Intro to AP Government: Theories of Democracy & Political Concepts

Vocabulary flashcards covering core concepts of AP Government including theories of democracy, political power, constitutional development, and voting rights.

Government

Institutions that create public policy.

Public Policy

The plans governments create and implement that are intended to help the people.

Politics

How the government gets elected and establishes public policy.

Power

The ability to direct or influence the behavior of others.

Authority

The right to use power.

Political Legitimacy

Political authority established by law, or by state or the U.S. Constitution.

Direct Democracy

A form of democracy dating back to 5th century B.C. Ancient Greece in which all citizens vote directly on laws and policies.

Representative Democracy

A republican form of government in which elected officials make decisions and policies for the people.

15th Amendment

A Constitutional amendment ratified in 1870 that granted African-American men the right to vote.

17th Amendment

A Constitutional amendment ratified in 1913 establishing that U.S. Senators are chosen directly by the people rather than state legislatures.

19th Amendment

A Constitutional amendment ratified in 1920 granting women's suffrage.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Federal legislation that banned electoral discrimination.

Majority Rule

The political principle that a majority, usually $50\% + 1$, holds the power to make decisions for the whole.

Minority Rights

Guarantees that those in the minority retain rights that must be protected, such as freedom of speech and freedom to assemble or protest.

Participatory Democracy

A theory of democracy that emphasizes broad participation in politics and civil society by the people.

Pluralist Theory

The idea that groups with shared interests influence public policy by competing with one another and pressing their concerns through organized efforts.

Federalist Essay #10

An essay written by James Madison addressing the dangers of factions and explaining how a large republic allows diverse regional interests to counter-balance each other.

Factions

Groups or political parties that James Madison described as evil but unavoidable mischiefs that must be cured or controlled by a large republic.

Elite or Class Theory

A theory contending that power in the political system is divided along class lines and that those with wealth (the upper class, corporations, or the elite) rule.

Plutocracy

A system of governance characterized by rule by the wealthy.

Citizens United v. FEC

A 2010 U.S. Supreme Court decision that enabled the creation of Super-PACs by allowing individuals and corporations to donate unlimited sums to political campaigns.

Super-PACs

Organizations created following Citizens United that allow individuals or corporations to donate large sums of money to political campaigns.

Voter Apathy

A lack of interest and participation in the political process, often caused by the belief that an individual's vote lacks efficacy compared to corporate and elite power.