AP GOV TERMS Flashcards
(128 cards)
1
Q
Government:
A
Institutions and procedures through which a territory and its people are ruled.
2
Q
Politics:
A
Conflict over the leadership, structure, and policies of governments.
2
Q
Autocracy:
A
A form of government in which a single individual (king, queen, dictator) rules.
3
Q
Oligarchy:
A
A form of government in which a small group controls most of the governing decisions.
3
Q
Democracy:
A
A system of rule that permits citizens to play a significant part in the governmental process, usually through the election of key public officials.
4
Q
Constitutional Government:
A
A system of rule in which there are formal and effective limits placed on the powers of a government.
5
Q
Direct Democracy:
A
A system of rule that permits citizens to vote directly on laws and policies.
5
Q
Totalitarian Government:
A
A system of rule in which the government recognizes no formal limits on its power and seeks to absorb or eliminate other social institutions that might challenge it.
5
Q
Authoritarian Government:
A
A system of rule in which the government recognizes no formal limits but may nevertheless be restrained by the power of other social institutions.
5
Q
Power:
A
Influence over a government’s leadership, organization, or policies.
5
Q
Representative Democracy (Republic):
A
A system of government in which the populace selects representatives, who play a significant role in governmental decision making.
6
Q
Citizenship:
A
Informed and active membership in a political community.
7
Q
Political Knowledge:
A
Possessing information about the formal institutions of government, political actors, and political issues.
7
Q
Partisan:
A
One sided; partial to one group, idea, party or cause.
8
Q
Pluralism:
A
The theory that all interests are and should be free to compete for influence in the government; the outcome of this competition is compromise and moderation.
9
Q
Bipartisan:
A
two sided; including members from two groups, factions or parties of people.
10
Q
Digital Citizenship:
A
Using the internet, social media, and other information technology to engage in society and government.
10
Q
Anarchy:
A
a state or society without any government or law.
11
Q
Ideology (Ideological):
A
A belief system.
12
Q
Elite:
A
Persons who possess a disproportionate share of some valued resource, like money and power.
13
Q
Power elite view:
A
View that the government is dominated by a few top leaders, most of whom are outside of government.
14
Q
Sovereignty (or Sovereign):
A
Independant
15
Q
Political Efficacy:
A
The ability to influence government and politics.
16
Q
Political Culture:
A
Broadly shared values, beliefs, and attitudes about how the government should function; American political culture emphasizes the values of liberty, equality, and democracy.
17
Liberty:
Freedom from governmental control.
18
Limited Government:
A principal of constitutional government; a government whose powers are defined and limited by a constitution.
19
Political Equality:
The right to participate in politics equally, based on the principle of “one person, one vote.”
19
Laissez-Faire Capitalism:
An economic system in which the means of production and distribution are privately owned and operated for profit with minimal or no government interference.
19
Equality of opportunity:
A widely shared American ideal that all people should have the freedom to use whatever talents and wealth they have to reach their fullest potential.
20
Majority Rule, Minority Rights:
The democratic principle a government follows the preferences of the majority voters but protects the interests of the minority.
20
Popular Sovereignty:
A principle of democracy in which political authority rests ultimately in the hands of the people.
21
Articles of Confederation:
America’s first written constitution; served as the basis for America’s national government until 1789.
21
Declaration of Independence:
America’s declaration of separation from the UK that (influenced by Locke) states that citizens have certain rights like life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
21
Confederation:
A system of government in which states retain sovereign authority except for the power expressly delegated to the national government.
22
Bill of Rights:
The first 10 amendments to the US Constitution; ratified in 1791 to ensure certain rights and liberties to the people.
22
Separation of Powers:
The division of governmental power among several institutions that must cooperate in decision making.
23
Elastic Clause:
The concluding paragraph of Article 1, Section 8, of the Constitution which provides Congress with the authority to make all laws “necessary and proper” to carry out its enumerated powers.
23
Montesquieu’s View:
The powers of government must be divided to prevent any one group of institutions from tyrannical control. Heavily influenced the Constitution including tripartite division.
23
Federalism:
A system of government in which power is divided, by a constitution, between a central government and regional governments.
24
Expressed Powers:
Specific powers granted by the Constitution to Cognress and to the president.
24
Legislative Powers:
Passing federal laws, controlling federal appropriations, approving treaties and presidential appointments, regulating interstate commerce, and establishing lower court systems.
24
Supremacy Clause:
Article VI of the Constitution, which states that laws passed by the national government and all treaties are the supreme law of the land and superior to all laws adopted by any state or subdivision.
25
Judicial Review:
The power of the courts to review and, if necessary, declare actions of the legislative and executive branches invalid or unconstitutional.
26
Executive Powers:
Enforcing laws, commanding armed forces, making foreign treaties, proposing laws, appointing justices, and pardoning those convicted in federal court.
26
Virginia Plan:
A framework for the Constitution, introduced by Edmund Randolph, that called for representation in the national legislature based on the population of each state or through revenue contributions or both.
