CH 1 & 2 AP Gov

vocab

Government

the institutions through which public policies are made for a society

Collective Goods

goods and services, such as clean air and clean water, that by their nature cannot be denied to anyone.

Politics

the process of determining the leaders we select and the policies they pursue. politics produces authoritative decisions about public issues.

Political Participation

all the activities by which citizens attempt to influence the selection of political leaders and the policies they pursue. voting is the most common means of political participation in a democracy. other means include contacting public officials, protest, and civil disobedience

Single-issue group

groups that have a narrow interest on which their members tend to take an uncompromising stance

policymaking System

the process by which policy comes into being and evolves. People’s interests, problems, and concerns create political issues for government policymakers. these issues shape policy, which in turn impacts people, generating more interests, problems, and concerns.

linkage institutions

the political channels through which people’s concerns become political issues on the policy agenda. in the united states, linkage institutions include elections, political parties, interest groups, and the media.

policy agenda

the issues that attract the serious attention of public officials and other people involved in politics at a point in time.

political issue

an issue that arises when people disagree about a problem and how to fix it

policymaking institutions

the branches of govt charged with taking action on political issues. the us constitution established three policymaking institutions - congress, the presidency, and the courts. today, the power of bureaucracy is so great that many political scientists consider it a fourth policymaking institution.

public policy

a choice that govt makes in response to a political issue. a policy is a course of action taken with regard to some problem.

policy impacts

the effects a policy has on people and problems. impacts are analyzed to see how well a policy has met its goal and at what cost

democracy

a system of selecting policymakers and of organizing government so that policy represents and responds to the public’s preference

majority rule

a fundamental principle of traditional democratic theory. In a democracy, choosing among alternatives requires that the majority’s desire be respected.

minority rights

A principle of traditional democratic theory that guarantees rights to those who do not belong to majorities

representation

a basic principle of traditional democratic theory that describes the relationship between the few leaders and the many followers

pluralism

a theory of american democracy emphasizing that the policymaking process is open to the participation of all groups with shared interests, with no single group usually dominating. pluralists tend to believe that as a result, public interest generally prevails

elitism

a theory of american democracy contending that an upper-class elite holds the power and makes policy, regardless of the formal governmental organization.

hyperpluralism

a theory of american democracy contending that interest groups are so strong that government, which gives in to the many different groups, is thereby weakened.

policy gridlock

a condition that occurs when interests conflict and no coalition is strong enough to form a majority and establish policy, so nothing gets done.

political culture

an overall set of values widely shared within a society

gross domestic product (GDP)

the sum total of the value of all the goods and services produced in a year in a nation

constitution

a nation’s basic law. it creates political institutions, assigns or divides powers in government, and often provides certain guarantees to citizens. constitutions can be either written or unwritten.

declaration of independence

the document approved by representatives of the american colonies in 1776 that stated their grievances against the british monarch and declared their independence.

natural rights

rights inherent in human beings, not dependent on governments, which include life, liberty, and property. The concept of natural rights was central to English philosopher John Locke’s theories about government and was widely accepted among America’s founders.

consent of the governed

the idea that government derives its authority from the people

limited government

the idea that certain restrictions should be placed on government to protect the natural rights of citizens

articles of confederation

the first constitution of the united states, adopted by congress in 1777 and ratified in 1781. the articles established the continental congress as the national legislature, but left most authority with the state legislatures.

shay’s rebellion

a series of attacks on courthouses by a small band of farmers led by revolutionary war captain daniel shays to block foreclosure proceedings

u.s. constitution

the document written in 1787 and ratified in 1788 that sets forth the institutional structure of the US government, the tasks these institutions perform, and the relationships among them. it replaced the articles of confederation

factions

groups such as interest groups that, according to james madison, arise from the unequal distribution of property or wealth and have the potential to cause instability in government.

new jersey plan

the proposal at the constitutional convention that called for equal representation of each state in congress regardless of the size of the state’s population

virginia plan

the proposal at the constitutional convention that called for representation of each state in congress to be proportional to its population

connecticut compromise

the compromise reached at the constitutional convention that established two houses of congress: the house of representatives, in which representation is based on a state’s population; and the senate, in which each state has two representatives.

writ of habeas corpus

a court order requiring authorities to explain to a judge what lawful reason they have for holding a prisoner custody.

separation of powers

a feature of the constituion that requires the three branches of governments - executive, legislative, and judicial - to be relatively independent of each other so that one cannot control the others. Power is shared among the three institutions.

checks and balances

features of the constitution that require each branch of the federal government to obtain the consent of the others for its actions; they limit the power of each branch

republic

a form in government in which the people select representatives to govern them and make laws.

federalists

supporters of the U.S. constitution at the time the states were contemplating its adoption.

anti-federalists

opponents of the u.s. constitution at the time the states were contemplating its adoption

federalist papers

a set of 85 essays that advocate ratification of the constitution and provide insightful commentary on the nature of the new system of government.

bill of rights

the first 10 amendments to the u.s. constitution, drafted in response to some of the anti-federalists’ concerns. these amendments define such basic liberties as freedom of religion, speech, and press, and guarantee defendants’ rights.

equal rights amendment (ERA)

a constitutional amendment passed by congress in 1972 stating that “equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States of by any state on account of sex.” The amendment failed to acquire the necessary support from three-fourths of the state legislatures in the period designed for ratification.

marbury v. madison

in 1803 case in which the supreme court asserted its power to determine the meaning of the u.s. constitution. the decision established the court’s power of judicial review over acts of congress.

judicial review

the power of the courts to determine whether acts of congress and those of the executive branch and in accord with the u.s. constitution. the supreme court established this in Marbury v. Madison.