AP Government Semester I

anarchy

the absence of any form of government or political authority

aristocracy

rule by the “best”; in reality, rule by an upper class

authoritarianism

a type of regime in which only the government is fully controlled by the ruler; social and economic institutions exist that are not under the government’s control

capitalism

an economic system characterized by the private ownership of wealth-creating assets, free markets, and freedom of contract

conservatism

a set of beliefs that includes a limited role for the national government in helping individuals, support for traditional values and life-styles, and a cautious response to change

democracy

a system of government in which political authority is vested in the people

democratic republic

a republic in which representatives elected by the people make and enforce laws and policies

direct democracy

a system of government in which political decisions are made by the people directly, rather than by their elected representatives; probably attained most easily in small political communities

divine right of kings

a political and religious doctrine that asserts a monarchy’s legitimacy is conferred directly by God and as such a king is not subject to any earthly authority, including his people or the church

elite theory

a perspective holding that society is ruled by a small number of people who exercise power to further their self-interest

eminent domain

a power set forth in the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that allows government to take private property for public use under the condition that compensation is offered to the landowner

equality

as a political value, the idea that all people are of equal worth

government

the preeminent institution in which decisions are made that resolve conflicts or allocate benefits and privileges; it is unique because it has the ultimate authority within society

Hispanic

someone who can claim heritage from a Spanish-speaking country other than Spain; this is the term most often used by government agencies to describe this group; citizens of Spanish-speaking countries do not use this term to describe themselves

ideology

a comprehensive set of beliefs about the nature of people and about the role of an institution or government

initiative

a procedure by which voters can propose a law or constitutional amendment

institution

an ongoing organization that performs certain functions for society

Latino

preferred term for referring to individuals who claim a heritage from a Spanish-speaking country other than Spain

legislature

a governmental body primarily responsible for the making of laws

liberalism

a set of beliefs that includes the advocacy of positive government action to improve the welfare of individuals, support for civil rights, and tolerance for political and social change

libertarianism

a political ideology based on skepticism or opposition toward almost all government activities

liberty

the greatest freedom of individuals that is consistent with the freedom of other individuals in the society

limited government

the principle that the powers of government should be limited, usually by constitutional checks

majoritarianism

a political theory holding that in a democracy, the government ought to do what the majority of the people want; majority imposes itself over the minority

majority

more than 50%

majority rule

a basic principle of democracy asserting that the greatest number of citizens in any political unit should select officials and determine policy;

oligarchy

rule by the few in their own interests

order

a state of peace and security; maintaining order by protecting members of society from violence and criminal activity is the oldest purpose of government

pluralism

a theory that views politics as a conflict among interest groups; political decision making is characterized by bargaining and compromise

political culture

the set of ideals, values, and ways of thinking about government and politics that is shared by all citizens

political socialization

the process through which individuals learn a set of political attitudes and form opinions about social issues; families and the educational system are two of the most important forces in this process

politics

the process of resolving conflicts and deciding “who gets what, when, and how”; more specifically, the struggle over power or influence within organizations or informal groups that can grant or withhold benefits or privileges

property

anything that is or may be subject to ownership; as conceived by the political philosopher John Locke, the right to property is a natural right superior to human law

recall

a procedure allowing people to vote to dismiss an elected official from state office before his or her term has expired

referendum

an electoral device whereby legislative or constitutional measures are referred by legislature to the voters for approval or disapproval

representative democracy

a form of government in which representatives elected by the people make and enforce laws and policies; may retain the monarchy in a ceremonial role

republic

a form of government in which sovereignty rests with the people, as opposed to a king or monarch

social contract

a theory of politics that asserts that individuals form political communities by a process of mutual consent, giving up a measure of their individual liberty in order to gain the protection of government

socialism

a political ideology based on strong support for economic and social equality; traditionally envision a society in which major businesses are taken over by the government or by employee cooperatives

totalitarian regime

a form of government that controls all aspects of the political and social life of a nation

universal suffrage

the right of all adults to vote for their representative

Anti-Federalist

an individual who opposed the ratification of the new Constitution in 1787; opposed to a strong central government

bicameral legislature

the division of a legislature into two separate assemblies

checks and balances

a major principle of the American system of government whereby each branch of the government can check the actions of the others

confederation

a political system in which states or regional governments retain ultimate authority except for those powers they expressly delegate to a central government; a voluntary association of independent states, in which the member states agree to limited restraints on their freedom of action

electoral college

a group of persons called electors selected by the voters in each state and the District of Columbia; this group officially elects the president and vice president of the United States; the number of electors in each state is equal to the number of each state’s representatives in both chambers of Congress

Federalist

the name given to one who was in favor of the adoption of the U.S. Constitution and the creation of a federal union with a strong central government

federal system

a system of government in which power is divided between a central government and regional, or subdivisional, governments; each level must have some domain in which its policies are dominant and some genuine political or constitutional guarantee of its authority

Great Compromise

the compromise between the New Jersey and Virginia plans that created one chamber of the Congress based on population and one chamber representing each state equally; also called the Connecticut Compromise

