AP Government - Ultimate Facts and Terms Sheet Richins

imported from Quizlet: https://quizlet.com/583943474/ap-gov-ultimate-facts-and-terms-sheet-flash-cards/

single issue groups

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

linkage institutions

the political channels through which people's concerns become political issues on the policy agenda;

policy agenda

the issues that attract the serious attention of public officials and other people actively involved in politics at the time;

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;

pluralist theory (pluralism)

a theory of American democracy emphasizing that the policymaking process is very open to the participation of all groups with shared interests, with no single group usually dominating; public interest generally prevails;

elite and class theory (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 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.;

Constitution

A document which spells out the principles by which a government runs and the fundamental laws that govern a society;

Declaration of Independence

a 1776 document stating that the 13 English colonies were a free and independent nation;

Articles of Confederation

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

factions

Groups such as parties or interest groups, which according to James Madison arose from the unequal distribution of property or wealth and had 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 state's population.;

Virginia Plan

The proposal at the Constitutional Convention that called for representation of each state in Congress in proportion to that state's share of the U.S. population.;

writ of habeas corpus

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

separation of powers

A feature of the Constitution that requires each of the three branches of government

Federalist #51 (Madison)

addresses means by which appropriate checks and balances can be created in government and also advocates a separation of powers within the national government.;

Federalist 78 (Hamilton)

Judiciary branch isn't too powerful because it doesn't have the power of the purse or sword; can't tax, enforce laws, or bring the nation to war;

Federalist 70 (Hamilton)

Argues in favor of a strong executive leader that the Constitution institutes. One executive can be watched better than a group of people.;

Checks and Balances

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

republic

A form of government in which the people select representatives to govern them and make laws.;

federalists

A term used to describe supporters of the Constitution during ratification debates in state legislatures.;

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.;

anti

federalist

Brutus 1

Anti

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 ten amendments to the Constitution, drafted in response to some of the Anti

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 or by any state on account of sex." The amendment failed to acquire the necessary support from three

Judicial Review

The power of the courts to determine whether acts of Congress and those of the executive branch are in accord with the US Constitution;

Federalism

A way of organizing a nation so that two or more levels of government share formal authority over the same area and people;

Intergovernmental relations

The entire set of interactions among national, state, and local governments

Supremacy Clause

The clause in Article VI of the Constitution that makes the Constitution, national laws, and treaties supreme over state laws as long as the national government is acting within its constitutional limits.;

10th 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.;

Enumerated powers

Powers of the federal government specifically listed in the Constitution; including the power to collect taxes, coin money, regulate foreign and interstate commerce, and declare war.;

Implied powers

Powers of the federal government that go beyond those enumerated in the Constitution;

Elastic clause

The final paragraph of Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution, which authorizes Congress to pass all laws "necessary and proper" to carry out the enumerated powers.;

Gibbons v. Ogden

A landmark case decided in 1824 in which the Supreme Court interpreted very broadly the clause in Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution giving Congress the power to regulate interstate commerce, encompassing virtually every form of commercial activity.;

full faith and credit

A clause in Article IV 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/new federalism

A system of government in which states and the national government share powers and policy assignments;

project grants

Federal categorical grants given for specific purposes and awarded on the basis of the merits of applications;

formula grants

Federal categorical grants distributed according to a formula specified in legislation or in administrative regulations.;

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;

civil liberties

The constitutional and other legal protections against government actions. Our civil liberties are formally set down in the Bill of Rights.;

1st Amendment

The constitutional amendment that establishes the four great liberties: freedom of the press, of speech, of religion, and of assembly.;

14th Amendment

the constitutional amendment adopted after the Civil War that states, "no state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any person be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." (privileges or immunities, due process, equal protection);

incorporation doctrine

The legal concept under which the Supreme Court has nationalized the Bill of Rights by making most of its provisions applicable to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment.;

establishment clause

Part of the First Amendment stating that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.";

free exercise clause

A First Amendment provision that prohibits government from interfering with the practice of religion.;

probable cause

reasonable grounds for believing that a person is guilty of a crime; must have probable cause to make a lawful arrest;

exclusionary rule

The rule that evidence cannot be introduced into a trial if it was not obtained in a constitutional manner; prohibits use of evidence obtained through unreasonable search and seizure;

5th Amendment

Designed to protect the rights of persons accused of crimes; protection against double jeopardy, self

civil rights

Policies designed to protect people against arbitrary or discriminatory treatment by government officials or individuals.;

equal protection of the laws

Part of the Fourteenth Amendment emphasizing that the laws must provide equivalent "protection" to all people.;

suffrage

The legal right to vote, extended to African Americans by the Fifteenth Amendment, to women by the Nineteenth Amendment, and to people over the age of 18 by the Twenty

Voting Rights Act of 1965

a law designed to help end formal and informal barriers to African

comparable worth

the concept that women and men should receive equal pay for jobs calling for comparable skill and responsibility;

