AP Gov vocab

Advice and consent

Formal approval on presidential appointments

Anti-federalist

Argued for a truly federal government, feared strong executive and Congress' power to tax

Articles of Confederation

Series of statements that defined the initial national government and redefined the former colonies as states

Bicameral

Two house legislature

Bill of Rights

Includes many essential rights, most of which were violated under the oppressive British regime

Checks and balances

Limiting powers each branch can use on others

Commerce clause

Empowers Congress to regulate commerce with other nations and among the several states

Declaration of Independence

Official statement to summarize the colonists' views that justified the break from Britain and proclaimed reasons for independence

Electoral College

Each state would have same number of electors as representatives and people who vote for electors to choose the president

Elite democracy

Elected representatives to make decisions and acts as trustees for the people who elected them. Elites, people with power and money, dominate.

Enumerated powers

Power to tax, borrow money, raise an army, create a postal system, address piracy on the seas, and define the immigration and naturalization process and a few others

Extradition

Return fugitives to states where they had committed crimes and runaway slaves to states they had fled

Federalist Papers

Authors writing to assure citizens that they had created a federal system and that states had not lost their importance. Allay fears that the Constitution would subject people in the states to abuses by new government

Federalism

Balance of power among a central/national authority/government and state/regional authority. Assures a limited government.

Federalist

Endorsed the Constitution

Full faith and credit clause

Requires states to be open about their laws and encourages states to respect one another's laws. States cannot favor their citizens over others

Grand Committee

The matter of representation was referred to a committee made up of one delegate from each state at the convention

Great Compromise

Created a two-house composed of a House of Representatives and a SEnate

House of Representatives

From Congress, seats awarded based on population and those wanting equal representation

Impeachment

Accusation, an indictment of wrongdoing

James Madison

Influenced the creation of the Constitution, strong supporter of Constitution, wrote Federalist Papers, nickname is Father of the Constitution

Judicial Review

Courts can deem an act of legislature unconstitutional when deciding a case

National supremacy/supremacy clause

Makes certain all states must adhere to the Constitution

Natural law

Law of God and acknowledge through human sense and reason. People were born free and equal. Right to rebel when rulers did not respect consent of governed

Necessary and proper (elastic) clause

Congress shall have power to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution for foregoing powers

New Jersey Plan

States would retain sovereignty, national legislature would have only limited and defined powers, no national courts

Participatory democracy

Direct participation of many. People vote directly for laws and other matters that affect them

Pluralist democracy

Nongovernmental groups organize to try to exert influence on political decision making in interest groups

Pocket veto

When a president refuses to sign a bill at the end of a legislative session

Popular sovereignty

The people as ultimate ruling authority

Preamble

Constitution's mission statement that starts with "we the people" and outlines the purpose of the new government including "establishing justice" and providing for a "common defense"

Representative republic

A collection of sovereign states gathered for the national interest, national needs, and national defense

Republicanism

People elect representatives who are responsible to make and carry out laws

Reserved powers

Not specifically listed and thus any powers not mentioned remain with the states

Senate

Two senators from each state regardless of state's size

Separation of powers

Defining the distinct responsibilities and limits of each branch to keep any one branch from becoming too powerful

Social contract

Contact between democratic government and the people. If a government violated the contract, people take that power back

Three-Fifths Compromise

Northern and southern delegates agreed to count only three of evert five slaves to determine representation in the House

Two-thirds override

If a president vetoes a bill, Congress, each house acting separately, can reverse the veto with two-thirds super majority vote in each house

USA PATRIOT Act

Law covered intelligence gathering and sharing by executive branch agencies, points of criminal procedure and border protection after 9/11 attacks

Veto

Presidential power to reject a bill

Virginia Plan

Created a three-branch system of government by 15 resolves, becomes blueprint for the Constitution

Block grants

Congress offers larger sums of money to states to take care of large purpose without any strings

Categorical grants

Federal government offers money as long as states follow federal guidelines

Compact theory

The states created the national government and could judge whether federal authorities broke the compact(contract) by overstepping their limited authority

Concurrent powers

Powers held both by state and federal

Conditions of aid/strings

Specific requirements attached to categorical grants

Cooperative federalism/ Fiscal federalism/ Revenue sharing

Congress distributes federal tax revenues to states to take care of particular national concerns

Delegated powers

Expressed powers in the Constitution

Devolution

Devolving some responsibilities assumed by the federal government back to the states

Dual federalism

National government is supreme in its sphere and the states are equally supreme in their own sphere

Federal income tax

Expanded Congress’ reach of regulation in order to tax

Grants-in-aid

Federal funds given to states to address basic needs but come in different forms with different requirements

Implied powers

Powers not specifically listed in the Constitution but deriving from the elastic clause

Mandates

Require states to comply with a federal directive, sometimes with reward of funds and sometimes without

Marble cake federalism

Federal, state, local governments, and even private groups share federal money with interrelated goals

McCulloch v. Maryland

Banking is part of the federal government’s business and appropriate under the necessary and proper clause

New Federalism

Transferring certain powers from the federal government back to the states

Nullification

Gave states the right to declare null and void and federal law states thought violated the Constitution

Police powers

States have powers to create and enforce laws on health, safety, and morals

Privileges and immunities clause

Protects rights of individual citizens and restricts states from discriminating against out of state citizens

Selective exclusiveness

Doctrine asserting that Congress may regulate when a commodity requires national uniformity

Strict constructionist

Someone who believes the Constitution should be interpreted literally

Strings

Specific requirements attached

Unitary government

Single governing authority in a central capital uniform law throughout the land

United States v. Lopez

A gun near school property does not have an impact on interstate commerce and is not covered by the commerce clause

Whiskey Rebellion

Controversy over federal tax on whiskey distillers that required military force to end. Questioned growing federal power

Article I

Legislative branch, Congress, make laws

Article II

Executive branch, President, enforce laws

Article III

Judicial branch, Supreme court, interpret laws

Article IV

States and their relationship with national government

Article V

How to add amendments

Article VI

Constitution is the supreme law of the land

Article VII

How to ratify the constitution

1st

5 freedoms: Speech, Petition, Religion, Assembly, Press

2nd

Right to bear arms

3rd

Against quartering troops

4th

Against unlawful search and seizure

5th

Rights of accused: formal charges, against double jeopardy and self-incrimination

6th

Right to speedy, fair trail and lawyer

7th

Right to civil suits (suing but not criminal)

8th

Against unreasonable bail or punishment

9th

Any other rights reserved to the people

10th

Powers reserved to the states

11th

States sued in own courts

12th

President and Vice President on separate ballots

13th

Abolished slavery

14th

Defines citizens, right to due process for all, equal protection for all

15th

No racial discrimination for voting

16th

Income tax allowed

17th

Direct vote for senators

18th

Alcohol prohibited

19th

Women can vote

20th

“Lame duck amendment” and changes date for presidential term

21st

Alcohol allowed

22nd

President is limited to two terms

23rd

Citizens of Washington, D.C. can vote for president

24th

No poll tax

25th

Presidential succession and disability

26th

18-year-olds may vote