AP Government and Politics: Units 1-5 Comprehensive Review

Practice flashcards covering essential vocabulary, foundational documents, Supreme Court cases, and political theories from AP Government and Politics Units 1 through 5.

Natural Rights

Inalienable rights that belong to every human and cannot be taken away by the government, specifically life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Popular Sovereignty

The political principle that the government’s power comes from the consent of the people.

Republicanism

A political ideology where power rests with the people, who exercise that power by electing representatives to govern them.

Social Contract

An agreement where the people give up some individual rights to a government in exchange for protection, order, and living in an organized society, based on the people’s consent.

Participatory Democracy

A model of democracy where people are heavily involved in politics and decision-making through activities like voting in elections and town hall meetings.

Elite Democracy

A model of democracy where a small group of wealthy or educated people influences decisions, exemplified by the electoral college and major political donors.

Pluralist Democracy

A model of democracy where many groups, such as interest groups like the NRA or NAACP, compete to influence policy.

Faction

A group of people with shared interests or beliefs that might go against the interests of others.

Shays’ Rebellion

An uprising by farmers due to debt and taxes that the national government could not stop, demonstrating that the Articles of Confederation were too weak.

Great Compromise / Connecticut Compromise

An agreement that created a bicameral legislation consisting of a House based on population and a Senate with equal representation for all states.

Three-Fifths Compromise

A constitutional agreement where each enslaved person counted as $\frac{3}{5}$ of a person for the purposes of representation and taxation.

Federalist No. 10

An essay arguing that a large republic would help control the negative effects of factions.

Brutus No. 1

An Anti-Federalist document that argued against the new federal system, claiming it would erode state sovereignty and local self-government.

Federalism

A system in which government power is divided into two distinct levels: state government and national government.

Expressed / Enumerated Powers

Specific powers written directly in the Constitution for Congress, such as the power to coin money or declare war.

Implied Powers

Powers not explicitly written in the Constitution but allowed through the Necessary and Proper Clause, such as creating a national bank.

Concurrent Powers

Powers shared by both national and state governments, such as taxing and building roads.

Reserved Powers

Powers not delegated to the federal government that are kept specifically for the states under the 10th Amendment, such as education and marriage laws.

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

A Supreme Court case that established the Supremacy Clause and implied powers, ruling that states cannot tax the federal government.

United States v. Lopez (1995)

A Supreme Court case where the court ruled Congress went too far using the Commerce Clause to ban guns near schools, returning power to the states.

Bicameral

A two-house legislature consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

War Powers Resolution Act of 1973

A law that limits the president’s ability to send troops into combat without the approval of Congress.

Speaker of the House

The leader of the House of Representatives who sets the legislative agenda and assigns bills to committees.

Whip

A party leader in both the House and Senate who helps gather votes and communicates party positions to members.

Filibuster

A tactic in the Senate where a senator speaks for an extended period to delay or block a vote on a bill.

Cloture

A procedure in the Senate requiring $60$ votes to end a filibuster.

Discharge Petition

A procedure that forces a bill out of committee and onto the House floor for a vote.

Discretionary Spending

The part of the federal budget that Congress chooses to fund annually, such as education, transportation, and the military.

Mandatory Spending

Budget items that must be funded by law, such as Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.

Pork Barrel Legislation

When members of Congress direct federal money to local projects in their districts to gain political support.

Logrolling

An agreement between members of Congress to support each other’s bills.

Gerrymandering

The process of drawing district lines to favor one political party over another.

Baker v. Carr (1962)

A landmark case that established the 'one person, one vote' principle and allowed federal courts to review redistricting cases.

Shaw v. Reno (1993)

A case ruling that racial gerrymandering is unconstitutional if race is the primary factor in drawing district lines.

Pocket Veto

A method where the president ignores a bill at the end of a session, causing it to die if Congress adjourns within $10$ days.

Executive Orders

Rules issued by the president that have the force of law without needing Congressional approval.

Signing Statements

Comments added by the president when signing a bill into law, explaining their interpretation of the legislation.

Federalist No. 70

An essay by Alexander Hamilton arguing for a strong, energetic single executive to ensure decisiveness and accountability.

Federalist No. 78

An essay by Alexander Hamilton arguing for an independent judiciary with life tenure to protect judges from political pressure.

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

The Supreme Court case that established the power of judicial review.

Stare Decisis

A legal principle that means the courts follow previous decisions to keep the law consistent.

Selective Incorporation

The constitutional doctrine where most rights in the Bill of Rights are applied to state governments through the 14th Amendment’s Due Process Clause.

Iron Triangle

A mutually beneficial, three-way relationship between a congressional committee, a federal agency, and an interest group.

Rule-making Authority

The power of bureaucratic agencies to create detailed regulations that explain how broad laws will be enforced.

Civil Liberties

Fundamental rights and freedoms protected from unreasonable government restriction.

Civil Rights

Government protection of individuals from discrimination as members of particular groups.

Right to Privacy

A fundamental right to control personal information and decisions, established in Griswold v. Connecticut and Roe v. Wade.

Letter from Birmingham Jail

A 1963 document by Martin Luther King Jr. arguing for the moral responsibility to break unjust laws through nonviolent direct action.

Political Socialization

The process by which individuals acquire their political beliefs through family, school, media, and other cultural factors.

Liberalism

An ideology generally supporting more government intervention in the economy to promote equality and protecting personal social freedoms.

Conservatism

An ideology preferring less government intervention in the economy and supporting policies that promote traditional morality and social order.

Libertarianism

An ideology advocating for maximum individual liberty and minimal government involvement in both economic and social behavior.

Keynesian Economics

A theory suggesting that government spending can stimulate the economy by increasing demand.

Supply-side Economics

A theory suggesting that cutting taxes on businesses and the wealthy will stimulate investment and economic growth.

Electoral College

The unique process by which the President and Vice President are chosen by electors rather than a direct popular vote.

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010)

A Supreme Court case ruling that corporations and unions have a First Amendment right to spend unlimited money on political advertising.

Political Efficacy

The belief that one’s political participation and vote actually matter.

Horse Race Journalism

Media coverage that focuses on polling data and which candidate is winning or losing rather than substantive policy issues.