Madisonian Model

a structure of government proposed by James Madison in which the powers of the government are separated into three branches; executive, legislative, and judicial

natural rights

rights held to be inherent in natural law, not dependent on governments; the rights of “life, liberty, and property”

ratification

formal approval

representative assembly

a legislature composed of individuals who represent the population

separation of powers

the principle of dividing governmental powers among different branches of government

social contract

a theory of politics that asserts that individuals form political communities by a process of mutual consent, giving up a measure of their individual liberty in order to gain the protection of government

state

a group of people occupying a specific area and organized under one government; may be either a nation or a subunit of a nation

supremacy doctrine

a doctrine that asserts the priority of national law over state laws; the principle is rooted in Article VI of the Constitution, which provides that the Constitution, the laws passed by the national government under its constitutional powers, and all treaties constitute the supreme law of the land

unicameral legislature

a legislature with only one legislative chamber, as opposed to a bicameral legislature, such as the U.S. Congress. Today, Nebraska is the only state in the Union with this kind of legislature

block grant

federal programs that provide funds to state and local governments for general functional areas, such as criminal justice or mental health programs

categorical grants

federal grants to states or local governments that are for specific programs or projects

commerce clause

the section of the Constitution in which Congress is given the power to regulate trade among the states and with foreign countries

concurrent powers

powers held jointly by the national and state governments

confederal system

a system consisting of a league of independent states, each having essentially sovereign powers; the central government created by such a league has only limited powers over the states

cooperative federalism

the theory that the states and the national government should cooperate in solving problems

devolution

the transfer of powers from a national or central government to a state or local government

dual federalism

a system in which the states and the national government each remains supreme within their own sphere; the doctrine looks on nation and state as coequal sovereign powers; neither the state government nor the national government should interfere in the other’s sphere

elastic clause

Necessary and Proper Clause; the clause in Article I, Section 8, that grants Congress the power to do whatever is necessary to execute its specifically delegated powers

extradite

to surrender an accused or convicted criminal to the authorities of the state from which he or she has fled; to return a fugitive criminal to the jurisdiction of the accusing state

federalism

a system of government in which power is divided by a written constitution between a central government and regional or subdivisional governments; each level must have some domain in which its policies are dominant and some genuine constitutional guarantee of its authority

federal mandate

a requirement in federal legislation that forces states and municipalities to comply with certain rules

full faith and credit clause

this section of the Constitution requires states to recognize one another’s laws and court decisions; it ensures that rights established under deeds, wills, contracts, and other civil matters in one state will be honored by other states

horizontal control

a check against the expansion of government power that relies on checks and balances between branches of government on the same level

interstate compact

an agreement between two or more states; agreements on minor matters are made without congressional consent, but any compact that tends to increase the power of the contracting states relative to other states or relative to the national government generally requires the consent of Congress; such compacts serve as a means by which states can solve regional problems

new judicial federalism

the increased reliance of state courts of last resort on state constitutions rather than on the federal Constitution for the protection of individual rights

police power

the authority to legislate for the protection of the health, morals, safety, and welfare of the people; in the United States, most is reserved to the states

privileges and immunities

special rights and exceptions provided by law; states may not discriminate against one another’s citizens

supremacy clause

the constitutional provision that makes the Constitution and federal laws superior to all conflicting state and local laws

unitary system

a centralized governmental system in which local or subdivisional governments exercise only those powers given to them by the central government

vertical control

a structural check against the accumulation of too much power in any one level of government (national or state)

fiscal year

a 12-month period that is used for bookkeeping or accounting purposed; usually , the fiscal year does not coincide with the calendar year; for example, the federal government’s runs from October 1 through September 30

franking

a policy that enables members of Congress to send material through the mail by substituting their facsimile signature for postage

gerrymandering

the drawing of legislative district boundary lines to obtain partisan of factional advantage; a district is said to be gerrymandered when its shape is manipulated by the dominant party in the state legislature to maximize electoral strength at the expense of the minority party

hillstyle

the actions and behaviors of a member of Congress in Washington, DC, intended to promote policies and the member’s own career aspirations

homestyle

the actions and behaviors of a member of Congress aimed at the constituents and intended to win the support and trust of the voters at home

instructed delegates

a legislator who is an agent of the voters who elected him or her and who votes according to the views of constituents regardless of personal beliefs

joint committee

a legislative committee composed of members from both chambers of Congress

justiciable question

a question that may be raised and reviewed in court

lawmaking

the process of establishing the legal rules that govern society

logrolling

an arrangement in which two or more members of Congress agree in advance to support each other’s bills

majority leader of the House

a legislative position held by an important party member in the House of Representatives; selected by the majority party in caucus or conference to foster cohesion among party members and to act as spokesperson for the majority party in the House

minority leader of the House

the party leader elected by the minority party in the House

ombudsperson

a person who hears and investigates complaints by private individuals against public officials or agencies

oversight

the process by which Congress follows up on laws it has enacted to ensure that they are being enforced and administered in the way Congress intended

party identifiers

a person who identifies with a political party

polarization

strong division between groups of people over beliefs

pork

special projects or appropriations that are intended to benefit a member’s district or state; slang term for earmarks

president pro tempore

the temporary presiding officer of the Senate in the absence of the vice president

reapportionment

the allocation of seats in the House of Representatives to each state after each census

redistricting

the redrawing of the boundaries of the congressional districts within each state

representation

the function of members of Congress as elected officials representing the views of their constituents