AP Gov Test

1st Amendement

freedom of religion,speech, press, petition, and assembly

2nd Amendment

Right to bear arms

3rd Amendment

No quartering of soldiers

4th Amendment

Protection against Unreasonable Search and Seizure

5th Amendment

The Right to Remain Silent/Double Jeopardy, right to due process. Includes miranda rights

6th Amendment

The right to a Speedy Trial by jury, representation by an attorney for an accused person. Part of miranda rights

7th Amendment

Right to a trial by jury in civil cases

8th Amendment

No cruel and unusual punishment

9th Amendment

Citizens entitled to rights not listed in the Constitution. (Citizens have more implied rights than what is stated in the bill of rights)

10th Amendment

Powers not given to federal government go to people and States

11th Amendment

One State cannot be sued by another state (sovereign immunity)

12th Amendment

separation of votes for President and Vice President

13th Amendment

Abolition of slavery

14th Amendment

Declares that all persons born or naturalized in the U.S. are citizens and are guaranteed equal protection of the laws (equal protection clause)

15th Amendment

Citizens cannot be denied the right to vote because of race, color , or precious condition of servitude

16th Amendment

Allows the federal government to collect income tax ˙◠˙

17th Amendment

Direct election of senators by the people

18th Amendment

Prohibited the manufacture, sale, and distribution of alcoholic beverages (REPEALED)

19th Amendment

Women can Vote! •ᴗ•

20th Amendment

shortens the time between elections and the start of new terms for the President, Vice President, and members of Congress (January)

21st Amendment

Repeal of Prohibition

22nd Amendment

Limits the president to two terms. (Thanks FDR)

23rd Amendment

Gives Washington DC electoral college votes as if it were a state (DC still has no representation in Congress)

24th Amendment

Abolishes poll taxes

25th Amendment

Succession of VP if president dies or become incapable to do their job. If there is no VP president must appoint one, and congress must approve

26th Amendment

Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18

27th Amendment

congressional pay raises are not begun until the next election

bill of rights

First 10 amendments to the Constitution

Amendment Process

1. proposed by national convention --> ratified by 3/4 of state conventions

2. proposed by national convention called by 2/3 state legislatures --> ratification from 3/4 state legislatures

3. 2/3 vote in both House and Senate for proposal --> ratified by 3/4 state legislatures

4. proposed by Congress with 2/3 vote in both chambers --> ratified by 3/4 state conventions

Article I

Sec 2 - house of Representatives, Sec 3 - Senate, Sec 4 - Time manor and Place of Elections, Sec 8 - enumerated powers and proper clause

Article II

Sec 1 - election of president, Sec 2- inherent powers of President,

Article III

Sec 1 - Judicial Branch Sec 2 - judicial Powers

Article IV

Admission of New states, full faith and credit Clause

Article V

Proposal of amendments, ratification of amendments

Article VI

Supreme Law of land (Supremacy clause)

The Declaration of Independence

the formal statement written by Thomas Jefferson declaring the freedom of the thirteen American colonies from Great Britain. Full of enlightenment ideals like natural rights from John Locke. natural rights cannot be taken away from a government. Popular sovereignty and social contract theory that the people govern themselves and they can take it away

The Articles of Confederation

First Constitution of the United states, Placed most power in hands of the states, such restriction of the government failed to keep the country as one with weak military and congressional power to raise money

Federalist No. 10

states that constitution establishes a government capable of controlling the violence and damage caused by factions (group of citizens who want to dominate Government with their own interests), Factions cannot be prohibited as it takes away liberty, republican style government helps limit the power of factions along with large populations

Brutus No. 1

Argued against ratification of Constitution, argues against necessary and proper clause along with supremacy clause, Such strong power of central government will weaken and kill state government, a larger sized nation will not be compatible with a republican government as it fails to represent all parts of the nation

Federalist No. 51

This document highlights the theory and/or practice of checks and balances between the three branches of government, Each branch needs as much power as it can while also being limited by the other two, Most power given to legislature leads to divide by giving Congress two houses, Federalism establishes power for states and federal government

The Constitution of the United States

A document that embodies the fundamental laws, principles and structure of the U.S. government. Split into multiple articles each over a core part of the government, Bicameral legislature setup along with executive and judicial branch, Very vague in its statements which led to inherent and implied powers

Federalist No. 70

The argument for a single person to oversee the executive branch, A single executive is made to act more quickly and impulsively (energy) unlike congress specifically made to be slow for more refined laws

Federalist No. 78

About new judicial branch in Constitution, so long that judges behave, they will be in that spot for life, lifetime appointments keeps judicial branch as independent as possible. Constant changing of judges slows the nation in this area as judges will need to relearn precedents, SCOTUS ability to nullify the laws made by Congress helps balance and check Congress

Letters from a Birmingham Jail

Illustration on how Equal protection Clause of 14th amendment supported social movements, MLK's response to white clergy on black people, Any injustice anywhere brings the chance to expand that injustice everywhere, freedom is demanded by the oppressed, waiting will lead to nothing changing, white moderates who fought for order were against the justice of black freedom

mandate

a command, indicated by an electorate's votes, for the elected officials to carry out a party platform or policy agenda

primary election

elections held to select a party's candidate for the general election. Not as polarized because both candidates are of the same party

closed primary

A primary in which only registered members of a particular party can vote

open primary

Primary election in which any voter, regardless of party, may vote.

