AP Government Review

Declaration of Independence

Document justifying revolution against the king of England, based on natural rights.

John Locke's Philosophy

Stresses natural rights, consent of the governed, limited government, and protection of property.

Articles of Confederation

First U.S. government lacking centralized power, leading to ineffectiveness and weaknesses.

Shays' Rebellion

Highlighted the Articles' failure, as the government couldn't raise a militia to quell the rebellion.

Constitutional Convention Delegates

Diverse group agreeing on principles like checking self-interest, protecting liberties, and preventing factions.

Virginia Plan vs

Proposed plans for representation in Congress, resolved by the Connecticut Compromise.

Madisonian System

Designed to balance majority rule and minority interests through separation of powers and checks and balances.

Federalists vs

Differed on Constitution's impact, with Federalists supporting it and Anti-Federalists fearing elite control.

Formal vs

Formal process involves Congress or National Convention, while informal changes occur through interpretation and practice.

Supremacy Clause

Asserts national government's authority over states, ensuring federal laws prevail in case of conflict.

Interstate Commerce Powers

Federal government's authority to regulate trade and economic activity between states.

Devolution

Recognition of state sovereignty and local control in the context of federalism.

Federal Grants

Funding used by the federal government to compel states to cooperate.

Selective Incorporation Doctrine

Gradual process by which the Supreme Court applies most freedoms in the Bill of Rights to state governments through the Fourteenth Amendment.

Establishment Clause

First Amendment provision prohibiting the establishment of a state religion.

Free Exercise Clause

First Amendment right allowing individuals to practice or not practice any religion.

Freedom of Expression

First Amendment protection of speech, press, and assembly.

Right to Bear Arms

Second Amendment protection of the right to keep and bear arms.

Defendant's Rights

Rights of individuals accused of crimes, including protections against unreasonable searches and self-incrimination.

Right to Privacy

Implied right interpreted from the Bill of Rights, including protections such as in Roe v. Wade regarding abortion.

Electoral College Deadlock

In the 1876 election, a deadlock in the Electoral College led to a deal allowing Rutherford B. Hayes to be selected by a commission in exchange for withdrawing federal troops from southern states.

Jim Crow Laws

Laws enacted post-1876 election that segregated blacks from whites in the South, preventing blacks from voting and running for public office.

Plessy v

Supreme Court case that officially recognized "separate, but equal" facilities, allowing the practice of segregation.

Brown v

Overturned Plessy decision, declared segregation unconstitutional, and ordered desegregation of public schools.

Civil Rights Act (1964)

Legislation that outlawed racial discrimination in public places, prohibited employment discrimination, and established the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission.

Voting Rights Act (1965)

Legislation preventing states from disenfranchising voters, allowing federal oversight of elections, and enforcing the Fifteenth Amendment.

Native American Rights Fund (NARF)

Organization since 1970 advocating for equal rights for Native Americans through legal means.

Mexican American Legal Defense Fund (MALDEF)

Group pursuing equal rights for Hispanic Americans through legal avenues.

Women's Rights Movement

Movement for gender equality, culminating in the Nineteenth Amendment (1920) granting women the right to vote.

Americans with Disabilities Act (1990)

Legislation protecting disabled Americans from job discrimination and requiring employers to provide reasonable accommodations.

Voter Decision Making

The process where voters unconsciously consider a candidate's appearance, integrity, competence, and reliability when making decisions.

Policy Preferences

Voters may choose candidates based on shared policy preferences, assuming firm convictions, familiarity with candidates' policies, and the ability to discern differences.

Retrospective Voting

Voters choose candidates based on past policies that benefited them or opt for opposition candidates promising policy change.

Responsible Party Model

Describes how parties should offer choices, fulfill campaign promises, and take responsibility for government performance.

Campaign Strategy

The master plan laid out by candidates to guide their electoral campaigns, including tactics to secure the nomination.

Delegate Selection

The process where states choose delegates for national conventions, either through caucuses or primaries, impacting the nomination process.

Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA)

Legislation passed in 1974 to regulate campaign finance, control costs, limit donations, and establish the Federal Election Commission.

Soft Money

Loophole allowing businesses and wealthy individuals to make unlimited contributions, not directly to a candidate but for general party use.

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA)

Legislation aiming to ban soft money contributions to political parties, upheld by the Supreme Court in 2003.

Political Action Committees (PACs)

Established by the FECA in 1974, they allow interest groups to influence policy through campaign contributions.

