AP US Gov Unit 1 Vocab

Clean Air Act (1970)

legislation calling for improved air quality and decreased contaminants

Clean Water Act (1972)

legislation regulating the discharge of pollutants into waterways and monitors water quality standards

Clean Air Act (1970)

legislation calling for improved air quality and decreased contaminants

Clean Water Act (1972)

legislation regulating the discharge of pollutants into waterways and monitors water quality standards

Controlled Substances Act (1970)

comprehensive federal drug policy passed as part of Nixon’s “War on Drugs”

Elementary and Secondary Education Act (1965)

legislation that provided federal funding to states and institutions that met the requirements of the act

Every Student Succeeds Act (2015)

legislation which turned education accountability back over to the states

Kyoto Protocol (1997)

international agreement that requires members to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

National Environmental Protection Act (1972)

the first major federal environmental protection legislation

No Child Left Behind Act (2002)

states were placed under stricter federal supervision of standardized testing and student achievement

Paris Agreement (2015)

an international climate agreement; Obama joined by executive order; Trump used the same method to leave (twice)

Endangered Species Act

gave power to the national fish and wildlife service to protect endangered species

Commerce Clause

clause in article 1 of the constitution that allows Congress to regulate interstate and international commerce

Dual Federalism

system in which the national government is supreme in its sphere, and the states supreme in theirs

Elastic Clause

another name for the “necessary and proper clause”; states that Congress has “implied powers” which are not directly stated in the Constitution

Enumerated Powers

those powers explicitly given to the federal government in the Constitution

Fourteenth Amendment

declares that any individual born on American soil is an American citizen

Implied Powers

those powers of the federal government not explicitly given to it in the Constitution

Necessary and Proper Clause

another name for the “elastic clause”; states that Congress has “implied powers” which are not directly stated in the Constitution

Selective Exclusiveness

a doctrine which states that Congress may only regulate issues that require a uniform national rule

Tenth Amendment

delegates certain powers to the federal government, and leaves the rest to the states

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

established the implied powers and supremacy of the federal government

United States v. Lopez (1995)

narrowed the regulatory ability of Congress under the Commerce Clause

Concurrent Powers

powers possessed by both the state and federal governments; such as taxation and law enforcement

Defense of Marriage Act (1996)

controversial legislation that stated that legal marriage was only to be recognized between a “man and a woman”

Exclusive Powers

powers delegated only to the federal government, such as declaration of war, foreign relations, and interstate commerce

Extradition

clause in article 4 of the Constitution which states that a criminal must be returned to the state in which the crime was committed before he can face trial

Federalism

the sharing of powers between the national and state governments

Full Faith and Credit

clause in article 4 of the constitution that says states must respect the laws of other states

Police Powers

powers delegated to the states; such as healthcare, public safety, and education

Privileges and Immunities

clause in article 4 of the Constitution that states that privileges given in one state may not be taken away in another.

Supremacy Clause

a clause in article 6 of the constitution that ranks federal law above state law

Block Grants

grants given to states for a broad, generalized purpose

Categorial Grants

grants given with particular conditions attached

Cooperative Federalism

a type of federalism that allows for both the national and state governments to work together to achieve common goals for their nation

Devolution

the return of power to the states; popular under Reagan’s “New Federalism” philosophy

Federal Grants

programs run by the federal government that loan money to individuals or groups

Fiscal Federalism

a concept of federalism where funding is given by the federal government to the states with specific conditions attached

Grant-in-Aid Programs

federal program in which money is lent to states that “qualify for aid” and withheld when states do not qualify

Mandates

federal orders requiring states to comply with a certain directive; sometimes rewarded and sometimes not

Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (1996)

legislation passed in the Clinton administration that returned authority and distribution of welfare to the states

Revenue Sharing

federal program which distributes federal tax revenues among the states to take care of national concerns

advice and consent

the ability of the Senate to suggest and formally approve presidential appointments to cabinet and Supreme Court positions

checks and balances

a system that allows branches of government to limit each others’ power

impeachment

the ability of Congress to remove a president from office; the House is able to accuse a federal official of wrongdoing; a supermajority vote from the Senate is required for the impeachment to be official

stakeholders

people or groups who will be affected by the policies

pocket veto

the president’s ability to reject a law proposed by Congress, specifically at the end of a legislative session

two-thirds override

the ability of Congress to overturn a presidential veto by a supermajority vote of both houses

Federalist no. 51

written by James Madison; argues the necessity of separation of powers as a safeguard against tyranny

separation of powers

the structure of the federal government, so that no one branch can accumulate too much power

veto

the president’s ability to reject a law proposed by Congress

Articles of Confederation

first U.S. constitution; ratified in 1781; lacked the power to tax or enforce laws

