AP Government Unit 1 Vocab Terms
Articles of Confederation: First attempt at government for the United States. Gave too much power to
states, not enough to national government. Resulting problems led to Shay’s Rebellion, then
Constitutional Convention.
2) Bicameral Legislature: two-house legislature
3) Block Grants- money given by federal government to states; broad freedom on how to spend money
4) Brutus #1: Essay which criticized the new constitution. Main thesis of the essay:: if people give up
freedom to a powerful national government, they will never get those freedoms back.
5) Federalist #10: Essay in support of the U.S. Constitution, main argument was a large country is
necessary to protect againt greed and ambition.
6) Federalist #51: A system of checks and balances helps prevent any one part of the government from
becoming two powerful.
7) Federalist #70: Essay in which Alexander Hamilton argues there should be a unitary executive: only
one person should be president during the term of office.
8) Federalist #78: Essay in which Alexander Hamilton argues the judicial branch should be independent
and judges should serve for life, which allows them to make rulings which are unpopular but right.
9) Categorical Grant- Money given by federal government to states that has some limits on how it is spent.
10) Centralists: those who favor greater national authority rather than state authority.
11) Checks and balances: system in which each branch of government can limit the power of the other two
branches, e.g., presidential veto of a congressional law.
12) Commerce clause: gives Congress the power to regulate commerce among the states, with foreign
nations, and among Indian tribes. Granted through article 1, section 8 of the Constitution.
13) Concurrent powers: those held by both Congress and the states, e.g., establishing law enforcement
agencies.
14) Decentralists: those who favor greater state authority rather than national authority.
15) Declaration of Independence: Written by Thomas Jefferson, listed abuses committed by King George
III and gave reasons for 13 colonies to rebel and declare themselves a new, separate nation.
16) Direct democracy: system in which the people rule themselves.
17) Elastic clause: states that Congress can exercise those powers that are “necessary and proper” for carrying out the enumerated powers, e.g., establishment of the first Bank of the United States.
18) Enumerated Powers: powers given to the national government because they are specifically written in the constitution.
19) Federalism: constitutional sharing of power between a central government and state governments. Different varieties:
20) Federalist Papers: group of 85 essays written by Madison, Hamilton, and Jay for the purpose of persuading the people of New York to adopt the Constitution.
21) Formal amendment: a change in the actual wording of the Constitution. Proposed by Congress or national convention, and ratified by the states.
22) Indirect Democracy: system in which the people are ruled by their representatives. Also known as representative democracy, or republic.
23) Informal amendment: a change in the meaning, but not the wording, of the Constitution, e.g., through court decisions such as Brown. V. Board of Education.
24) Judicial review: power of the courts to rule on the constitutionality of laws and government actions. Established by Marbury v. Madison, 1803.
25) Mandates- Orders from federal government which states must follow
26) Marbury vs. Madison, 1803: established the power of judicial review.
27) McCulloch v. Maryland, 1819: established principle of national supremacy and validity of implied powers.
28) Pluralism: theory that policy making is the result of interest group competition.
29) Popular sovereignty: principle in which ultimate political authority rests with the people.
30) Reserved powers: powers held by the states through the 10th amendment. Any power not granted to the US government is “reserved” for the states.
31) Revenue Sharing- money given by federal governments to states; little/no restrictions on how its spent.
32) Separation of powers: principle in which the powers of government are separated among three branches: legislative, executive, judicial.
33) Shay’s Rebellion: 1786 revolt by Massachusetts farmers seeking relief from debt and foreclosure that was a factor in the calling of the constitutional convention.
34) Supermajority: a majority greater than a simple majority of 51%. Usually 3/5 or 2/3.
35) U.S. v. Lopez, 1995: The Supreme court ruled the commerce clause cannot be used to prosecute gun offenders. This ruling strengthened states and weakened the federal government.