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~AP Gov Final Exam~
AP U.S. Government and Politics course content study set to review for AP exam.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Federalism | The division of power across the local, state, and national branches of government. |
| Separation of Powers | The division of government power across the judicial, executive, and legislative branches of government. |
| Checks and Balances | A system in which each branch of government has some kind of power of another branch |
| Judicial Review | The Supreme Court’s power to strike down a law or an executive branch action that it finds unconstitutional. |
| Representative Democracy | A democratic government in which citizens choose among candidates in an election, with the winners given the power to determine government policy until the next election |
| Limited Government | A political system in which the powers of the government are restricted to prevent tyranny by protecting property and individual rights. |
| Rule of Law | A principle under which all persons, institutions, and entities are accountable to laws that are publicly promulgated, equally enforced, and independently adjudicated. |
| Individual Rights and Responsibilities | Individual rights are liberties of each individual to pursue life and goals without interference from other individuals or the government (Most are found in the US Bill of Rights). Community responsibilities include cooperation, respect, & participation. |
| Consent of the Governed | The idea that government gains its legitimacy through regular elections in which the people living under that government participate to elect their leaders. The people agreed to the government. |
| Majority Rule | A political principle providing that a majority usually constituted by fifty percent plus one of an organized group will have the power to make decisions binding upon the whole |
| Popular Sovereignty | A political term that simply means that the “people are the rulers.” A doctrine in political theory that government is created by and subject to the will of the people. |
| Equal Protection | The constitutional guarantee that no person or group will be denied the protection under the law that is enjoyed by similar persons or groups. In other words, persons similarly situated must be similarly treated. |
| Natural Rights | Fundamental rights that are granted at birth and are seen as necessary for all humans. In the Declaration of Independence, the natural rights that are stated are “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”. |
| Social Contract | The idea that there is an agreement between the government and the people. This agreement is important because the people must give up some rights in order for protection for all. An example of this is the debate on privacy vs. safety |
| Republicanism | The Framers believed that the best form of government is one in which elected leaders represent the interests of the people. |
| How did we form our government? | The Declaration of Independence was written in the year of 1776, outlining the U.S.’ separation from British rule, while the founding fathers (aka the “Framers”) outlined the formation of our government in the United States Constitution in 1787. |
| Montesquieu | Philosopher born on January 19th, 1689 near Bordeaux. Attended Oratorian College de Juilly & the University of Bordeaux where he received his law degree. Many successful publishings: Persian Letters, the Spirit of the Laws, Dialogue de Sylla et d’Eucrate |
| Thomas Hobbes | A man of wide ranging interests. Defended many positions in the areas of philosophy, physics, and mathematics. Oxford graduate, published many works. Contributed nominalist, empiricist, materialist, etc. views to American society. |
| What did Thomas Hobbes say/believe in? | ‘humans have no moral compass without predetermined rules distinguishing good actions from bad ones’, ‘there is no contract without absolute power to enforce it’, ‘justice only comes into existence when the sovereign is established’, etc. |
| John Locke | John Locke was a well known British philosopher, medical researcher, and graduate of Oxford, known for his many insightful works. Some of his most famous works include An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, which he wrote in 1689, The Second Treatise of |
| What did John Locke say/believe in? | ‘sovereignty resides in the people and explains the nature of legitimate government’, ‘use reason to search after truth rather than simply accepting the opinion of authorities’, ‘determining the legitimate functions of institutions will be best for human |
| What did Montesquieu believe in? | His works often reflected concepts of naturalism, the various forms of government and what made them what they were, anti-despotism, and separation of powers. |
| Naturalism | Theory relating scientific method to philosophy by stating that all beings and events of the universe (regardless of what their inherent character consists of) are natural. |
| Conservative | One side of the ideological spectrum, defined by support for lower taxes, a free market, and a more limited government; generally associated with Republicans. |
| Liberal | One side of the ideological spectrum, defined by support for stronger government programs and more market regulation; generally associated with Democrats |
| Libertarians | Prefer very limited government & tend to be quite conservative on issues such as welfare policy, environmental policy & public support for education, but very liberal on issues of personal liberty like free speech, abortion, and the legalization of drugs |
| Democracy | The idea of democracy means that policy disagreements are ultimately resolved through politics—through decisions made by citizens, such as their votes in elections. In the simplest terms, "democracy" means government by the people. |
| Elitist Democracy | A democratic government in which some citizens (such as the wealthy, better educated or certain social groups) have disproportionate influence over government policy. |
| Representative Democracy | A democratic government in which citizens choose among candidates in an election, with the winners given the power to determine government policy until the next election. |
| Participatory Democracy | A democratic government in which citizens are directly involved in the choices about government policy through some form of referendum. |
| Pluralist Democracy | A democratic government in which each citizen has an equal amount of influence over government policy. |
