AP Government Unit 1-4 FINAL Review

limited government

a government whose powers are defined and limited by a constitution

Second Treatise

John Locke's work arguing that true political authority comes not through God or precedent but from the people

republic

a form of government in which citizens choose their leaders by voting

popular soverignty

the idea that political authority belongs to the people

direct democracy

a form of government in which citizens rule directly and *not* through representatives

democracy

a political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them

individual rights

basic liberties and rights of all citizens that are guaranteed in the Bill of Rights

rule of law

principle that the law applies to everyone, even those who govern

The Declaration of Independence

the document recording the proclamation of the second Continental Congress asserting the independence of the colonies from Great Britain

Articles of Confederation

1st Constitution of the U.S. (1781-1788)included no executive, no judicial branch, no power to tax, no power to regulate trade

Shay's Rebellion

an uprising in western Massachusetts in opposition to high taxes and stringent economic conditions

Virginia and New Jersey Plan

Virginia Plan: "Large state" proposal for the new constitution, calling for proportional representation in both houses of a bicameral Congress. (favored larger states)New Jersey Plan: called for equal representation of each state in Congress regardless of the state's population(favored small states)

The Great Compromise

compromise made by Constitutional Convention in which states would have equal representation in one house of the legislature (senate) and representation based on population in the other house (house of reps)

Federalist 10

an essay composed by James Madison which argues that liberty is safest in a large republic because many interests (factions) exist. Such diversity makes tyranny by the majority more difficult since ruling coalitions will always be unstable.

Federalist 51

argues that separation of powers within the national government is the best way to prevent the concentration of power in the hands of one person or a single group.

Federalists and Anti-Federalists

Anti-Federalists: wanted states' rights, bill of rights, unanimous consent, reference to religion, more power to less-rich and common peopleFederalists: wanted strong central government, more power to experienced, separation of church and state, stated that national government would protect individual rights

unitary system

political systems in which power is concentrated in a central government

confederate system

a system of government with a very weak central government and strong states

checks and balance

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

separation of powers

the division of power among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government

informal amendment

a change in the meaning, but not the wording, of the Constitution, e.g., through a court decisions such as Brown v. Board.

formal amendment

change or addition that becomes part of the written language of the Constitution itself through one of four methods set forth in the Constitution

The Bill of Rights

first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution that guarantee essential rights and civil liberties (such as the freedom of religion, the right to free speech, the right to bear arms, trial by jury, etc.) and reserving rights to the people and the states

organization of the constitution

preamble, 7 articles, 27 amendments

federalism

a form of government in which power is divided between the federal, or national, government and the states

delegated/enumerated powers

powers specifically given to the *federal government* by the US Constitution(ex. the authority to print money, power to lay and collect taxes)

implied Powers

powers that Congress have that are not stated explicitly in the Constitution(ex. minimum wage was established using the power to regulate commerce)

expressed Powers

the powers of the national government explicitly listed in the Constitution

inherent Powers

powers not explicitly specified in the Constitution that enable the government to take actions necessary to efficiently perform essential duties(ex. regulating immigration, acquiring territory, and ending labor strikes)

reserved Powers

powers that are *not* specifically granted to the federal government by the Constitution(ex. ownership of property or the education of inhabitants)

Tenth 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."

Fourteenth Amendment

"No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."

Supremacy Clause

Article VI (6) 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

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

Full Faith and Credit Clause

a clause in Article IV (4) of the Constitution requiring each state to recognize the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of all other states

dual federalism

a system of government in which both the states and the national government remain supreme within their own spheres, each responsible for some policies

cooperative federalism

a system of government in which powers and policy assignments are shared between states and the national government. (they may also share costs, administration, and even blame for programs that work poorly)

new federalism (devolution)

system in which the national government restores greater authority back to the states(seen with Reagan (block grants) & Nixon (revenue sharing))

block grants

money given to states for *general programs* within a broad category

categorical grants

funds provided for a *specific and clearly defined* purpose

unfunded mandates

programs that the Federal government requires states to implement *without* federal funding(ex. No Child Left Behind Act)

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

the Supreme Court upheld the power of the national government and denied the right of a state to tax the federal bank using the Constitution's supremacy clause. The Court's broad interpretation of the necessary and proper clause paved the way for later rulings upholding expansive federal powers

U.S. v. Lopez (1995)

Supreme Court declared Gun Free School Zones Act exceeded Congress's Interstate Commerce Clause power and was therefore unconstitutional. First federal law declared to exceed commerce clause since the 1930s

Brutus 1

it is impossible to have a large republic and have a stable government, argued that federal power was bad and that the Constitution gives too much power to the federal government

public opinion

the distribution of the population's beliefs about politics and policy issues

sample

a relatively small proportion of people who are chosen in a survey so as to be representative of the whole

straw poll

unscientific survey used to gauge public opinion on a variety of issues and policies

push poll

a type of poll that attempts to influence opinions secretly using a poll(ex. would you vote for \---- if you knew that they had an illegitimate child?)

