AP Gov AP Test Review

AP Government vocabulary flashcards for test review.

Natural Rights

The rights of all people to dignity and worth; also called human rights.

Popular Sovereignty

A belief that ultimate power resides in the people.

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.

Social Contract

An agreement for mutual benefit between an individual or group and the government or community as a whole.

Participatory Democracy

A political system in which all or most citizens participate directly by either holding office or making policy.

Pluralist Democracy

Appointed civil servants make the key governing decisions.

Elite Democracy

A few top leaders make the key decisions without reference to popular desires.

Federalism

Constitutional arrangement in which power is distributed between a central government and subdivisional governments called states. The national and subdivisional governments both exercise direct authority over individuals. -The American system of government

Checks and Balances

Limits imposed on all branches of government by vesting in each branch the right to amend or void those acts of another branch

Separation of Powers

A political idea, that power in the government should be divided into separate branches in order to ensure that no one branch of a governing body can gain too much authority

Limited Government

A principle of constitutional government; a government whose powers are defined and limited by a constitution *Thomas Hobbes

Faction

A specific group with similar ideologies (political parties and special interests or interest groups)

Enumerated Powers

Powers of the federal government that are specifically addresses in the Constitution, including for Congress, the powers to coin money, regulate its power and impose taxes

Implied Powers

Powers inferred from the expressed powers that allow Congress to carry out its functions

Inherent Powers

The powers of the national government in foreign affairs that the Supreme Court has declared do not depend on constitutional grants but rather grow out the very existence of the national government

Reserved Powers

Powers not specifically granted to the national government or denied to the states. Reserved powers are held by the states through the 10th Amendment

Full Faith and Credit Clause

A clause in Article IV Section 1 of the Constitution requiring each state to recognize the official documents and civil judgments rendered by the courts of other states (each state can have different state laws and when you are in that state you must abide by them; that's why you can smoke weed in Colorado legally if you're a Florida resident)

Privileges and Immunities Clause

A clause in Article IV Section 2 of the Constitution according citizens of each state most of the privileges of citizens of other states

Extradition

Legal process whereby an alleged criminal offender is surrendered by the officials of one state to officials of the state in which the crime is alleged to have been committed

Grants-in-aid

The transfer of money from the federal government to a state government, local government or individual person for the purposes of funding government or individual person for purposes of funding a specific project or program

Categorical Grants

Congress appropriates funds for a specific purpose, such as school lunches or for building airports and highways. These funds are allocated by formula and are subject to detailed federal conditions, often on a matching basis; the local government receiving the federal funds must put up some of its own money. Additionally they provide federal supervision to ensure that the federal dollars are spent as Congress wants.

Block Grants

Broad state grants for prescribed activities (welfare, child care, education, social services, preventive health care, and death services) with only a few strings attached. States have greater flexibility in deciding how to spend block grants, but when federal funds for any fiscal year are gone, there are no more matching federal dollars.

Mandates

A requirement or an order from the central government that all states and local government must comply with -States used to hold different drinking ages until the Federal Government put out a mandate they would cut highway funds to any state that didn't set their drinking age at 21

Dual Federalism

Views Constitution as giving a limited list of powers to the national government (mostly foreign policy and national defense) and leaving the rest to the sovereign states. Each level is dominant within its own sphere. The Supreme Court serves as the umpire between the national government and the states in disputes over which level of government has responsibility for a particular activity.

Cooperative Federalism

Stresses federalism as a system of intergovernmental relations in delivering governmental goods and services to the people and calls for cooperation among various levels of government.

Commerce Clause

Gives Congress the power to regulate commerce with foreign nations and between the states

The Necessary and Proper Clause

Clause in the Constitution that states that Congress should have power to make all laws necessary and proper for carrying out any foregoing powers. Grants Congress the ability to interpret its lawmaking ability in a broad manner.

Discretionary Spending

Federal spending on programs that are controlled through the regular budget process -Defense (#1)

Mandatory Spending

Expediters required by previous commitments -Social Security (#1), Medicaid, Medicare

Pork Barrel Legislation

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

Logrolling

Legislator supports a proposal favored by another in return for support in his or hers

Gerrymandering

The deliberate rearrangement of the boundaries of congressional districts to influence the outcome of 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

Reapportionment

The process by which congressional districts are redrawn and seats are redistributed among states in the House; Occurs every ten years, when census data reports shifts in the population of districts

Trustee Model

A model of representation in which a member of the House or Senate follows his or her own conscience when deciding issue positions

Delegate Model

The view that an elected representative should represent the opinions of his or her constituents

Civil Service

A system of hiring and promoting based on the merit principle and the desire to create nonpartisan

Merit

Hiring based on entrance exams and promotion rating to produce administration by people with talent and skill

Judicial Review

Review by the supreme court of constitutional validity of a legislative act, can declare things unconstitutional.

Stare Decisis

"Let the decision stand" The rue of precedent, where a rule or law contained in a judicial decision is commonly viewed as binding on judges whenever the same question is presented.

Precedent

Prior cases whose principles are used by judges as the bases for their decisions in present cases

Judicial Activism

A Judicial philosophy in which judges make bold policy decisions, even charting new constitutional ground. Advocates of this approach emphasize that the courts can correct pressing needs, especially those unmet by the majoritarian political process

Judicial Restraint

A judicial philosophy in which judges play minimal policymaking roles, leaving that duty strictly to the legislatures

Majority Opinion

A statement that presents the views of the majority of the Supreme Court Justices regarding a case

Dissenting Opinion

A dissenting opinion is an opinion in a legal case written by one or more judges expressing disagreement with the majority opinion of the court which gives rise to its judgment (EX/The outcome to the O.J. Simpson Case)

Concurring Opinion

An opinion that agrees with the majority in a Supreme Court ruling but differs on the reasoning

Writ of Certiorari

A legal document issues by the Supreme Court to request the court transcripts of a case; It indicates that the Court will review a lower court's decision

Rule of Four

A practice that permits four of the nine justices in the Supreme Court to grant a writ of certiorari. This is done specifically in order to prevent a majority of the Court from controlling the Court's docket.

Prior Restraint

This is when the government prevents material from being published. This is seen as unconstitutional due to the first amendment

Due Process

Ensures fair procedures when the government burdens or deprives an individual, prevents arbitrary government decisions to avoid mistaken or abusive taking of life, liberty, or property (including money) from individuals. Within the 5th Amendment it establishes that no person shall be "deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation" .

Political Efficacy

The citizens' faith and trust in government and their belief that they can understand and influence political affairs

Split Ticket Voting

When voters vote for example, democratic president and a republican senator to create checks and balances within the government

Congressional Oversight

The power of Congress to oversee how laws are carried out ("watchdog function" to prevent fraud & waste). Carried out through committee hearings & investigations, approprations process (how much are we spending on that program again?), GAO..

Hard Money

-regulated limited, given directly to the candidate, controlled by candidate "Im john hansen and I support this message" -PACs and individuals give money to candidates -interest groups cannot give money directly to candidates (its illegal) so they form PACs

Soft Money

-Super PACs -unregulated, unlimited, not controlled by candidate

Entitlement Programs

government program that gives benefits to people who qualify (poor, old, war veteran etc. are people who could qualify for things like food stamps or medicaid/care)