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AP gov cheat sheet
dan larsen
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Legitimacy | Governments that are properly executed. They are supported and affirmed by correct doctrines and by the people themselves. |
| Articles of Confederation | The central government had no chief executive, no courts, no means of supporting itself through taxes, in essence no real power. OG Constitution |
| Declaration of Independence | claimed for all certain inalienable rights. They are the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Jefferson’s legal brief that planted the arguments for independence. |
| The Constitution | provided for a limited government divided into three branches. Those three branches are: legislative (power of the purse), executive (power of the sword) and judicial (power to interpret the law). Written by “the Founding Fathers” in Philadelphia in 1787 |
| Popular Sovereignty | Power of the government rests in the people. Ultimate legitimacy is found in the people. |
| Separation of Powers | power must be diluted and separated in ways that assure no one person or group has the power to oppress another. |
| Federalist Papers | A series of essays written to support the ratification of the new constitution. |
| Bill of Rights | Amendments originally used to protect individual rights from federal gov't (states now included). Compromise for Anti-federalists |
| 14th Amendment | Rights of Citizens— Anyone born in the USA is a citizen; extended guarantees to citizens inside of state governments certain due processes, equal protections and privileges and immunities. |
| 1st Amendment | FREEDOM of Religion, Speech, Press, Peaceful Assembly and the right to Petition |
| 2nd Amendment | Right to bear arms |
| 3rd Amendment | No Quartering of Soldiers in your homes |
| 4th Amendment | No Search & Seizure without a warrant |
| 5th Amendment | A. you do not have to incriminate yourself in a court B. no double jeopardy C. Eminent Domain is allowed by the government |
| 6th Amendment | Criminal Cases Speedy, Fair and Jury Trial |
| 7th Amendment | Civil Cases Jury trial in cases when excessive amounts of money are involved |
| 8th Amendment | Cruel and Unusual Punishment is not allowed, neither is excessive bail nor fines imposed |
| 9th Amendment | UNENUMERATED Rights Those rights not listed in the Bill of Rights may be brought to trial through this amendment Today: many Privacy and Homosexual Cases are heard through this amendment |
| 10tb Amendment | Those powers not listed in the Constitution are RESERVED for the States |
| 11th Amendment | States cannot be sued by citizens of other states or citizens of other nations |
| 12th Amendment | Election of VP & President will be on two separate ballots in the electoral college….due to tie in 1800 T. Jefferson & Aaron Burr |
| 13th Amendment | Prohibited slavery |
| 15th Amendment | All MALES get the right to vote (African Americans were prevented, however, from voting in many southern states due to grandfather clauses, poll taxes and literacy tests). |
| 16th Amendment | Federal Income Tax imposed |
| 17th Amendment | Direct election of Senators |
| 18th Amendment | Prohibition is imposed (no making or selling of alcohol) |
| 19th Amendment | All women get the right to vote |
| 20th Amendment | The presidential inauguration date is changed to January 20th |
| 21st Amendment | Prohibition is repealed |
| 22nd Amendment | TWO TERMS for the President (4 year terms = 8 years ---10 total!) |
| 23rd Amendment | Washington D.C. gets 3 electoral college votes |
| 24th Amendment | Poll Taxes are prohibited |
| 25th Amendment | Presidential Succession Pres – VP - Speaker of the House -Pro Tempore – Secretary of State |
| 26th Amendment | 18 year olds get to vote |
| 27th Amendment | Congressional Pay raise for the next session of Congress ---A Term/Session lasts 2 years |
| Federalism | separates power between national, state and local governments/diluting gov't; provided for each state to be a laboratory; There is more government. |
| Marble Cake Federalism | cooperative. National and State governments may both be sovereign but they work together. Both, for example, implement education policy. |
| Concurrent Powers | These are powers shared by both national and state governments. An example is the power to tax |
| Supremacy Clause | The Constitution stipulates that in cases of conflict between the national government and state governments the national government is supreme. |
| McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) | The supremacy clause is clearly defined in this case. This involved the National Bank and the necessary and proper clause. The state of Maryland could not tax the national bank. |
| Interstate Commerce Clause | This clause of the U.S. Constitution is most frequently used to extend and expand the power and reach of the national government. |
| Federal Aggrandizement | major theme of American government; ever growing and expanding national government. We were born fearing a strong government, but we find a centralized government growing stronger and stronger |
| Devolution | desire for a smaller central government. |
| Mandates | This is an order given to the states by the national government. There is no choice. The order must be fulfilled. |
| Block Grants | when the national government provides money to the states to perform certain duties; increased flexibility; another way for the national government to impose its agenda onto the states. |
| Expanding the Vote | critical steps to expanding the right to vote in the United States. Remember the original Constitution gave to the states the power to determine voting requirements. Only by way of constitutional amendments is this changed. |
| Jacksonian Democracy (1828 election) | many states dropped the property requirement. Most adult white males were now eligible to vote. |
| Voting Rights Act of 1965 | outlawed discriminatory practices that prevented blacks from voting like literacy tests. |
| Split-Ticket Voting | this is when voters cast a ballot for different party candidates in different races. |