Shays’ Rebellion

armed uprising of farmers in 1786 and 1787; showed the weakness of the articles of confederation

Article V

the portion of the constitution that sets forth the amendment process

bicameral

a legislature made up of two houses

Bill of Rights

the first ten amendments to the constitution; sets out personal rights and freedoms

Constitutional Convention

Electoral College

a system in which states can choose electors, who then vote for the president; the number of electors is equal to the number of senators plus the number of congresspeople

Every Student Succeeds Act (2015)

new education law signed by Obama; states are free to determine their own standards of education, so long as they are approved by the federal government

Great (Connecticut) Compromise

a plan that incorporated elements of both the Virginia and New Jersey plans; created two houses of Congress, one proportional and one equal

New Jersey Plan

an idea pushed by small states, such as New Jersey, to make congressional representation equal across all states; this would prevent larger states from having too much power

No Child Left Behind (2002)

legislature that called for improvements in teaching methods and education standards across the nation; the government massively increase its role and oversight in the education system

Race to the Top

Obama-era initiative that offered incentives to states that adopted new standards of education, in contrast to the sanctions of No Child Left Behind

ratification

the process of formally consenting to a document, such as the constitution

Three-Fifth Compromise

a plan that would count a slave as three-fifths of a person for congressional representation purposes

USA PATRIOT Act (2001)

counter-terrorist legislation passed in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks; its constitutionality was debated due to the loss of personal privacy of many Americans

Virginia Plan

an idea pushed by large states, such as Virginia, to make congressional representation proportional to state population

Anti-Federalists

did not support the Constitution; feared a strong central government would easily lead to tyranny

Brutus no. 1

Anti-Federalist document commenting on the dangers of an over-centralized government

faction

an early term for what have now become political parties

Federalists

supported the Constitution; recognized the need for a centralized government that would provide stability and security

Federalist no. 10

one of the “Federalist Papers”; argued against factions and commented on the dangers they pose

Anti-Federalists

early American faction that believed a strong federal government would not adequately represent the diverse interests of the American people; opposed the Constitution and resented the initial lack of a Bill of Rights

elite democracy

a form of democracy in which only a small portion of the population is able to participate; represented in American through congress, the supreme court, and the electoral college

Federalist

an early American faction that believed a strong federal government was necessary in order to prevent too many competing individual interests from making democracy to hard to effectively execute; strong advocates of the Constitution

initiative

an example of participatory democracy in America; the power of the people to place a measure on the ballot for popular vote

interest group

an example of pluralist democracy in America; a group of like-minded individuals who lobby for issues that benefit them and campaign for candidates who represent their interests; examples include unions and the NAACP

participatory democracy

a form of democracy that relies on community participation in government actions; common in America at the local level where individuals can vote on laws and taxes

pluralist democracy

a form of democracy in which like-minded people form groups that campaign for representative and issues that they feel will benefit their cause or interests

representative democracy

a form of democracy in which citizens elect representatives that they feel will benefit them and act in their best interests; these leaders are then in charge of creating and passing laws, rather than direct citizen participation

John Adams

founding father; Federalist; part of the drafting committee for the Declaration of Independence

Declaration of Independence

the document formally declaring the American Colonies’ departure from the British Empire

Benjamin Franklin

founding father; member of both the continental congress and the constitutional convention; part of the drafting committee for the Declaration of Independence

Grand Committee

group made of one delegate from each state represented at the constitutional convention

Alexander Hamilton

founding father; federalist; instrumental in shaping the formation of the new constitution; first secretary of the treasury

Thomas Hobbes

British philosopher and author of The Leviathan; argued that man needed an absolute sovereign to hold society together

Thomas Jefferson

founding father; author of the Declaration of Independence

limited government

a government kept under control by checks and balances, separation of powers, and respects individual liberties

John Locke

British philosopher; argued that all men are born free and equal and that there is an obligation to rebel when the rule of kings fails

James Madison

founding father; nicknamed the “father of the Constitution”

Baron de Montesquieu

French philospher; argued for the separation of powers

natural law

the idea that all men are born free under God and cannot be subjected to another’s power without consent

popular sovereignty

the concept that the people are the ultimate ruling authority

representative republic

a governmental system in which citizens elect officials who are tasked with making and carrying out laws with the people’s best interests in mind

republicanism

a form of government in which citizens elect their leaders

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

French philosopher and author of The Social Contract; argued for the concept of an agreement between free people to abandon certain rights in order to be secure under a single governing body

U.S. Constitution

the foundational document of American government; sets out the rules for government action and policy

George Washington

founding father; first American president