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AP GOV vocab list
AP GOV vocab list
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Executive Agreement | An agreement with a foreign nation that does NOT require congressional approval |
| Delegate Model | The idea that members of Congress should make the policies favored by their constituents |
| Party Coalition | Groups of voters (EX: labor unions, ethnic minorities) who support one political party over time |
| Limited Government | A government with constrained powers, usually by a constitution |
| Franchise/ suffrage | The right to vote |
| Elite Democracy | A theory that the wealthy have more influence |
| Retrospective Voting | Voting for a candidate based on what he or she has done in the recent past |
| Equality of Opportunity | The idea that the government should provide citizens with the same chance to succeed |
| Oversight | When a congressional committee holds a hearing to determine how well an agency is performing |
| Equal Protection Clause | Constitutional basis for civil rights and equality under the law |
| Categorical grants | Money given by the national government to the states to be used for specific, narrowly defined purposes |
| Civil Rights | Rights provided by the government to protect groups from discrimination |
| Pluralist Democracy | A theory emphasizing group-based activism |
| Discharge Petition | A procedure for getting a bill out of committee and onto the floor for a vote |
| Incumbency Advantage | Those who already hold office are more likely to win than their challengers |
| Monetary Policy | The governments' use of the money supply to influence economic growth |
| Rational-choice Voting | Voting for a candidate because they will act in the voters' best interest |
| Party-line Voting | Voting for candidates from one political party |
| Gerrymandering | Drawing congressional district boundaries to benefit a group, usually a political party |
| Stare Decisis | When a court follows precedent by allowing a previous court decision to stand |
| Individualism | The belief that people should be self-reliant, free from state control, and responsible for their own success or failure |
| Mid-term Elections | An election for members of Congress two years after a presidential election |
| Divided Government | When the president is from one party and one or both houses of Congress are controlled by a different party |
| Block Grants | Money given by the national government to the states to carry out a specific policy, with few restrictions about how it should be spent |
| Symbolic Speech | Non-verbal expression protected by the First Amendment, such as wearing an armband |
| Closed Primary | A vote to determine a party's candidate for office where only members registered to a political party are allowed to vote |
| Pocket Veto | When the president doesn't sign a bill for 10 days, after Congress has adjourned |
| Filibuster | An informal procedure used in the Senate to talk a bill to death |
| Independent Expenditure | Money spent on ads not sponsored by a candidate or party |
| Popular Sovereignty | The idea that the right to rule comes from the people |
| Political Socialization | The process by which an individual develops his/her political beliefs |
| Proportional Representation | A system for electing members of the legislature by voting for political parties, where seats are awarded to parties based on the percentage of votes received |
| Demographics | The statistical characteristics of a population |
| "Lame Duck" president | A president who is at the end of his second term or who has lost an election or decided not to run for a second term |
| Exclusionary Rule | The rule that evidence obtained by authorities in violation of the Constitution may not be used in court |
| Executive Order | A presidential statement that has the force of law and does not require congressional approval |
| Prospective Voting | Voting for a candidate based on predictions about what the candidate will do in the future |
| Judicial Activism | A philosophy that the Supreme Court should use its authority to make bold new policy |
| Trustee Model | The idea that members of Congress should use their expertise and judgment in making policy |
| Open Primary | A vote to determine a party's candidate for office where that party's members and unaffiliated voters may vote |
| Selective Incorporation | The process by which the Bill of Rights has been applied to the states on a case-by-case basis through the 14th Amendment |
| Enumerated Powers | Powers that are given to an institution of government directly in the Constitution |
| Bipartisan | Legislation or policy that has the support of both major political parties |
| Due Process Clause | Constitutional basis for individual liberties and fair treatment by the judicial system |
| Republicanism | A form of government where people elect representatives to carry out their interests |
| Party Caucus | Face-to-Face meeting of party members at the local or state level to pick their party's candidate for office |
| Conservative Ideology | A political view that supports free enterprise and traditional social values |
| PAC | An organization that is registered with the Federal Election Commission that donates money to a candidate or campaign |
| Reapportionment | Redistributing legislative seats according to the population so that each district has roughly the same population |
| General Election | An election for president, members of the House of Representatives, and 1 / 3 of the Senate |
| Signing Statement | Signing a bill with a written statement that the executive will not carry out a portion of the bill |
| Linkage Institutions | Elections, interest groups, political parties, and the media |
| Civil Liberties | Individual rights protected by law from unjust government interference |
| Judicial Restraint | A philosophy that the Supreme Court should limit itself to constitutional interpretation and avoid making bold new policy |
| Miranda Rule | Policy requiring police to inform suspects in custody of their rights |
| Critical Election | An election where new coalitions of voters have formed, beginning a new party era |
| Issue Network/ Iron Triangle | The relationship between a congressional committee or subcommittee, an interest group, and bureaucratic agency regarding a policy area |
| Realignment | When voters leave one of the major political parties and join the other major political party |
| Redistricting | Redrawing congressional district boundaries based on a new census |
| Cloture | A vote by 60 senators to end unlimited debate |
| Political Ideology | An individual's set of beliefs about the role of government |
| Natural Rights | Humans are entitled to Life, Liberty, and Property |
| Budget Deficit | An annual shortfall between federal revenues and expenses |
| Hold in the Senate | A procedure to prevent a bill from reaching the floor |
| Free Enterprise | The idea that businesses should operate in competition, relatively free from government control |
| Revenue Sharing | When the national government distributes tax revenues to the states to spend as they see fit |
| Constituency | The voters in a district or state who are represented by a member of Congress |
| Implied Powers | Powers that are necessary to carry out an expressed power in the Constitution, such as the power of Congress to establish a national bank |
| Politico Model | The idea that members of Congress sometimes use their judgment and sometimes follow the wishes of their constituents in making policy |
| Defamatory Speech | An untrue statement that damage's someone's reputation, which is not protected by the 1st Amendment |
| Winner-take-all System | A system for electing members of the legislature where the person who receives the plurality of votes is awarded the single seat available |
| Logrolling | When members of Congress trade votes for favors in order to get bills they support passed |
| Mandates | When the national government requires the states to do something |
| Keynesian Theory | A theory that the government should spend money during economic recessions to stimulate demand in the economy |
| Super PAC | An organization whose members need not be disclosed that may donate unlimited amounts of money to a candidate or campaign |
| Liberal Ideology | A political view that government should protect individual freedom and civil rights |
| Unanimous Consent | An agreement, usually among congressional leaders, setting the terms for considering a bill |
| Horse Race Journalism | The tendency of the media to focus on which candidate is ahead in the polls rather than focusing on the issues |
| Discretionary Spending | Spending on programs not already required by law |
| Rule of Law | The idea that everyone, including government officials, is subject to well-defined and established laws that are not arbitrary |
| Concurrent Powers | Authority that is shared between the national and state governments |
| Fiscal Policy | The government's use of taxing and spending to influence economic growth |
| Exclusive Powers | Authority that is given only to the national or state governments |
| Social Contract | An agreement between the people, who give up some freedom, in exchange for protection from the government |
| Supply-side Theory | The theory that government should cut taxes to stimulate economic growth |
| Entitlement Programs | A program for which funding is required that provides guaranteed benefits to those who qualify, regardless of income |
| Pork Barrel Legislation | A provision in a bill that benefits a relatively small group of people |
| Mandatory Spending | Spending that is required under the law, such as Medicare and interest on the national debt |
| Participatory Democracy | A theory emphasizing broad citizen involvement in government |
| Federalism | A system of government where power is shared between the national government and the states and where the states have some protected |
Created by:
verchteach
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