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AP Gov Unit Test Flash Cards: The American System

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32952298Political PowerThe ability for one person to cause another person to act in accordance with the first persons intentions
32952299AuthorityThe right to use power
32952300LegitamacyPolitical Power conferred by law, public opinion, or constitution
32952301DemocracyA term used to describe a political system in which the people are said to rule, directly or indirectly
32952302Democratic centralisma form of democracy in which the interests of the masses were discovered through discussion within the Communist party, and then decisions were made under central leadership to serve those interests
32952303Direct Democracya form of government with all citizens participating directly in holding office/making public policy
32952304Majoritarian PoliticsThe politics of policy-making in which almost everybody benefits and almost everybody pays. Decisions are made based on the popular vote.
32952305EliteA group of people who have a disproportionate share of political power, usually a small group
32952306MarxistPeople who believe that those who control the economic system also control the political system
32952307BureaucratsAppointed officials who operate government agencies
32952308PluralistsPolitical resources are widely spread throughout society so that no single person can hold a majority of the power
32952309Politics of Self InterestPolicies that have changed in response to the changing beliefs of the people
32952310Unalienable RightsRights that are based on nature and God. Include life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
32952311Articles of Confederationthis document, the nations first constitution, was adopted in 1781. the document was limited because states held most of the power, and congress lacked the power to tax, regulate trade, or control currency
32952312Shay's RebellionThis conflict in Massachusetts caused many to criticize the Articles of Confederation and admit the weak central government was not working; uprising led by Daniel Shays in an effort to prevent courts from foreclosing on the farms of those who could not pay the taxes
32952313Virginia PlanDelegate James Madison's plan of government, in which states got a number of representatives in Congress based on their population
32952314New Jersey PlanA plan for government proposing a single-chamber congress in which each state had one vote. This created a conflict with representation between bigger states, who wanted control befitting their population, and smaller states, who didn't want to be bullied by larger states.
32952315Great CompromiseDecision made by Constitutional Convention in which states would have equal representation in one house of the legislature and representation based on population in the other house
32952316RepublicA form of government in which power is vested in representatives selected by means of popular election
32952317Judicial reviewThe power of the courts to declare acts of the legislature and of the executive to be unconstitutional
32952318FederalismA form of government in which power is divided between a national government and a state government
32952319Seperation of powersAuthority is shared between the three seperate branches of government - executive, judicial, and legislative
32952320FactionA group of people, usually a small portion of a majority, who try to influence public policy in ways that are against the public good
32952321FederalistsThese people supported a strong central government and worked toward the ratification of the Constitution
32952322AntifederalistsOpponents of having a strong central government, responsible for having the Bill of Rights added to the Constitution.
32963669Unitary SystemSovereignty is in the hands of the national government
32963670Confederate SystemSovereignty is in the hands of the state government
32963671Federal SystemSovereignty is shared between the national and state governments
32963672Necessary and Proper clauseConstitutional clause that gives congress the power to make all laws "necessary and proper" for executing its powers
32963673NullificationA theory that the states had the right to void any federal law they believe violates the Constitution
32963674Dual FederalismA constitutional theory that the national and state governments each have their own defined areas of authority
32963675Grants-in-aidFederal funds provided to states and local governments, typically for projects such as airports, highways, and welfare services
32963676Intergovernmental lobbyState officials make up this lobby in order to obtain more federal money
32963677Categorical grantsFederal grants to states or local governments that are for specific programs or projects. States are usually required to contribute some of their own money in order to obtain these grants
32963678MandatesRules imposed by the federal government on the states as conditions for obtaining federal grants or requirements that the states pay the costs of certain nationally defined programs.
32964662Conditions of aidFederal rules attached to the grants that states receive. States must agree to abide by these rules in order to receive the grants.
32964663Second-order devolutionThe flow of power and responsibility from the states to local government
32964664Third-order devolutionThe use of non-governmental organizations (like nonprofit organizations and private groups) to implement public policy
32966830Block grantsGrants of money from the federal government to states for programs in certain general areas rather than for specific kinds of programs.
32966831DevolutionThe effort to transfer responsibility for many public programs and services from the federal government to the states.
32966832CoalitionAn alliance of different interest groups and factions to achieve a common goal
32966833Writ of Habeus CorpusA court order directing a police officer who has a person in custody to go before a judge to show sufficient cause for his or her detention
32966834Bill of attainderA law that declares a person guilty of a crime without a trial
32966879Ex post facto lawLatin term meaning "after the fact"; the law makes criminal an act that was legal when it was commited, increases the penalty for a crime after it have been commited

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