AP Government and Politics Vocabulary

Chapter 1 Vocab

Americans

________ use free, fair, and frequent elections to hold officials accountable.

Amicus Curiae

An argument filed with a court by an individual or group who is not a party to a lawsuit

Block Grants

Federal money given to the states with a few restrictions about how it should be spent

Categorical Grants

Money given by the federal government to the states to be used for a narrowly defined purpose

Caucus

Face-to-face meetings of party members at the local or state level to determine their party's candidate for office

Enlightment principles

________ shaped American revolutionary ideas.

Americans

________ have always united for a common purpose with like- minded people.

Democracy

power held by the people

Natural rights

the right to life, liberty, and property in which gov

Social contract

people allow their government to rule over them to ensure an orderly and functioning society

"Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness"

should be self-evident under the law of nature

Popular Sovereignty

the idea that the governments right to rule comes from the people

Republicanism

the authority of the government comes from the people

Closed Primary

A vote by party members to determine their party's candidate for office, which is restricted to those who are registered to the party

Cooperative Federalism

A system where the federal government and the states work together in funding and administering programs

Critical Elections

An election where new coalitions of voters have formed, beginning a new party era

De-Alignment

When voters no longer identify with one of the two major parties and become independent voters

Demographics

The statistical characteristics of a population

Devolution

A process by which the national government gives more power and authority to the states

Divided Government

When the president is from one political party and one or both hoses of Congress are controlled by the opposing political party

Entitlements

Promises made by the government to an identifiable group of people who are guaranteed benefits

Expressed Powers

Powers that are given to an institution of government directly in the Constitution, such as Congress's power to tax

Federalism

A system of government where power is shared between the national government and the states in which the states have some protected powers

Filibuster

A procedure used in the Senate to talk a bill to death

Fiscal Federalism

The use of spending by the national government through the grant process to influence state policies

Fiscal Policy

Impacting the economy through taxing and spending in the budget

Gender Gap

The tendency of men to support candidates from the Republican party at greater rates than women

Gerrymandering

Drawing congressional district boundaries to benefit a group, usually a political party

Grassroots Lobbying

Ordinary citizens raising awareness for a cause and pushing the government to adopt a particular policy

Horse Race Journalism

The tendency for the media to focus on which candidate is ahead in the polls rather than focusing on the issues

Implied Powers

Powers that are necessary to carry out an expressed power in the Constitution, like the power of Congress to establish a bank

Independent Expenditures

Money spent on ads that are not sponsored by a candidate or party

Inherent Powers

Powers that are naturally derived from the duties of a specific government position, such as Thomas Jefferson's power as president to purchase the Louisiana Territory

Interest Group

An organization that advocates for policies through lobbying, electioneering, grassroots mobilization, and protesting