AP Gov. Unit 1 Vocabulary

Government

the institution that make/create public policy in a society.

Politics

the collection of laws, programs and procedures that are implemented by the government/policy is the output of government.

Public Policy

the collection of laws, programs and procedures that are implemented by the government/policy is the output of government.

Political System

a set of institutions and activities that link together people, politics, and policy.

Political Issue

an issue that arises when people disagree about a problem and a public policy choice.

Policy Agenda

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

Policymaking System

The process by which political problems are communicated by the voters and acted upon by government policymakers. The policymaking system begins with people's needs and expectations for governmental action. When people confront government officials with problems that they want solved, they are trying to influence the government's policy agenda.

Democracy

A system of selection policy makers and of organizing government so that policy represents and responds to the public's preferences.

Republic

A form of government that derives its power, directly or indirectly, from the people. Those chosen to govern are accountable to those whom they govern. In contrast to a direct democracy, in which people themselves make laws, in a republic the people select representatives who make the laws.

Representative Democracy

is a form of government founded on the principle of elected individuals representing the people, as opposed to either autocracy or direct democracy.

Pluralism

Theory that democracy can be achieved through competition among multiple organized groups and that individuals can participate in politics through group memberships and elections.

Elite Theory

A theory of government and politics contending that societies are divided along class lines and that an upper-class elite will rule, regardless of the formal niceties of governmental organization. Compare hyper pluralism, pluralist theory, and traditional democratic theory.

Bureaucratic Theory

departments, agencies, bureaus, and offices that perform the functions of government.

Hyper Pluralism

A theory of government and polities contending that groups are so strong that government is weakened. Hyerpluralism is an extreme, exaggerated, or perverted form of pluralism. Compare elite and class theory, pluralist theory, and traditional democratic theory.

Constitutional Democracy

is the dominant form of democracies in the 21st century.

Popular Consent

idea that the government obtains its authority from the people.

Majoritarian Democracy

is a system of government in which either the actual governing is carried out by the people governed (direct democracy), or the power to do so is granted by them (as in representative democracy).

Plurality

Election by at least one vote more than any other candidate in the race.

Supermajority

a number that is much more than half of a total, esp. in a vote.

Necessary and Proper

Clause in Article I, Section 8, of the U.S. Constitution granting Congress the power to enact all laws that are "necessary and proper" for carrying out those responsibilities specifically delegated to it. Also referred to as the implied powers clause.

Separation of Powers

Constitutional division of powers among the three branches of the national government-legislative, executive, and judicial.

Checks and Balances

Constitutional provisions giving each branch of the national government certain checks over the actions of other branches.

Bicameralism

(of a legislative body) having two branches or chambers.

Federalism

A constitutional arrangement whereby power is divided between national and sub national governments, each of which enforces its own laws directly on its citizens and neither of which can alter the arrangement without the consent of the other.

Unitary System

Constitutional arrangement whereby authority rests with the national government, subnational governments have only those powers given to them by the national government.

Confederation

Constitutional arrangement whereby the national government is created by and relies on subnational governments for its authority.

Judicial Review

Power of the courts, especially the Supreme Court, to declare laws of Congress, laws of the states, and actions of the president unconstitutional and invalid.

Enumerated/Express Powers

Powers specifically mentioned in the Constitution as belonging to the national government.

Implied Powers

Powers not mentioned specifically in the Constitution as belonging to Congress but inferred as necessary and proper for carrying out the enumerated powers.

Inherent Powers

are those powers that a sovereign state holds. A power of the president derived from the loosely worded statements in the Constitution that "the executive Power shall be vested in a President" and that the president should "take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed"; defined through practice rather than through constitutional or statutory law.

Concurrent Powers

Powers exercised by both the national government and state governments in the American federal system.

Reserved Powers

Powers not granted to the national government or specifically denied to the states in the Constitution that are recognized by the Tenth Amendment as belonging to the state governments. This guarantee, known as the Reserved Powers Clause, embodies the principle of American federalism.

Block Grants

Federal grants given more or less automatically to states or communities to support broad programs in areas such as community development and social services. Compare categorical grants.

Categorical grants

Federal grants that can be used only for specific purposes, or "categories," of state and local spending. They come with strings attached, such as nondiscrimination provisions. Compare block grants.

Project Grants

Federal grants given for specific purposes and awarded on the basis of the merits of applications. A type of the categorical grants available to states and localities.

Revenue Sharing

the distribution of a portion of federal tax revenues to state and local governments.

Restrictions

the limitation or control of someone or something, or the state of being limited or restricted.

Mandates

Perception of popular support for a program or policy based on the margin of electoral victory won by a candidate who proposed it during a campaign, direct federal orders to state and local governments requiring them to perform a service or to obey federal laws in the performance of their functions.

Preemption

Total or partial federal assumption of power in a particular field, restricting the authority of the states.

Dual Federalism

Early concept of federalism in which national and state powers were clearly distinguished and functionally separate. National Gov. took care of national defense, foreign affairs, tariffs, interstate commerce, and the coinage of money, standard weights and measures, post office and post roads, and the admission of new states. State governments decided the important domestic policy issues like education, welfare, health, and criminal justice. Like a layer cake.

Marble Cake Federalism

the marble cake stands for how the National government and the state governments shared powers, which were mixed.

Cooperative Federalism

Model of federalism in which national, state, and local governments work together exercising common policy responsibilities. Both the nation and the states would take care of welfare, health, highways, education, and criminal justice. Like a marble cake.

Permissive Federalism

they can only do and have the powers that the national government allows them to have and do.

Competitive Federalism

States (local) competing for grants for economic development.

Centralized Federalism

Model of federalism in which the national government assumes primary responsibility for determining national goals in all major policy areas and directs state and local government activity through conditions attached to money grants. Pineapple upside down cake.

Regulatory Federalism

regulate / dictate the actions of state and local governments.

New Federalism

Attempts to return power and responsibility to the states and reduce the role of the national government in domestic affairs. Nixon and Reagan tried to reduce the responsibility of the national government.

Fascal Federalism

Health of the economy plus the national government, power to tax and spend. Is how federalism is always changing.

Carrot and Stick

you dangle something in front of a person to tempt them to do something for you or you can force them to do it.

Devolution

Passing down of responsibilities from the national government to the states.

Privatization

is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency or public service from the public sector (government) to the private sector (business).

Centralists

nationalist / democrats

Decentralists

states rights / republicans

Fragmentation

the process or state of breaking or being broken into small or separate parts: the fragmentation of society into a collection of interest groups.

Decentralization

is the process of dispersing decision making governance closer to the people or citizen.