runoff primary

A second primary election held when no candidate wins a majority of the votes in the first primary. The candidates are the two with the most votes from the original election

general election

An election held to choose which candidate will hold office. candidates are more polarized and against each other at this time

Initiative

election where citizens propose legislation or state amendments by submitting to the electorate for popular vote

Referendum

an election whereby the state legislature submits proposed legislation or state constitutional amendments to the voters for approval

recall

procedure whereby voters can remove an elected official from office

electoral college

A group of people named by each state legislature to select the president and vice president

elector

member of the electoral college

Reapportionment

the process of reassigning representation based on population, after every census

presidential coattails

when successful presidential candidates carry into office congressional candidates of the same party in the year of their election

mid-term election

an election that takes place in the middle of a presidential term

jobs most candidates for higher offices hire for their campaign

Campaign Manager, Finance Chair, communications staff

campaign manager

the individual who travels with the candidate and coordinates the campaign

finance chair

the individual who coordinates the financial business of the campaign

communications director

the person who develops the overall media strategy for the candidate

press secretary

the individual charged with interacting and communicating with journalists on a daily basis

campaign consultant

a private-sector professional who sells to a candidate the technologies, services, and strategies required to get that candidate elected

pollster

A campaign consultant who conducts public opinion surveys

voter canvass

the process by which a campaign reaches individual voters, either by door-to-door solicitation or by telephone

get-out-the-vote (GOTV)

a push at the end of a political campaign to encourage supporters to go to the polls

positive ad

advertising on behalf of a candidate that stresses the candidate's qualifications, family, and issue positions, with no direct reference to the opponent

negative ad

advertising on behalf of a candidate that attacks the opponent's character or platform

contrast ad

ad that compares the records and proposals of the candidates, with a bias toward the candidate sponsoring the ad

inoculation ad

advertising that attempts to counteract an anticipated attack from the opposition before the attack is launched

Federal election Campaign Act (FECA)

(1971) law that regulates political campaign fundraising and spending

Federal Election Commission (FEC)

(1975) founded by US Congress to regulate campaign finance legislation in the United States

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA)

(2002) amended FECA with provisions designed to end the use of nonfederal (soft) money for activities affecting federal elections

soft money

Campaign contributions unregulated by federal or state law, usually given to parties and party committees to help fund general party activities.

Citizens United v. FEC

(2010) enabled corporations and Unions to have the same political speech rights as individuals under the First amendment. SCOTUS found that the government may not prohibit corporations or unions from using their treasury funds to support or attack candidates

McCutcheon v. FEC

(2014) SCOTUS ruling that section 441 of FECA was unconstitutional.

FECA section 441

imposed limits on any individuals total political contributions (to Federal candidates, parties, or political action committees) in a two-year period

Political Action Committee (PAC)

an interest group that raises funds and donates to election campaigns

527 political committee

organizations created with the primary purpose of influencing electoral outcomes; the term is typically applied only to freestanding interest groups that do not explicitly advocate for the election of a candidate

501(c) groups

interest groups whose primary purpose is not electoral politics

Super PAC

political action committees established to make independent expenditures

independent expenditures

spending for campaign activity that is not coordinated with a candidate's campaign

public funds

donations from general tax revenues to the campaigns of qualifying presidential candidates

matching funds

donations to presidential campaigns whereby every dollar raised from individuals in amounts less than $251 is matched by the federal treasury

conventional political participation

activism that attempts to influence the political process through commonly accepted forms of persuasion such as voting or letter writing

unconventional political participation

activism that attempts to influence the political process through unusual or extreme measures, such as protests, boycotts, and picketing

turnout

The proportion of the voting age public that votes, sometimes defined as the number of registered voters that vote.

retrospective judgement/voting

a voter's evaluation of a candidate based on past performance on a particular issue

prospective judgment/voting

a voter's evaluation of a candidate based on what he or she pledges to do about an issue if elected

front-loading

the tendency of states to choose an early date on the nomination calendar

Help America Vote Act (HAVA)

(2002) addressees issues of voting systems and voter access that were identified following the 2000 election. established minimum election administrations standards for states and units of government with responsibility for federal elections.

Redistricting

The redrawing of congressional and other legislative district lines following the census, to accommodate population shifts and keep districts as equal as possible in population.

Caucus

A meeting of members of a political party

Impeachment

charging a government official with a crime or other serious wrongdoing. Done by the House and the Senate is the Jury

electors vs. electorate

electors directly vote for a candidate while the electorate is all eligible voters

Reapportionment vs. redistricting

Reappointment assigns congressional seats done by Congress and redistricting redraws congressional lines.

open vs closed primary

Open-Primary elections are for anyone, closed ones can only be done by registered voters of the corresponding party

primary vs caucus

caucuses are meeting of party members, primaries are elections

Initiative vs. Referendum

Initiatives give voters the ability to vote proposals into legislative to be reviewed, while referendums are votes by legislation to pass or deny a proposal.