Purposes of policy making, dependence on public opinion, issue-attention cycle, and trade-offs in decision-making.

Economic Policy

Importance of economy in policy making, mixed economies, government intervention, and economic theories like Keynesian economics.

Fiscal Policy

Government actions on taxes, spending, deficit spending, and supply-side economics.

Monetary Policy

Government control of money supply through actions of the Federal Reserve Board and its impact on the economy.

Trade Policy

Balance of trade, trade deficits, trade wars, GATT, NAFTA, and USMCA.

Domestic Policy

Differences between liberal and conservative views on social-welfare programs, Social Security, and Medicare.

Medicaid

Provides medical/health-related services for low-income individuals; funded by states and federal government and managed/run by states.

Temporary Unemployment Insurance

Provides a limited weekly benefit; administered by state governments but both federal and state governments pay into trust fund to provide benefit.

Social Welfare

Federal welfare programs established by Social Security Act in 1930s; includes programs like Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).

Public Assistance Programs

Help families whose total income is below federally determined minimum required to provide for basic needs of the family.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

Helps disabled and aged individuals living at or near the poverty level.

SNAP Benefits

Provides food stamps to improve the diet and buying power of the poor.

Welfare Reform Act (1996)

Aims to reduce the number of people living on public assistance through measures like lifetime limits and work requirements.

Health Care Expenditure

Americans spend more than 17% of GDP on health care, making it the most expensive health care system globally.

Universal Health Care

Electorate divided on how to solve issues of universal health care and health care costs, with differing opinions on government-run vs. private insurance programs.