Super PACs

PACs that can accept unlimited donations, endorse candidates, and operate independently from candidates' campaigns.

Suffrage

Right to vote, expanded over time to include almost all Americans over 18, with amendments like the 15th, 19th, and 26th.

Electoral College

System where electors from each state choose the president, criticized for favoring large states and urban voters.

Pluralist Theory

States that interest groups are vital for democracy, allowing people to organize for policy change without dominance by a single group.

Elite Theory

Suggests that a few elite groups, like large corporations, hold most power and influence policy decisions.

Hyper-pluralist Theory

Focuses on subgovernments forming around specific policies, leading to conflicting policies and excessive influence by interest groups.

Lobbying

Strategy where professional lobbyists persuade lawmakers on behalf of interest groups, influencing policy decisions.

Congress Composition

Congress consists of 435 representatives and 100 senators, totaling 535 members.

Lack of Diversity

Congress historically lacks diversity, with most members being Caucasian, especially in the Senate.

Incumbency Advantage

Incumbents, already holding office, win reelection over 90% of the time due to experience and visibility.

Factors in Congressional Elections

Incumbency is the primary factor influencing election outcomes, with senators facing more intense races.

Party Identification

Voters often align with party lines, leading to the reelection of candidates from predominantly Democratic or Republican districts.

Committee System

Congress operates through committees like standing, joint, select, and conference committees, responsible for legislation and oversight.

Legislative Process

Bills go through stages from introduction to committee review, floor debate, and final approval, with differences resolved in conference committees.

Ideology and Voting

Members of Congress may vote based on party, constituency needs, or personal views, affecting policy outcomes.

Interest Groups

Lobbyists influence Congress, representing diverse interests, leading to debates on whether Congress truly serves the public or interest groups.

Presidential Backgrounds

Presidents are limited to two terms by the 22nd Amendment, with FDR being the only one elected for four terms.

First 100 days of the presidency

The initial period where the President can enforce legislation supporting their policy agenda, under scrutiny from critics and the public.

Impeachment Process

The constitutional process to remove a President for abuse of power or high crimes, involving a House vote, Senate trial, and a 2/3 Senate vote for removal.

Presidential Powers

The limited powers granted by the Constitution to prevent the President from gaining excessive authority, including the duty to ensure laws are faithfully executed.

Vice President and Cabinet

The VP's role as Senate president and advisor to the President, and the Cabinet's advisory role, not mentioned in the Constitution but confirmed by the Senate.

Chief Legislator

The President's role in the legislative process, including the power to veto bills, influence policy through party leadership, and public support.

National Security Policy

The President's roles as commander in chief and chief diplomat, including military and diplomatic powers, and the War Powers Resolution.

Public Support

Factors influencing public approval of the President, such as party affiliation, economic handling, public speaking skills, media interpretation, and White House efforts.

Bureaucratic Hiring

Civil service system and presidential recruitment as methods to hire bureaucrats, ensuring political impartiality and merit-based promotions.

Types of Agencies

Cabinet departments, regulatory agencies, government corporations, and independent executive agencies as organizational structures within the federal bureaucracy.

Bureaucratic Implementation

Bureaucracies' role in enacting and enforcing policies, facing challenges like flawed program design, lack of resources, and interdepartmental coordination issues.

Congressional Oversight

Congress has the authority to oversee agencies through hearings and can change legislation behind programs.

Iron Triangles

Networks of relationships between agencies, interest groups, and congressional committees that may lead to conflicting regulations.

Bureaucracy Control

The president and Congress can control the bureaucracy through appointments, budgets, investigations, and direct orders.

Judicial System

The American judicial system consists of criminal law for violations and civil law for disputes between private parties.

Litigants

Parties involved in a case, with the plaintiff bringing charges and the defendant being the party charged.

Federal Court Structure

Includes district courts with original jurisdiction, circuit courts of appeal with appellate jurisdiction, and the Supreme Court as the ultimate authority.

Judicial Selection

Federal judges and justices are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate, with nominations becoming more contentious over time.

Judicial Background

Judges and justices, often lawyers and white males, reflect the ideology of the nominating president in their decisions.

Supreme Court Decision Process

Justices vote to hear cases, read briefs, hear arguments, discuss, vote, and write opinions that establish binding law.

Judicial Review

The power of the courts to review laws and executive actions, with significant impacts on policy throughout American history.