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AP Government Semester Review Flashcards

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8459249693John Locke1632-1704. English philosopher whose Treatises of Government espousing natural rights, consent of the governed, and social compacts greatly influenced the Founding Fathers0
8459249694Social ContractA voluntary agreement among individuals to secure their rights and welfare by creating a government and abiding by its rules.1
8459249695Natural Rights... Life, Liberty, and Property2
8459249696consent of the governedthe idea that government derives its authority by the sanction of the people3
8459249697direct democracyA form of government in which citizens rule directly and not through representatives4
8459249698Representative democracyA system of government in which citizens elect representatives, or leaders, to make decisions about the laws for all the people.5
8459249699articles of confederation1st Constitution of the U.S. 1781-1788 (weaknesses-no executive, no judicial, no power to tax, no power to regulate trade)6
8459249700Shay'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
8459249701elite 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
8459249702Pluralist theoryA theory of government and politics emphasizing that politics is mainly a competition among groups, each one pressing for its own preferred policies9
8459249703great 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
84592497043/5 compromisesettled debate over how slaves would be counted in regards to representation11
8459249705confederal 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
8459249706federal systemA government that divides the powers of government between the national government and state or provincial governments13
8459249707unitary systemA government that gives all key powers to the national or central government14
8459249708Gibson 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
8459249711Marbury 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.16
8459249712McCullough 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"17
8459249713Supremacy 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)18
8459249714Grants in Aidmoney given by the national government to the states19
8459249715Categorical 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.20
8459249716Block GrantsFederal grants given more or less automatically to states or communities to support broad programs in areas such as community development and social services21
8459249717Federalist # 10Madisons Warning on Factions. Solution = larger republic22
8459249718Constitutional 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.23
8459249719Cooperative Federalism (Marble Cake)state and federal government work together to improve the lives of citizens24
8459249721Dual 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.25
8459249722Unfunded 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.26
8459249723Checks and BalancesA system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power27
8459249724NullificationThe doctrine that a state can declare null and void a federal law that, in the state's opinion, violates the Constitution.28
8459249725Implied PowersPowers inferred from the express powers that allow Congress to carry out its functions. Justified via Necessary and Proper clause29
8459249726Reserved PowersPowers not specifically granted to the federal government or denied to the states belong to the states and the people30
8459249727Delegated PowersPowers specifically given to the federal government by the US Constitution, for example, the authority to print money, declare War or regulate commerce31
8459249728Denied Powersthe powers that are denied to the federal government, the state government, or both; also called restricted powers32
8459249729New Federalism 1969-presentA 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)33
8459249730Concurrent PowersPowers held jointly by the national and state governments.34
8459249731New Jersey PlanA constitutional proposal that would have given each state one vote in a new congress35
8459249732Virginia 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.36
8459249733FederalistsFavored ratification of the constitution (Madison)37
8459249734Anti-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 states38
8459249735Amending the ConstitutionNeeds approval of two-thirds of Congress and three-fourths of the states39
8459249736Political 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 actors40
8459249737mass surveysA way to measure public opinion by interviewing a large sample of the population41
8459249738sampleA relatively small proportion of people who are chosen in a survey so as to be representative of the whole population42
8459249739populationthe group of people a researcher wants to study such as Americans, Students, Senior citizens43
8459249740sampling 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.44
8459249741ideological 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.45
8459249742mass mediaForms of communication designed to reach large numbers of people.46
8459249743Federal 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.47
8459249748gatekeepersthe news media's influence on how citizens make political judgments, through emphasis on particular stories.48
8459249749media biasAbility 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)49
8459249750party in organizationthe formal structure and leadership of a political party; including election committees; local, state, and national executives; and paid professional staff50
8459249751party in governmentElected officials who call themselves members of the party.51
8459249752party 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.52
8459249753party systemA period in which the names of the major political parties, their supporters, and the issues dividing them remain relatively stable.53
8459249754realignmentA 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.54
8459249756national committeeAn American political party's principal organization, comprised of party representatives from each state.55
8459249757political action committee (PAC)A committee set up by a corporation, labor union, or interest group that raises and directly spends campaign money from voluntary donations56
8459249758527 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.57
8459249759party coalitionThe groups who identify with a political party, usually described in demographic terms, such as African American Democrats or evangelical Republicans.58
8459249760primary electionA ballot vote in which citizens select a party's nominee for the general election.59
8459249761caucusA meeting of local party members to choose a parties nominee for the general election60
8459249762closed primaryA primary election in which a voter is allowed to obtain only a ballot of the party in which they are registered.61
8459249764open primaryA primary election in which voters may choose in which party to vote as they enter the polling place.62
8459249765pluralityA 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.63
8459249766majority 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.64
8459249767electoral 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.65
8459249768coattailsthe idea that a weaker or less-known candidates to profit in an election by the presence on the ticket of a more popular candidate66
8459249769Constitutional AuthorityPowers derived from the provisions of the Constitution that outline the president's role in government.67
8459249771Executive PrivilegeAn implied presidential power that allows the president to refuse to disclose information regarding confidential conversations or national security to Congress or the judiciary.68
8459249773Bureaucracythe system of civil servants and political appointees who implement congressional and presidential descisiona69
8459249774Civil ServantsEmployees of bureaucratic agencies within the government70
8459249775Political appointeesPeople selected by an elected leader, such as the president, to hold a government position.71
8459249776realigning electionShowing a lasting shift in fundamental party loyalities among a large portion of voters72
8459249777split ticketVoting for candidates of different parties for various offices in the same election73
8459249778bicameralisma two-house legislature74
8459249779trustee modela model of representation in which a member of the House or Senate follows his or her own conscience when deciding issue positions75
8459249780delegate modelA model of representative democracy that supports the idea that representatives are chosen to directly mirror the preferences of their constituents.76
8459249783gerrymaderingattempting to use the process of redrawing district boundaries to benefit a political party, protect incumbents, or change the proportion of minority voters in a district77
9876253880divided governmenta situation in which our government has one party in control of one branch and one party in control of another78
9876285353legislative vetoa vote in Congress to override a presidential decision, has been found unconstitutional by the Supreme Court79
9876309824factionsgroups such as political parties and interest groups80

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