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AP Gov Unit 1 Vocab
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Unicameral legislature | one-house legislature |
| Supermajority | a majority greater than a simple majority of one over half, e.g., 3/5,2/3 |
| Shay's Rebellion | 1786 revolt by Massachusetts farmers seeking relief from debt and foreclosure that was a factor in the calling of the Constitutional Convention |
| Separation of Powers | principle in which the powers of the government are separated among three branches: legislative, executive, judicial. |
| Reserved Powers | powers held by the states through the 10th Amendment; any power not granted to the US government is “reserved” for the sates. |
| Popular sovereignty | principle in which ultimate political authority rests with the people |
| Police Powers | powers of the states to protect the public health, safety, morals, and welfare of the public |
| McCulloch v. Maryland, 1819 | established principle of national supremacy and validity of implied powers |
| Madison v. Marbury, 1803 | established the power of judicial review |
| Mandates | requirements imposed by the national government upon the states, some are unfunded mandates, i.e., they are imposed by the national government, but lack funding |
| Judicial Review | power of the courts to rule on the constitutionality of laws and government actions; established by Marbury v. Madison, 1803 |
| Informal amendment | a change in the meaning, but not wording, of the Constitution (e.g., through a court decision such as Brown v. Board) |
| Inherent powers | foreign policy powers (e.g., acquiring territory) held by the national government by virtue of its being a national government |
| Implied Powers | those that are “necessary and proper” to carry out Congress’ enumerated powers, and are granted to Congress through the elastic clause |
| Formal amendment | a change in the actual wording of the Constitution, proposed by Congress or national convention, and ratified by the states. |
| Federalist Papers | group of 85 essays written by Madison, Hamilton, and Jay for the purpose of persuading the people of New York to adopt the Constitution |
| New Federalism | system in which the national government restores greater authority back to the sates. |
| Cooperative Federalism | system in which both federal government and state governments cooperate in solving problems. |
| Dual Federalism | system in which the national government and state governments are coequal, with each being dominant within its respective sphere. |
| Federalism | constitutional sharing of power between a central government and state governments |
| Enumerated Powers | those that are specifically guaranteed to Congress in Article 1, section 8 of the Constitution (e.g. the power to tax; also known as expressed powers) |
| Elastic Clause | states that Congress can exercise those powers that are “necessary and proper” for carrying out the enumerated powers (e.g., establishment of the first Bank of the United States) |
| Direct Democracy | system in which people rule themselves |
| Decentralists | those who favor greater state authority rather than national authority. |
| Confederation | system in which sovereign states are only loosely tied to a central government (e.g. the US under the Articles of Confederation). |
| Concurrent Powers | those held by both Congress and the states, e.g. establishing law enforcement agencies |
| Commerce Clause | gives Congress the power to regulate commerce among the states, with foreign nations, and among Indian tribes; granted through Article 1, section 8 of the Constitution. |
| Checks and Balances | system in which each branch of the government can limit the power of the other two branches (e.g., presidential veto of a congressional law) |
| Centralists | those who favor greater national authority rather than state authority |
| Categorical Grant | money granted by the federal government to the states for a narrow purpose (e.g., school lunch program) rather than for a broad purpose (e.g. transportation) |
| Block Grant | money granted by the federal government to the states for a broad purpose (e.g., transportation) rather than for a narrow purpose (e.g., school lunch program) |
| Bicameral Legislature | two-house legislature |
Created by:
mayorgac