AP Government & Politics: Key Vocabulary Flashcards

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms relevant to AP Government & Politics to aid in study and review.

Federalism

A system of government in which power is divided between a central authority and constituent political units.

Popular Sovereignty

The principle that the authority of a state and its government is created and sustained by the consent of its people.

Checks and Balances

A system that ensures that no one branch of government becomes too powerful by providing each branch ways to limit the powers of the others.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution that guarantee individual liberties and rights.

Separation of Powers

The division of government responsibilities into distinct branches to limit any one branch from exercising the core functions of another.

Anti-Federalists

Opponents of the ratification of the U.S. Constitution who feared a strong central government.

Federalists

Supporters of the ratification of the U.S. Constitution who argued for a strong central government.

Judicial Review

The power of the courts to declare laws unconstitutional.

Electoral College

A body of electors established by the Constitution that formally elects the President and Vice President of the United States.

Civil Liberties

Individual rights protected by law from unjust governmental or other interference.

Selectively Incorporation

The legal doctrine whereby selected protections in the Bill of Rights are applied to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment.

Gerrymandering

The practice of drawing electoral district boundaries in a way that gives one political party an advantage.

Political Socialization

The process by which individuals acquire their political beliefs and values.

Due Process Clause

Part of the Fourteenth Amendment that prohibits the government from unfairly or arbitrarily depriving individuals of their rights.

Equal Protection Clause

A part of the Fourteenth Amendment that requires states to provide equal protection under the law to all people.

Campaign Finance

The funding of political campaigns and the laws that govern it.

Interest Groups

Organizations of people who share common objectives and actively seek to influence policymakers.

Impeachment

The process used by a legislative body to bring charges against a public official.

Public Opinion Polls

Surveys of public opinion used to gauge or predict the preferences and behavior of the electorate.