9 Weeks Test AP Gov

Mayflower Compact

1620 - The first agreement for self-government in America. It was signed by the 41 men on the Mayflower and set up a government for the Plymouth colony.

Second Treatise of Civil Government

written by John Locke, it contains the blueprint principles found in the Declaration of Independence. Including "life, liberty, and estate"

The Spirit of the Laws (1748)

Written by Montesquieu and showed his admiration for the British system—especially the checks and balances. (Separation of Powers) Also included info on which geographical/demographical types of countries needed which types of gov't.

Natural Rights

the idea that all humans are born with rights, which include the right to life, liberty, and property

Social Contract

A voluntary agreement among individuals to secure their rights and welfare by creating a government and abiding by its rules. Rousseau wrote "Social Contract" largely based upon Hobbes and Locke

Checks and balances

A system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power

Federalism

A system in which power is divided between the national and state governments

Republicanism

A philosophy of limited government with elected representatives serving at the will of the people. The government is based on consent of the governed.

Participatory Democracy

a theory of democracy that holds that citizens should actively and directly control all aspects of their lives

Pluralist Democracy

a theory of democracy that holds that citizen membership in groups is the key to political power

Elite Democracy

A political system in which the privileged classes acquire the power to decide by a competition for the people's votes and have substantial freedom between elections to rule as they see fit.

Federalist

A term used to describe supporters of the Constitution during ratification debates in state legislatures.

Anti-Federalist

Anti-Federalists rose up as the opponents of the Constitution during the period of ratification. They opposed the Constitution's powerful centralized government, arguing that the Constitution gave too much political, economic, and military control. They instead advocated a decentralized governmental structure that granted most power to the states

Ratification

Formal approval, final consent to the effectiveness of a constitution, constitutional amendment, or treaty

Centralized Government

A government in which power is concentrated in a central authority to which local governments are subject

Decentralized Government

A decentralized government is one where its top level decision-making processes are dispersed throughout the system rather than being concentrated on one person, place or legislative body

Great Compromise (Connecticut)

The compromise reached at the Constitutional Convention that established two houses of Congress: the House of Representatives, in which representation is based on a state's share of the U.S. population, and the Senate, in which each state has two representatives.

Electoral College

the body of electors who formally elect the United States president and vice-president

Three-Fifths Compromise

Agreement that each slave counted as three-fifths of a person in determining representation in the House for representation and taxation purposes (negated by the 13th amendment)

Bill of Rights

First ten amendments to the Constitution, drafted by Madison, placed limitations of government and protects natural rights.

Government Surveillance

The extent to which governments can monitor individuals' online activities is a major privacy concern, especially in light of revelations about mass surveillance programs.

Andrew Johnson Impeachment

Attempted against President in 1868; power struggle b/t him and Congress; President removed cabinet officer w/o Senate approval & interfered w/ Congressional reconstruction; crippled his presidency

Richard Nixon Impeachment

President in 1974

- Accused of several crimes including bribery, illegal wiretaps and surveillance, and tampering with witnesses- related to the Watergate scandal

- Before he could stand trial, he resigned from office. He is the only President to do this.

Bill Clinton Impeachment

Impeached for perjury, suborning perjury, and obstruction of justice stemming from his affair with intern Monica Lewinsky; he was acquitted of all charges.

Donald Trump Impeachments

2019-2020 and 2021

- Impeached for scandal where he threatened to withhold funding if a favor was not done for him. The formal charge was "obstruction of Congress."

- Found not guilty

- Other charges were drawn up related to the Jan 6, 2021 insurrection at the Capitol. But these did not lead to an impeachment or any formal charges.

Delegated

Those powers, expressed, implied, or inherent, granted to the National Government by the constitution

Constitutional Provisions

Specific rules outlined in the Constitution.

Stakeholders

All the people who stand to gain or lose by the policies and activities of a business and whose concerns the business needs to address.

Impeachment

An action by the House of Representatives to accuse the president, vice president, or other civil officers of the United States of committing "Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors."

Devolution

the transfer of powers and responsibilities from the federal government to the states

Exclusive powers

Those powers that can be exercised by the National Government alone

Reserved powers

Powers given to the state government alone

Concurrent powers

Powers held jointly by the national and state governments.

Revenue Sharing

when the federal government apportions tax money to the states with no strings attached

Block Grants

Federal grants given more or less automatically to states or communities to support broad programs in areas such as community development and social services. Minimal restrictions.

Categorical Grants

Federal grants that can be used only for specific purposes, or "categories," of state and local spending. They come with strings attached, such as nondiscrimination provisions. Most common form.

Mandates

terms set by the national government that states must meet whether or not they accept federal grants

Due Process

fair treatment through the normal judicial system, especially as a citizen's entitlement.

Equal Protection Clause

14th amendment clause that prohibits states from denying equal protection under the law, and has been used to combat discrimination

Commerce Clause

The clause in the Constitution (Article I, Section 8, Clause 1) that gives Congress the power to regulate all business activities that cross state lines or affect more than one state or other nations.