| Parliamentary (democratic political system) | A system of government in which citizens elect representatives to a legislative parliament to make the necessary laws and decisions for the country. This parliament (legislative branch of government) directly represents the people. |
| Presidential (democratic political system) | The leader is called a President, and he or she is elected by citizens to lead a branch of government separate from the legislative branch. |
| Absolute Monarch (authoritarian form of government) | A ruler has unrestricted power over the State (country) and its people due to lack of constitutional or legal restraints. Usually has a king or queen that has unrestricted power of its country. |
| Oligarchy (authoritarian form of government) | "Government by the few." All power is vested in a few people or in a dominant class/clique. Many times the small group exercises control especially for corrupt and selfish purposes. |
| Dictatorship (authoritarian form of government) | A form of government in which absolute power is concentrated in the hands of a leader (or a very small group). Example: North Korea |
| Totalitarian (authoritarian form of government) | A centralized government that does not tolerate parties of differing opinion and that exercises dictatorial control over many aspects of life. |
| Political gridlock | A state of indecisiveness that the government faces when there are too many different arguments about a particular issue, maximizing the amount of time it takes to reach a conclusion |
| Partisan bickering | Many people throwing out many different arguments on a topic. Oftentimes leads to political gridlock. |
| Why the colonists were upset with the Stamp Act of 1765 | They viewed this as unfair "taxation without representation" because they weren't given any say in the passing of this act. |
| The Articles of Confederation | The first attempt to structure an American government. "Swung too far in the direction of decentralized and limited government", --> leading to the Constitution, which granted more power to the national government while also giving power to the people. |
| Under the Articles of Confederation, which branch recieved all national power? | a unicameral Congress |
| Who had more power under the Articles of Confederation: States or Federal Government? | The States |
| bicameral legislature | Congress is a bicameral legislature because it has two parts: the House and the Senate. |
| Main purpose of the convention after the Annapolis Convention (concerning switching the Articles of Confederation to the Constitution) | At the Annapolis Convention, only five states sent delegates. At the following, 55 total delegates showed, which was a major improvement. This convention "rendered the Constitution of the federal government adequate to the exigencies of the Union." |
| Shay's rebellion | "Shays Rebellion was a mostly rural uprising of citizens in Massachusetts who could not pay the high rate of state taxes and were about to lose their lands. The event was significant because it was a key factor in the need to pass a new Constitution." |
| unalienable | Something that cannot be altered, changed, or taken away by any means. Also cannot be given away by an individual. It is fixed and unchangeable. |
| The main purpose of the Bill of Rights | to protect individual rights and liberties |
| impeachment | The process of trying to take a president or federal government official out of their position due to some form of serious legal incompliance. (treason, bribery, or other high crimes/misdemeanors.) A power of Congress. |
| enumerated powers | Powers explicitly granted to Congress, the president, or the supreme court in the first three articles of the Constitution. Examples include Congress' power to 'raise and support armies' and the president's power as commander in chief. |
| Commerce clause | Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution. Congress is granted the power to "regulate Commerce... among the several States." Interpretation of this clause has varied, though it has played a significant role in our legislation today. |
| Two ways an amendment can be proposed | 1, Both houses of Congress (House of Reps and Senate) give two-thirds approval. 2. A national convention has been called by two thirds of the state legislatures. |
| Two ways an amendment can be ratified | 1. 3/4 of the states' legislatures give their approval. 2. 3/4 of a convention gives their approval. |
| Thirteenth Amendment purpose | The abolition of slavery |
| Fourteenth Amendment purpose | Equal protection for all citizens |
| Seventeenth Amendment purpose | Popular election of Senators |
| Fifteenth and Nineteenth Amendment purposes | Black Americans and women granted the right to vote |
| Sixteenth Amendment purpose | Allowing a national income tax |
| implied powers | Powers implied from the Constitution (supported but not directly stated.) |
| McCulloch v. Maryland 1819 | Secretary of the Treasury came up with a plan to make a national bank. Some believed the government did not have the power to create a national bank . Maryland didn't want a national bank. Tried to tax it. |
| McCulloch v. Maryland 1819 issues & outcome | 1. Did Congress have the authority to establish the bank under the Constitution? ---> Yes. Necessary and proper clause. 2. Did the Maryland law unconstitutionally interfere with congressional powers? ---> Yes. Supremacy Clause. |
| Great (Connecticut) Compromise | "proposed a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the lower house and equal representation of the states in the upper house" |
| Three-Fifths Compromise | "three out of every five slaves was counted when determining a state's total population for legislative representation and taxation." |
| Federalist | "The Federalists supported the Constitution and wanted a stronger national government." |
| Antifederalist | "The Antifederalists opposed the Constitution because they wanted more power to remain with the states." |
| Concurrent powers | Responsibilities for particular policy areas, such as transportation, that are shared by federal, state, and local governments. |
| Unitary government | Power is centralized within the national government. The most common system of government among world governments. |
| National supremacy clause | In the event of conflict between the state and national government, the national government's law supercedes. Article VI, Paragraph 2 of the Constitution. |
| Electoral college | |
| **Note when continuing to edit: left off @ "chapter 3 rns". week of september 25th in schoology. |
Created by:
mylaparker
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