Unit 3 AP Government

Federal Bureaucracy

Composed of departments, agencies, and commissions that implement and enforce federal policy.

Bureaucratic Functions

Writing and enforcing regulations, issuing fines, testifying before Congress, forming iron triangles, and creating issue networks.

Iron Triangle

Alliance between congressional committees, bureaucratic agencies, and interest groups that influence policy in specific areas.

Issue Network

Temporary coalition of interest groups, bureaucrats, and experts united around a specific issue or agenda.

Merit System

Hiring and promoting government employees based on qualifications and performance instead of political connections.

Political Patronage (Spoils System)

Giving government jobs to political supporters or allies rather than based on merit.

Executive Departments

Main administrative units under the President (e.g., Defense, State, Justice).

Independent Agencies

Organizations outside direct presidential control (e.g., EPA, NASA, FEC).

Regulatory Agencies

Agencies that make and enforce rules to protect public interest (e.g., SEC, Federal Reserve); most independent from presidential control.

Government Corporations

Businesses owned by the government providing services (e.g., USPS, Amtrak).

Discretionary Authority

Congress allows bureaucrats to decide how to implement and enforce laws.

Rulemaking Authority

Agencies create detailed regulations that have the force of law.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

Protects the U.S. from domestic and international threats.

Department of State (DOS)

Manages foreign affairs and international relations.

Department of Defense (DOD)

Coordinates national security and the armed forces.

Department of Justice (DOJ)

Enforces federal law and represents the government in legal matters.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Protects the environment by enforcing regulations on pollution and industry.

Federal Election Commission (FEC)

Regulates campaign finance in federal elections.

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

Regulates stock markets and protects investors.

Congressional Oversight

Congress monitors bureaucracy through hearings, investigations, and budgets.

Power of the Purse

Congress can cut or increase funding for agencies to influence behavior.

Check on Executive Power

Congress uses oversight to limit presidential control of the bureaucracy.

Civil Liberties

Freedoms that protect individuals from government interference.

Civil Rights

Guarantees of equal treatment under the law; protection against discrimination.

Selective Incorporation

Process by which the Supreme Court applies parts of the Bill of Rights to the states through the 14th Amendment’s Due Process Clause.

Due Process Clause

Prevents the government from depriving life, liberty, or property without fair procedures.

Equal Protection Clause

Requires states to treat all citizens equally under the law; basis for civil rights cases.

Freedom of Speech

Right to express ideas without government interference; includes symbolic speech.

Symbolic Speech

Nonverbal communication that expresses an idea (e.g., flag burning).

Time, Place, Manner Restrictions

Government can regulate when, where, and how speech occurs as long as it’s content-neutral.

Clear and Present Danger Test

Speech can be limited if it presents immediate danger (Schenck v. U.S.).

Fighting Words

Speech that incites violence or immediate disturbance is not protected.

Libel

False and damaging written statements.

Slander

False and damaging spoken statements.

Obscenity

Sexually explicit material not protected by free speech (Miller v. California defines standards).

Prior Restraint

Government cannot stop publication before it occurs (Near v. Minnesota, NYT v. U.S.).

Establishment Clause

Government cannot establish or favor a religion.

Free Exercise Clause

Protects citizens’ right to practice their religion freely.

Lemon Test

Three-part test to determine if a law violates the Establishment Clause (Lemon v. Kurtzman).

Right to Bear Arms

Protects individual right to own firearms; incorporated to the states in McDonald v. Chicago (2010).

Search and Seizure

Protects against unreasonable searches or seizures; requires probable cause or a warrant.

Probable Cause

Reasonable grounds for a search or arrest.

Search Warrant

Legal document authorizing a search.

Exclusionary Rule

Illegally obtained evidence cannot be used in court (Mapp v. Ohio).

Exceptions to Warrant Requirement

Plain view, consent, exigent circumstances, automobile, good faith, inevitable discovery.

PATRIOT Act

Expanded government surveillance powers post-9/11, raising privacy concerns.

Self-Incrimination

Right to remain silent (Miranda v. Arizona).

Double Jeopardy

Cannot be tried twice for the same crime.

Due Process

Government must follow fair procedures before depriving life, liberty, or property.

Eminent Domain

Government can take private property for public use with fair compensation.

Right to Counsel

Right to an attorney, even if you can’t afford one (Gideon v. Wainwright).

Speedy and Public Trial

Protects against prolonged detention.

Jury Trial

Right to be tried by an impartial jury of peers.

Confront Witnesses

Defendants can face their accusers and present witnesses for defense.

Excessive Bail and Fines

Prohibits extreme bail or fines.

Cruel and Unusual Punishment

Forbids inhumane punishment.

Right to Privacy

Implied through due process; protects personal autonomy.

Griswold v. Connecticut (1965)

Recognized right to privacy in marital contraception.

Roe v. Wade (1973)

Extended privacy to abortion rights.

Dobbs v. Jackson (2022)

Overturned Roe; returned abortion laws to states.

Ninth Amendment

Acknowledges unenumerated rights not explicitly listed in the Constitution.

13th Amendment

Abolished slavery.

14th Amendment

Guaranteed citizenship and equal protection under the law.

15th Amendment

Gave African American men the right to vote.

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

Upheld "separate but equal" segregation.

Jim Crow Laws

State laws enforcing racial segregation.

De Jure Segregation

Segregation by law.

De Facto Segregation

Segregation by custom or tradition.

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

Overturned Plessy; declared segregation in schools unconstitutional.

Civil Disobedience

Peacefully disobeying unjust laws (MLK’s approach).

Letter from Birmingham Jail

MLK’s defense of nonviolent resistance to unjust laws.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Banned segregation and discrimination in public places and employment.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Outlawed literacy tests; protected minority voting rights.

Seneca Falls Convention (1848)

First women’s rights convention.

Temperance & Suffrage Movements

Advocated for women’s equality and voting rights.

19th Amendment (1920)

Gave women the right to vote.

Cult of Domesticity

Belief that women should stay in the home; limited rights.

Title IX (1972)

Banned gender discrimination in education programs.

Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)

Proposed amendment to guarantee gender equality (not ratified).

Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (2009)

Restored worker rights to file pay discrimination claims.