AP Notes, Outlines, Study Guides, Vocabulary, Practice Exams and more!

AP Government Midterm Review Flashcards

Terms : Hide Images
5747362330John Locke1632-1704. English philosopher whose Treatises of Government espousing natural rights, consent of the governed, and social compacts greatly influenced the Founding Fathers0
5747362331Social ContractA voluntary agreement among individuals to secure their rights and welfare by creating a government and abiding by its rules.1
5747362332Natural Rights... Life, Liberty, and Property2
5747362333consent of the governedthe idea that government derives its authority by the sanction of the people3
5747362334direct democracyA form of government in which citizens rule directly and not through representatives4
5747362335Representative democracyA system of government in which citizens elect representatives, or leaders, to make decisions about the laws for all the people.5
5747362336articles of confederation1st Constitution of the U.S. 1781-1788 (weaknesses-no executive, no judicial, no power to tax, no power to regulate trade)6
5747362337Shay's RebellionA Series of attacks on courthouses by a small band of farmers led by Revolutionary War captain Daniel Shays to block foreclosure proceedings. Led to the Constitutional convention7
5747362338elite TheoryA theory of government and politics contending that societies are divided along class lines and that an upper-class elite will rule, regardless of the formal niceties of governmental organization.8
5747362339Pluralist theoryA theory of government and politics emphasizing that politics is mainly a competition among groups, each one pressing for its own preferred policies9
5747362340great compromise1787; This compromise was between the large and small states of the colonies. The Great Compromise resolved that there would be representation by population in the House of Representatives, and equal representation would exist in the Senate. Each state, regardless of size, would have 2 senators. All tax bills and revenues would originate in the House. This compromise combined the needs of both large and small states and formed a fair and sensible resolution to their problems.10
57473623413/5 compromisesettled debate over how slaves would be counted in regards to representation11
5747362342confederal systemA system consisting of a league of independent states, each having essentially sovereign powers. The central government created by such a league has only limited powers over the states.12
5747362343federal systemA government that divides the powers of government between the national government and state or provincial governments13
5747362344unitary systemA government that gives all key powers to the national or central government14
5747362345Gibson V. Ogden (1824)a landmark decision in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that the power to regulate interstate commerce was granted to Congress by the Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution15
5747362346United States V Lopez (1995)1995 - The Commerce Clause of the Constitution does not give Congress the power to prohibit mere possession of a gun near a school, because gun possession by itself is not an economic activity that affects interstate commerce even indirectly.16
5747362347Wickard v. Filburn (1932)Extended the reach of the interstate commerce clause17
5747362349Marbury V. Madison (1803)Under Chief Justice John Marshall, the Supreme Court of the United States held that ONLY the Supreme Court of the United States has the power to declare laws unconstitutional. Established judicial review.18
5747362350McCullough V. Maryland (1819)In establishing a national bank, Congress was legally exercising its enumerated powers not sepcifically mentioned in the Constitution. Established Implied Powers under the "Necessary and Proper Clause"19
5747362361Supremacy ClauseArticle VI of the Constitution, which makes the Constitution, national laws, and treaties supreme over state laws when the national government is acting within its constitutional limits. Verified by McCullough V. Maryland (1819)20
5747362362Grants in Aidmoney given by the national government to the states21
5747362363Categorical GrantsFederal grants that can be used only for specific purposes or "categories," of state and local spending. They come with strings attached, such as nondiscrimination provisions. Compare to block grants.22
5747362364Block GrantsFederal grants given more or less automatically to states or communities to support broad programs in areas such as community development and social services23
5747362365Federalist # 10Madisons Warning on Factions. Solution = larger republic24
5747362366Constitutional amendment processproposal either by the Congress with a two-thirds majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate or by a constitutional convention called for by two-thirds of the State legislatures.25
5747362367Cooperative Federalism (Marble Cake)state and federal government work together to improve the lives of citizens26
5747362368Coercive Federalism 1970's present 1937-presentA form of federalism in which the federal government pressures the states to change their policies by using regulations, mandates, and conditions (often involving threats to withdraw federal funding).27
5747362369Dual Federalism (Layer Cake) 1789-1937A system of government in which both the states and the national government remain supreme within their own spheres, each responsible for some policies.28
5747362370Unfunded Mandateactions imposed by the federal or state government on lower levels of government which are not accompanied by the money needed to fund the action required.29
5747362371Checks and BalancesA system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power30
5747362372NullificationThe doctrine that a state can declare null and void a federal law that, in the state's opinion, violates the Constitution.31
5747362373Implied PowersPowers inferred from the express powers that allow Congress to carry out its functions. Justified via Necessary and Proper clause32
5747362374Reserved PowersPowers not specifically granted to the federal government or denied to the states belong to the states and the people33
5747362375Delegated PowersPowers specifically given to the federal government by the US Constitution, for example, the authority to print money, declare War or regulate commerce34
5747362376Prohibited Powersthe powers that are denied to the federal government, the state government, or both; also called restricted powers35
5747362378New FederalismA policy in 1969, that turned over powers and responsibilities of some U.S. federal programs to state and local governments and reduced the role of national government in domestic affairs (states are closer to the people and problems)36
5747362379Concurrent PowersPowers held jointly by the national and state governments.37
5747362380New Jersey PlanA constitutional proposal that would have given each state one vote in a new congress38
5747362381Virginia Plan"Large state" proposal for the new constitution, calling for proportional representation in both houses of a bicameral Congress. The plan favored larger states and thus prompted smaller states to come back with their own plan for apportioning representation.39
5747362382FederalistsFavored ratification of the constitution (Madison)40