Disability Act

A law passed in 1990 that requires employers and public facilities to make "reasonable accommodations" for people with disabilities and prohibits discrimination against these individuals in employment;

affirmative action

A policy designed to give special attention to or compensatory treatment for members of some previously disadvantaged group.;

Letter from Birmingham Jail

A letter written by Martin Luther King Jr. after he had been arrested when he took part in a nonviolent march against segregation. He was disappointed more Christians didn't speak out against racism; civil disobedience is the moral obligation for unjust law, must do non

census

An "actual enumeration" of the population, which the Constitution requires that the government conduct every 10 years. The census is a valuable tool for understanding demographic changes.;

reapportionment

The process of reallocating seats in the House of Representatives every 10 years on the basis of the results of the census.;

political socialization

The process through which individuals in a society acquire political attitudes, views, and knowledge, based on inputs from family, schools, the media, and others.;

random sampling

The key technique employed by survey researchers, which operates on the principle that everyone should have an equal probability of being selected for the sample.;

exit poll

public opinion surveys used by major media pollsters to predict electoral winners with speed and precision;

gender gap

The regular pattern in which women are more likely to support Democratic candidates, in part because they tend to be less conservative than men and more likely to support spending on social services and to oppose higher levels of military spending.;

civil disobedience

A form of political participation that reflects a conscious decision to break a law believed to be immoral and to suffer the consequences.;

mass media

Television, radio, newspapers, magazines, the Internet, and other means of popular communication.;

media event

Events that are purposely staged for the media and that are significant just because the media are there.;

investigative journalism

the use of in

trial balloons

Intentional news leaks for the purpose of assessing the political reaction.;

sound bites

Short video clips of approximately 10 seconds. Typically, they are all that is shown from a politician's speech on the nightly television news.;

rational choice theory

A popular theory in political science to explain the actions of voters as well as politicians. It assumes that individuals act in their own best interest, carefully weighing the costs and benefits of possible alternatives.;

party identification

a citizen's self

ticket splitting

Voting with one party for one office and with another party for other offices. It has become the norm in American voting behavior.;

party machines

A type of political party organization that relies heavily on material inducements, such as patronage, to win votes and to govern.;

patronage

One of the key inducements used by party machines. A patronage job, promotion, or contract is one that is given for political reasons rather than for merit or competence alone.;

closed primaries

Elections to select party nominees in which only people who have registered in advance with the party can vote for that party's candidates, thus encouraging greater party loyalty.;

open primaries

Elections to select party nominees in which voters can decide on Election Day whether they want to participate in the Democratic or Republican contests.;

blanket primaries

elections to select party nominees in which voters are presented with a list of candidates from all the parties. Voters can then select some Democrats and some Republicans if they like.;

national convention

The meeting of party delegates every four years to choose a presidential ticket and write the party's platform.;

national committee

One of the institutions that keeps the party operating between conventions. The national committee is composed of representatives from the states and territories.;

critical election

An electoral "earthquake" where new issues emerge, new coalitions replace old ones, and the majority party is often displaced by the minority party. Critical election periods are sometimes marked by a national crisis and may require more than one election to bring about a new party era.;

party realignment

The displacement of the majority party by the minority party, usually during a critical election period.;

New Deal coalition

A coalition forged by the Democrats, who dominated American politics from the 1930s to the 1960s. Its basic elements were the urban working class, ethnic groups, Catholics and Jews, the poor, Southerners, African Americans, and intellectuals.;

third parties

electoral contenders other than the two major parties. American third parties are not unusual, but they rarely win elections.;

winner

take

proportional representation

An electoral system used throughout most of Europe that awards legislative seats to political parties in proportion to the number of votes won in an election.;

coalition government

When two or more parties join together to form a majority in a national legislature. This form of government is quite common in the multiparty systems of Europe.;

responsible party model

A view about how parties should work, held by some political scientists. According to the model, parties should offer clear choices to the voters and once in office, should carry out their campaign promises.;

nomination

The official endorsement of a candidate for office by a political party. Generally, success in the nomination game requires momentum, money, and media attention.;

national party convention

The supreme power within each of the parties. The convention meets every four years to nominate the party's presidential and vice

caucus

A system for selecting convention delegates used in about a dozen states in which voters must attend an open meeting to express their presidential preference.;

superdelegates

National party leaders who automatically get a delegate slot at the national party convention.;

frontloading

The recent tendency of states to hold primaries early in the calendar in order to capitalize on media attention.;

national primary

A proposal by critics of the caucuses and presidential primaries, which would replace these electoral methods with a nationwide primary held early in the election year.;

regional primaries

A proposal by critics of the caucuses and presidential primaries to replace these electoral methods with a series of primaries held in each geographic region.;

party platform

A political party's statement of its goals and policies for the next four years. It is the best formal statement of a party's beliefs.;