exit poll

a poll of people leaving a polling place used by major media pollsters to predict electoral winners with speed and precision

tracking poll

a poll taken for the candidate on a nearly daily basis as election day approaches

shortcomings of polls

- *sampling error*:can be a difference between the entire population and sample- *limited options*:only two major options in many presidential elections-*lack of info*:if people don't know what they're being asked about, the answers are skewed- *intensity*:hard express how you feel

political socialization

process by which background traits influence one's political views

party affiliation

a candidate's identifiable membership in a political party, often listed on an election ballot.

influences on party affiliation

family, gender, religion, race/ethnicity, region

candidate-centered politics

politics that focus on the *candidates*, their particular issues, and character rather than party affiliation

party realignment

dramatic shifts in partisan preferences that drastically alter the political landscape

critical election

an election when significant groups of voters change their traditional patterns of party loyalty

two-party system

an electoral system with two dominant parties that compete in national elections

Democratic Party

one of the two major U.S political parties, founded in 1828 by Andrew Jackson to support a decentralized government and state's rights

Republican Party

associated with laissez-faire capitalism, low taxes, and conservative social policies

political party organization

This includes:- a *local* level (for grassroots activities)- a *state* level (to link local level to national level)- a *national* level that consists of a National Committee and National Convention

superdelegate

a delegate to the Democratic national convention who is there by virtue of holding an office

party platform

the best formal statement of a party's beliefs, goals, and policies for the next four yearsIt is drafted prior to the party convention by a committee whose members are chosen in rough proportion to each candidate's strength.

party identification

a citizen's self-proclaimed preference for one party or the other

minor parties

smaller political parties-have little impact on national elections

proportional representation

an election system in which each party running receives the proportion of legislative seats corresponding to its proportion of the vote

winner-take-all system

an election system in which the candidate with the most votes wins

polarization

the presence of increasingly conflicting and divided viewpoints between the Democratic and Republican Parties

electorate

all of the people entitled to vote in a given election

mandate

terms or goals set by the national government that the states have to meet(either funded, unfunded, partially funded, or underfunded)

primary election

election in which voters decide which of the candidates within a party will represent the party in the general election

caucuses

a meeting at which local members of a political party register their preference among candidates running for office or select delegates to attend a convention

general election

election in which voters decide which candidates will actually fill elective public offices

initiative

a procedure by which voters can propose a law or a constitutional amendment

referendum

a legislative act is referred for final approval to a popular vote by the electorate

Electoral College

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

reapportionment

the process of reassigning representation based on population, after every census

incumbent

an officeholder who is seeking reelection

presidential coattails

occurs when voters vote for members of the President's party because they like the President

midterm elections

congressional elections that do not coincide with a presidential election; also called off-year elections

ticket-splitting

voting with one party for one office and with another party for other offices

ideology

a system of ideas and ideals, especially one that forms the basis of economic or political theory and policy

voter turnout

the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election(a woman in the age demographic of ages 45-64 years old living in Maine with a white ethnicity is most likely to vote)

voter eligibility

must be a U.S. citizen, 18 years of age, and be registered in the county you reside(convicted felons must have "discharged" their sentence or be pardoned)

voter registration

system designed to reduce voter fraud by limiting voting to those who have established eligibility to vote by submitting the proper documents

rational-choice voting

voting based on what is perceived to be in the citizen's individual interest

retrospective voting

voting to decide whether the party or candidate in power should be re-elected based on the recent past

prospective voting

voting based on predictions of how a party or candidate will perform in the future

party-line voting

supporting a party by voting for candidates from one political party for all public offices across the ballot

pollster

a professional who takes public opinion surveys that guide political campaigns

campaign finance

money a candidate raises to pay for advertising through the media and to pay for staff

Citizens United v. FEC

A 2010 decision by the United States Supreme Court holding that independent expenditures are free speech protected by the 1st Amendment and so cannot be limited by federal law.Leads to creation of SuperPACs & massive rise in amount of third party electioneering

PACs and Super PACs

PACS: can directly endorse candidate, limited fundsSUPER PACS: work independent of candidate, unlimited funds

public funds

donations from general tax revenues to the campaigns of qualifying presidential candidates

campaign advertisements

commercials that promote one candidate over another

party convention

A meeting of party delegates to vote on matters of policy and in some cases to select party candidates for public office

narrowcasting

targeting media programming at specific populations within society

content regulations

government attempts to regulate the substance of the mass media

citizen journalists

ordinary individuals who collect, report, and analyze news content

news media influence

agenda setting, framing, public view on politicians and government, swaying voters without strong set beliefs, influence on distant topics