| Links to public policy | Litigation; Protest; Contacting (e.g. media, public officials); Campaign work/voter registration Campaign contributions; Running for political office/holding; Political discussion to persuade others; Membership in overtly political organizations |
| Political Ideology | a set of political beliefs |
| Liberal | someone who believes in increased government actions with the economy in order to provide regulations and programs that help the disadvantaged, but fewer government actions to regulate personal choices in social policy. |
| Conservative | someone who believes in fewer government actions with the economy, more “laissez faire” business atmosphere (Americans can prosper without government interference), but more government regulations to promote more traditional values in social policy |
| Pluralism | a system that allows many different opinions to weigh in on policy decisions. This type of system usually involves a lot of political conflicts and slows the process of policy making because of the number and intensity of the different opinions. |
| Elitism | a system that reaches out to only a few upper decision makers in deciding policy; involves fewer open political conflicts and tends to expedite the time it takes to pass policy because of the reduced number of opinions deciding policy |
| Political socialization | the process of acquiring political beliefs |
| Factors in Political Socialization | Family has the top influence over our personal beliefs. |
| Religion statistics | Jewish voters tend to vote for liberals; while Christians who attend religious services regularly tend to vote conservative; Catholics voters are split between support for liberals and conservatives |
| Education statistics | A big switch in public opinion in the last 20 years is that college grads are increasingly supporting more liberal candidates |
| Race statistics | African American voters tend to vote for the most liberal candidates and are the most loyal voting demographic in the Democratic Party |
| Geography statistics | The northeast, upper Midwest, and the West Coast (Blue America) tend to support the liberal candidates. The South and Midwestern states (Red America) vote more conservative. |
| Rural/Urban statistics | Urban voters support liberal candidates while rural voters support conservatives |
| Gender statistics | Election results indicate that women tend to support the liberal candidate while men support the conservative by up to a 10% gender gap. |
| Cross-cutting cleavages | Most Americans do not fit into neat categories of political socialization and are pulled in different directions based on competing factors |
| Public Opinion Polls | the most common method of measuring public opinion |
| Universe | the group that is to be measured |
| Random Sample | when everyone in the universe has an equal chance of being selected to answer the question in the poll. |
| Margin of Error | provides the accuracy of the poll. The most accurate polls have +/- 3% |
| Accurate Sample | polls must factor in voter turnout; can be inaccurate if interviewing a disproportionate number of people who won't be voting or ignores a disproportionate number of people who will be voting for the first time |
| Push Polling | polls that are loaded with questions meant to get a certain response. |
| Nominate Candidates | through party primaries or party caucuses |
| Educate and galvanize voters | provide a party platform that summarizes stances; provides a label for voter; works to get out the vote on election day |
| Govern | the majority party in the legislature controls the law making process while the majority party in the executive branch enforces the laws. |
| Critical Elections | elections in which a large number of new voters participate and in which voters switch their party allegiance. |
| Fed 10 | Factions are inevitable – cannot destroy them, so must manage them; Large Republic is the best form of gov't – too difficult for any one faction to gain power; less likely for corruption |
| Brutus 1 | Constitution gives too much power to central government; Opposed N.P.C & Sup. Clause; Too large a country for Congress to represent local concerns; too many views (factions) to form consensus |
| Fed 51 | Separation of powers (3 branches, House and Senate are elected differently); advocate for Checks and balances to prevent corruption; “If men were angels, no government would be necessary” |
| Fed 70 | Argues for a single, “energetic” executive (president) because having multiple or a committee will lead to confusion, delay, disagreement, and inability to act decisively; Debate and disagreement are good for Congress, poison for the president |
| Fed 78 | Judicial is “Least dangerous branch” – cannot enforce its decisions (no influence over “sword or purse”); life terms ensure justices are separate from political influence; Judicial review – job is to interpret the Constitution |
| Letter from a Birmingham Jail | MLK; Justice delayed is justice denied; All people should be treated the same under the law (14th Amendment Equal Protection Clause) Nonviolent direct action seeks to create an urgency for legislative action |
| Lobbying | Engaging in activities aimed at influencing public officials, especially legislators, and the policies they enact. |
| Gerrymandering | manipulate the boundaries of (an electoral constituency) so as to favor one party or class. |
| Logrolling | politicians trade support for one issue or piece of legislation in exchange for another politician's support. |
| Pork barrel | appropriation of government spending for localized projects secured solely or primarily to bring money to a representative's district. |
| Full Faith and Credit Clause | states must respect the laws of other states |
| President executive expressed powers | Take care that the laws be faithfully executed Nominate officials (with Senate confirmation) Request written opinions from administrative officials Fill administrative vacancies during congressional recesses |
| President implied powers | Executive orders, executive agreements, executive privilege, pocket veto, |
Created by:
Charismama