Necessary and Proper Clause

Clause of the Constitution (Article I, Section 8, Clause 3) setting forth the implied powers of Congress. It states that Congress, in addition to its express powers, has the right to make all laws necessary and proper to carry out all powers the Constitution vests in the national government

Supremacy Clause

Article VI of the Constitution, which makes the Constitution, national laws, and treaties supreme over state laws when the national government is acting within its constitutional limits.

New Deal Legislation

Policies set forth during FDR terms. Included the National Labor Relations Act (Wagner Act), Works Progress Administration, National Youth Administration, Social Security Act, and the United States Housing Authority.

Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)

(1996) Defines marriage as man-woman. No state is forced to recognize same-sex marriage

No Child Left Behind

Signed into law in 2002. NCLB addresses accountability of school personnel for student achievement with the expectation that every child will demonstrate proficiency in Reading, Math, and Science.

Violence Against Women Act

increased federal resources to apprehend and prosecute men guilty of violent acts against women. Law passed 1994.

1st Amendment

Freedom of Religion, Speech, Press, Assembly, and Petition

2nd Amendment

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

3rd Amendment

No quartering of soldiers

4th Amendment

Freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures

5th Amendment

The Right to Remain Silent/Double Jeopardy, right to due process

6th Amendment

The right to a Speedy Trial by jury, representation by an attorney for an accused person

7th Amendment

Right to a trial by jury in civil cases

8th Amendment

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

9th Amendment

Citizens entitled to rights not listed in the Constitution

10th Amendment

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

13th Amendment

Abolished slavery in the United States.

14th Amendment

Declares that all persons born in the U.S. are citizens and are guaranteed equal protection of the laws

15th Amendment

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

19th Amendment

Women's suffrage

24th Amendment

Abolishes poll taxes

26th Amendment

Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18

Republicanism

A philosophy of limited government with elected representatives serving at the will of the people. The government is based on consent of the governed.

Federal Budget

a plan for the federal government's revenues and spending for the coming year

Naturalization

the legal process by which citizens of one country become citizens of another

Interstate Commmerce

trade between states

Oversight

the effort by Congress, through hearings, investigations, and other techniques, to exercise control over the activities of executive agencies

Whips

Party leaders who work with the majority leader or minority leader to count votes beforehand and lean on waverers whose votes are crucial to a bill favored by the party.

Rider amendments

amendments completely irrelevant to a bill

hearings

sessions held by committees or subcommittees to gather information and views from experts

revenue bills

Tax bills (must originate in the House) to raise money for the government

filibuster

A procedural practice in the Senate whereby a senator refuses to relinquish the floor and thereby delays proceedings and prevents a vote on a controversial issue.

mandatory spending

Required govt spending by permanent laws

discretionary spending

Federal spending on programs that are controlled through the regular budget process

pork-barrel legislation

legislation that gives tangible benefits to constituents in several districts or states in the hope of winning their votes in return

partisan voting

when members of Congress vote based on their political party affiliation

gerrymandering

Process of redrawing legislative boundaries for the purpose of benefiting the party in power.

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.

unequal representation

malapportionment

lame duck president

president with no real power because his or her period in office will soon end

trustee representative

A representative who will vote on issues based on their own knowledge and judgment

delegate representative

A representative who sees themselves as an agent of those who elected them and will vote on issues based on the interests of their constituents

politico representative

uses a combination of trustee and delegate role conceptions

Presidential Cabinet

group of officials who head government departments and advise the President

Veto

Chief executive's power to reject a bill passed by a legislature

Pocket veto

A veto taking place when Congress adjourns within 10 days of submitting a bill to the president, who simply lets it die by neither signing nor vetoing it.

Executive order

A rule issued by the president that has the force of law

US Ambassadors

Chief representatives to foreign countries and organizations

Either career FSO or political appointees

Sandra Day O'Connor

first woman supreme court justice. appointed by Reagan

Thurgood Marshall

American civil rights lawyer, first black justice on the Supreme Court of the United States. Marshall was a tireless advocate for the rights of minorities and the poor. appointed by Lyndon B. Johnson.

22nd amendment

Limits the president to two terms or 10 years.

State of the Union

An annual speech in which the president addresses Congress to report on the condition of the country and recommend policies.

Stare decisis

A Latin phrase meaning "let the decision stand." Most cases reaching appellate courts are settled on this principle.

New deal conflict Congress

FDR's New Deal faced significant opposition within congress. Rep. and Dem's both saw it as an overreach and expansion of Presidential power.

Life tenure

federal judges keep their jobs until they retire or die; however, they can be impeached

Judicial review

review by the US Supreme Court of the constitutional validity of a legislative act.

Judicial activism

An interpretation of the U.S. constitution holding that the spirit of the times and the needs of the nation can legitimately influence judicial decisions (particularly decisions of the Supreme Court)

Judicial restraint

a theory of judicial interpretation that encourages judges to limit the exercise of their own power

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

An independent federal agency that regulates interstate and international communication by radio, television, telephone, telegraph, cable, and satellite.

Pendleton Civil Service Act

Passed in 1883, an Act that created a federal civil service so that hiring and promotion would be based on merit rather than patronage.