5747362383Anti-FederalistsAnti-Federalists rose up as the opponents of the Constitution during the period of ratification. They opposed the Constitution's powerful centralized government, arguing that the Constitution gave too much political, economic, and military control. They instead advocated a decentralized governmental structure that granted most power to the states41
5747362384Amending the ConstitutionNeeds approval of two-thirds of Congress and three-fourths of the states42
5747362387Political SocializationComplex process by which people get their sense of political identity, beliefs, and values. Four sources: Family and community, Events, Group Identity, Politicians and other actors43
5747362388mass surveysA way to measure public opinion by interviewing a large sample of the population44
5747362389sampleA relatively small proportion of people who are chosen in a survey so as to be representative of the whole population45
5747362390populationthe group of people a researcher wants to study such as Americans, Students, Senior citizens46
5747362391sampling errorA calculation that describes what percentage of the people surveyed may not accurately represent the population being studied. Increasing the number of respondents lowers the sampling error.47
5747362392ideological polarizationThe effect on public opinion when many citizens move away from moderate positions and toward either end of the political spectrum, identifying themselves as either liberals or conservatives.48
5747362394mass mediaForms of communication designed to reach large numbers of people.49
5747362395Federal Communications CommissionA government agency created in 1934 to regulate American radio stations, and later expanded to regulate television, wireless communications technologies, and other broadcast media.50
5747362396Deregulation of media lead to....Concentration, cross ownership and media conglomerates51
5747362397media effectsthe influence of news sources on public opinions and actions52
5747362398filteringThe influence on public opinion that results from journalists' and editors' decisions about which news to report53
5747362399slantthe imbalance in a story that covers on candidate or policy favorably without providing similar coverage of the other side54
5747362400primingthe news media's influence on how citizens make political judgments, through emphasis on particular stories.55
5747362401framingAbility of the media to influence public perception of issues by constructing the issue or discussion of a subject in a certain way (details, explanations, and context)56
5747362402party in organizationthe formal structure and leadership of a political party; including election committees; local, state, and national executives; and paid professional staff57
5747362403party in governmentElected officials who call themselves members of the party.58
5747362404party in electorateOrdinary citizens who identify with the party. The people who elect the party into office. The citizens support the party's basic ideology and policy principles.59
5747362405party systemA period in which the names of the major political parties, their supporters, and the issues dividing them remain relatively stable.60
5747362406realignmentA change in the size or composition of the party coalitions or in the nature of the issues that divide the parties. Realignments typically occur within an election cycle or two, but they can also occur gradually over the course of a decade or longer.61
5747362408national committeeAn American political party's principal organization, comprised of party representatives from each state.62
5747362409political action committee (PAC)A committee set up by a corporation, labor union, or interest group that raises and spends campaign money from voluntary donations63
5747362410527 organizationA tax-exempt group formed primarily to influence elections through voter mobilization efforts and issue ads that do not directly endorse or oppose a candidate. Unlike political action committees, they are not subject to contribution limits and spending caps.64
5747362411party coalitionThe groups who identify with a political party, usually described in demographic terms, such as African American Democrats or evangelical Republicans.65
5747362412primary electionA ballot vote in which citizens select a party's nominee for the general election.66
5747362413caucusA meeting of local party members to choose a parties nominee for the general election67
5747362414closed primaryA primary election in which a voter is allowed to obtain only a ballot of the party in which they are registered.68
5747362415nonpartisan primarya primary election in which candidates from all political parties are on the same ballot and in which all voters can participate, regardless of their political affiliation69
5747362416open primaryA primary election in which voters may choose in which party to vote as they enter the polling place.70
5747362418plurality votingA voting system in which the candidate who receives the most votes within a geographic area wins the election, regardless of whether that candidates wins a majority (more than half) of the votes.71
5747362419majority votingA voting system in which a candidate must win more than 50 percent of votes in order to win the election. If no candidate wins enough votes to take office, a runoff election is held between the top two vote-getters.72
5747362420electoral collegeA group selected by the states to elect the president and the vice-president, in which each state's number of electors is equal to the number of its senators and representatives in Congress.73
5747362421coattailsthe idea that a weaker or less-known candidates to profit in an election by the presence on the ticket of a more popular candidate74
5747362435realigning electionShowing a lasting shift in fundamental party loyalities among a large portion of voters75
5747362436split ticketVoting for candidates of different parties for various offices in the same election76
5747362437bicameralisma two-house legislature77
5747362438trustee modela model of representation in which a member of the House or Senate follows his or her own conscience when deciding issue positions78
5747362439delegate modelA model of representative democracy that supports the idea that representatives are chosen to directly mirror the preferences of their constituents.79
5747362440descriptive representationA representative that represents the race/ethnicity in that district; the idea that an elected body should mirror demographically the population it represents.80
5747362441politicoA member of Congress who acts as a delegate on issues that constituents care about (such as immigration reform) and as a trustee on more complex or less salient issues (some foreign policy or regulatory matters).81

Need Help?

We hope your visit has been a productive one. If you're having any problems, or would like to give some feedback, we'd love to hear from you.

For general help, questions, and suggestions, try our dedicated support forums.

If you need to contact the Course-Notes.Org web experience team, please use our contact form.

Need Notes?

While we strive to provide the most comprehensive notes for as many high school textbooks as possible, there are certainly going to be some that we miss. Drop us a note and let us know which textbooks you need. Be sure to include which edition of the textbook you are using! If we see enough demand, we'll do whatever we can to get those notes up on the site for you!