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AP GOV vocab list

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