AP Gov Final

Direst Democracy

Policies and laws are decided by a majority of all those eligible

Representative democracy

A form of democracy where people vote for representatives

Magna Carta

1215 Charter of English liberties granted by King John under threat of the civil war

Social contract theory

People live together in society in accordance that establishes moral

Consent of Governed

Governments right to use state power is justified

Natural Rights

Certain rights are inherent by human nature

Declaration of Independence

The principles on which government and policies are based

Common good

Benefit or interest of all

Popular sovereignty

All political power is derived from the people

Majority rule

Greater number exercises greater power

Articles of Confederation

Agreement that the 13 colonies signed as the first frame of government

Shay’s Rebellion

Violent insurrection in the Massachusetts countryside 1786-1787. Caused by a debt crisis at the end of the American Revolutionary War.

Constitutional conventions meets in Philadelphia in what year to write the new constitution

1787

All delegates supported what

Representative democracy

What are the 3 branches of government

Legislative, executive, Judicial

North-South Compromise

Find a middle ground between parties

Connecticut Compromise (Bicameralism)

Mix of the Virginia and New Jersey plan. House = population, Senate = equal representation

Federalists (Hamilton, Madison) supported the Constitution because….

They saw this as a way to create a more perfect union, justice and tranquility

Anti federalists opposed of the constitution because….

It did not protect individual liberties

Federalist 10

Madison discusses the danger of factions and advocates for a larger republic as means to control this

Federalist 51

Madison discusses the importance of checks and balances and the separation of powers within the government. Each branch needs to be independent but have some control over the others.

Weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation

Lack of central authority, inability to give people taxes, no national currency, no judicial system

How does the constitution fix problems in the Articles of Confederation

Strong executive branch, Establish checks and balances, creation of currency, expansion of military power, establishment of federal judiciary

Article 1 of the Constitution

Outlines structure of the legislative branch and the powers granted to congress

Article 2 of the Constitution

Executive branch, election of the president, qualifications of the president, oath of the office, powers and duties of the president

Article 3 of the Constitution

Judicial Branch, Compensation of judges original jurisdiction, trial by jury, definition of treason

Article 4 of the Constitution

Interstate relations, legal documents enforceable across state lines, equal rights in states, federal government protection, representative democracy

Article 5 of the Constitution

Amendment process, stability and flexibility among federal and state government from the framers intent

Separation of Powers

Each of the 3 branches has its own power and independence

Legislative branch

Congress, composed of the House of Representatives and the senate

Executive branch

President, vice president and cabinet members

Judicial Branch

Supreme Court, and other federal courts

Checks and balances

To ensure no single branch becomes too powerful

Legislative

Checks executive branch by enacting laws overriding vetoes, controlling budgets, and initiating impeachment

Executive

Checks legislative branch, vetoing legislation, calling special sessions of legislature and recommending legislation

Judicial

Checks both branches interpreting laws, constitutionality of laws and executive order, and cancel laws that violate the constitution

Federalism

System of government in which power is divided between a central authority (federal) and political units (states)

Confederacy

Independent states or regions form and alliance for a common purpose (defense, trade, assistance)

Dual federalism (layer cake)

1789-1932 Strict division between federal and state government

Cooperative federalism (marble cake)

Federal and state government work together

Grants-in-aid

Higher government to lower government of financial assistance

Categorical grants

Financial assistance from one level of government to another level for projects

Block grants

Financial assistance to another government for general purpose

Revenue sharing

Central government distributes a portion of taxes to states

Mandates

Orders issued by higher governments requiring lower governments to undertake specific action

Devolution

Transferring political power to a lower level government

Federal powers

Powers granted by a central government

Express powers

Powers stated in the constitution

Implied powers

Powers implied by what is said in the constitution

Inherent powers

Implicit powers un the nature of a government entity (considered essential)

Denied powers

Powers explicitly denied to government

Writ of Habeas Corpus

Issued by court to see the detainee in person

Bills of attainder

Legislative act that declares a person guilty without trial

Ex post facto laws

Laws that change legal consequences

Concurrent powers

Powers shared by central and national government

Reserved to states

Powers reserved specifically to individual states (10th amendment)

Supremacy Clause

Foundational principle of American legal system, resolves conflicts, between federal and state governments

Interstate commerce clause

Grants congress the authority to regulate trade between states, foreign nations and with tribes

Faithfully executed (take care clause)

Responsibility of the president to carry out laws of the U.S

Full Faith and Credit

States honor the public acts, records and judicial proceedings of other states

Privileges and Immunities

Legal rights and protections of individual citizens

Elastic clause

Grants congress the authority to pass laws that are necessary and proper for carrying out enumerated powers

Bill of Rights

The first 10 amendments of the Constitution

Amendment 1

Freedom of religion, press, speech, assembly and petition

Amendment 2

Right to bear arms

Amendment 4

Protects individuals from unreasonable search and seizure

Amendment 5

Protects fundamental rights of individuals in the criminal justice system

Amendment 6

Fair and speedy trail by an impartial jury

Amendment 8

Prohibits the government from imposing excessive punishment

Amendment 10

Asserts the principle of federalism by reserving powers to the state or people

Political culture

Shared core values, shared beliefs about government, civic engagement, adaptation and change, cultural variation

Political socialization

The process by which people learn about their government and acquire their beliefs, attitudes, values and behaviors associated with good citizenship

Liberal

Individual freedom, equality, social justice, and common good

Socialist

Commitment to social and economic transformation

Conservative

Tradition, individual freedom, limited government

Demographics

Statistical characteristic of a population (age, gender, race, income, etc.)

Demographic trends

Patterns in characteristics overtime social factors and political dynamics (age, education, income)

The census

Every 10 years, collecting, compiling and analyzing demographics of a population

Redistricting

Redrawing electoral districts so each district has equal population representation

Reappointment

Redistribute representation in legislative body based on population changes

Gerrymandering

Manipulating boundaries of electoral districts to benefit a political party

Voting behavior

Actions and decisions people make when participating in an election

Party Identification

Psychological attachment to a particular political party

Political efficacy

Individuals belief in their ability to participate efficiently in a political process and influence outcomes

Civic duty

Responsibilities that individual have as members of society to actively participate in civic and public life

General elections

Elections held to fill political offices at the national, state and local level

Primary elections

Elections held to choose a political party candidate, conducted by individual political parties to determine which candidate will represent them in the general election.

Open primaries

Registered voter s can participate in any political parties primary election, regardless of party affiliation

Closed primaries

Only members in a specific party can participate in the primary election

Caucuses

Method used by political parties to select candidates for office and allocate delegates to party conventions

Referendum

Direct vote where the electorate is asked to accept or reject a specific proposal put forth by the government

Initiative

A process where citizens can propose new laws or change existing laws through petition and direct vote

Recall

A political process that allows citizens to remove an elected official from office before the end of their term

Linage organizations

Groups/institutions that connect citizens and the government

Third parties

Operate alongside two party system, diverse ideology

Divided government

Different political parties control different parts of the government

Dealignment

Political party shift where a country changes from being mostly run by one political party to mostly run by another political party.

Dealignment

Individuals become less closely aligned with a party

Party activists

Promote certain policies, candidates and ideologies

Presidents are elected by the

Citizens of a country