AP Government Vocabulary Review

LEJFASR (Let’s Eat Jamaican Food at Some Restaurant): Used to remember the $7$ Articles of the Constitution: Legislative, Executive, Judicial, Federalism, Amendment, Supremacy, and Ratification.
FLIPRCS: Represents the $7$ principles of US Government: Federalism, Limited Government, Individual Rights, Popular Sovereignty, Republicanism, Checks and Balances, and Separation of Powers.
LIFER: Used for the $5$ American core values: Limited Government, Individualism, Free Enterprise, Equality of Opportunity, and Rule of Law.
DCS: Represents the Federal Judiciary levels from weakest to strongest: District Court, Circuit Court, and Supreme Court.

Declaration of Independence: Argues for natural rights ( $life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness$ ), popular sovereignty, and individual rights.
Articles of Confederation: The first US law of the land which featured a weak central government and a single legislative branch. Its failures became evident after Shays’ Rebellion.
Federalist # 10: Discusses the control of factions through a large republic and federalism.
Federalist # 51: Addresses checks and balances, separation of powers, and the benefits of a bicameral legislature.
Federalist # 70: Argues for an "energetic executive" through a singular President.
Federalist # 78: Advocates for Judicial Review and life tenure for justices.
Brutus # 1: Anti-Federalist view that the Constitution gives too much power to the Federal Government at the expense of state and individual liberties.
Letter From Birmingham Jail: Written by Martin Luther King Jr., arguing for the moral obligation to break unjust laws through peaceful protest.

Legislative Branch: Holds the Power of the Purse. Key structures include Standing Committees, the House Ways and Means Committee, and the House Rules Committee. Procedural tools include the Filibuster and Cloture (requiring an agreement of $60$ or more Senators).
Executive Branch: Led by the Chief Executive (Commander in Chief) who holds the Power of the Sword. The President can use Executive Orders, Vetoes, and Signing Statements to influence policy.
Judicial Branch: Utilizes Judicial Review (established by Marbury vs. Madison) and Stare Decisis (precedent-based rulings). Justices are appointed for life and must pass a Judiciary Litmus test and Senate confirmation.
The Bureaucracy: Agencies like the EPA and FDA utilize Bureaucratic Discretionary Authority. The Merit System (established by the Pendleton Civil Service Act) ensures hiring is based on qualifications.

Federalism: The sharing of power between local, state, and federal levels.
Clauses: The Supremacy Clause (Article $VI$ ) establishes federal law as superior. The Commerce Clause allows federal regulation of interstate business. The Necessary and Proper Clause creates implied powers.
Financial Assistance: Includes Categorical Grants (specific purpose), Block Grants (general purpose), and Unfunded Mandates (no money provided).
Government Spending: Divided into Mandatory Spending (Entitlement programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid) and Discretionary Spending.

Bill of Rights: Amendments $1-10$ , including the $1^{st}$ (speech, press, religion), $2^{nd}$ (arms), and $4^{th}$ (search and seizure).
Reconstruction Amendments: The $13^{th}$ (abolished slavery), $14^{th}$ (citizenship and Selective Incorporation), and $15^{th}$ (voting rights regardless of race).
Voting and Elections: The $17^{th}$ (direct election of Senators), $19^{th}$ (women's suffrage), and $26^{th}$ (lowering voting age to $18$ ).
Key Legislation: Civil Rights Act of 1964 (ended Jim Crow) and Voting Rights Act of 1965 (banned literacy tests).

Linkage Institutions: Channels that connect people to government: Media, Political Parties, Interest Groups, and Elections.
Election Stages: Primary Season, Nominating Convention, General Election, and the Electoral College (requiring $270$ votes to win the Presidency).
Media Roles: Acts as a Gatekeeper (choosing stories), Scorekeeper (tracking winners), and Watchdog (reporting corruption).
Gerrymandering: The redrawing of district lines to benefit the majority party following a Census.HR