27
New Jersey Plan:
A framework for the Constitution, introduced by William Paterson, that called for equal state representation in the national legislature regardless of population.
28
The Great “Connecticut” Compromise:
The agreement reached at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that gave each state an equal number of senators regardless of its population but linked representation in the House of Representatives to population.
29
Checks and Balances:
Mechanisms through which each branch of government is able to participate in and influence the activities of the other branches.
29
Three-Fifths Compromise:
The agreement reached at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that stipulated that for purposes of the apportionment of congressional seats only ⅗ of slaves would be counted.
30
Bicameral:
Having a legislative assembly composed of two chambers or houses; distinguished from unicameral.
31
Judicial Powers:
Deciding the constitutionality of laws, reviewing lower court decisions, and deciding cases involving disputes between states.
31
Federalists:
Those who favored a strong national government and supported the Constitution proposed at the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Should be called "Nationalists".
32
Antifederalists:
Those who favored a strong state government and a weak national government and who were opponents of the Constitution proposed at the Constitutional Convention of 1787.
33
Federalist Papers:
A series of essays written by Hamtilton, Madison, and Jay supporting ratification of the Constitution.
34
Tyranny:
Oppressive government that employs cruel and unjust use of power and authority.
34
Limited Government:
A principle of constitutional government; a government whose powers are defined and limited by a constitution.
35
Amendment:
A change added to a bill, law, or constitution.
36
Originalists:
Politicians that argue that the meaning of the constitutional text is fixed and that it should bind constitutional actors.
37
The Annapolis Convention:
A conference of representatives from all states, that only five attended, with the purpose of calling Congress to amend the Articles of Confederation.
38
The Constitutional Convention:
A conference in Philadelphia of May 1787 where delegates planned to fix the flaws in the Articles of Confederation, but soon decided to create a new form of government. The Convention took five months. 55 out of the 74 delegates chosen went, mostly lawyers.
39
Ex post facto law:
a criminal statute that punishes actions retroactively, thereby criminalizing conduct that was legal when originally performed.
40
Concurrent Powers:
powers shared by both states and the federal government.
40
Reserved Powers:
Powers not specifically granted to the national government in the Constitution and are therefore reserved to the states.
41
Expressed Powers:
Specific powers granted by the Constitution to Congress (article 1, Section 8) and to the president (Article 2).
42
Commander in chief:
The role of the president as commander of the national military and the state National Guard units.
43
Executive Agreement:
An agreement, made between the president and another country, that has the force of a treaty but does not require the Senate’s “advice and consent.”
44
Executive Privilege:
The claim that confidential communications between a president and close advisors should not be revealed without the consent of the president.
45
Veto:
The president’s constitutional power to turn down acts of Congress; a presidential veto may be overridden by a two-thirds vote of each house of Congress.
46
Pocket Veto:
A presidential veto that is automatically triggered if the president does not act on a given piece of legislation passed during the final 10 days of a legislative session.
47
Legislative Initiative:
The president’s inherent power to bring a legislative agenda before Congress.
48
Implied Powers:
Powers derived from the necessary and proper clause of Article 1, Section 8, of the Constitution; such powers are not specifically expressed but are implied through the expansive interpretation of delegated powers.
49
Delegated Powers:
Constitutional powers that are assigned to one governmental agency but that are exercised by another agency with the express permission of the first.
50
Inherent Powers:
Powers claimed by a president that are not expressed in the Constitution but are inferred from it.
51
Cabinet:
The secretaries, or chief administrators, of the major departments of the federal government; Cabinet secretaries are appointed by the president with the consent of the Senate.
51
White House Staff:
Analysts and advisors to the president, each of whom is often given the title “special assistant.”
52
Executive Order:
A rule or regulation issued by the president that has the effect and formal status of legislation.
52
National Security Council (NSC):
A presidential foreign policy advisory council composed of the president, the vice president, the secretary of state, the secretary of defense, and other officials invited by the president.
52
Executive Office of the President (EOP):
The permanent agencies that perform defined management tasks for the president; created in 1939, the EOP includes the OMB, CEA, NSC, and other agencies.
52
Media:
Print and digital forms of communication, including television, newspapers, radio, and the internet, intended to convey information to large audiences.
53
Media Monopoly:
The ownership and control of the media by a few large corporations.
54
Penny Press:
Cheap, tabloid-style newspaper produced in the nineteenth century, when mass production of the inexpensive newspapers first became possible due to teh steam-powered printing press; a penny press newspaper cost one cent compared with other papers, which cost more than five cents.
54
News Agregator:
An application or feed that collects web content such as news headlines, blogs, podcasts, online videos, and more in one location for easy viewing.
54
Broadcast Media:
Television, radio, or other media that transmit audio and/or video content to the public.
55
Social Media:
Web and mobile based technologies that are used to turn communication into interactive dialogue among organizations, communities, and individuals; social media technologies take on many different forms including text, blogs, podcasts, photographs, streaming video, Facebook, and Twitter.
55
Digital Divide:
The gap in access to the internet among demographic groups based on education, income, age, geographic location, and race/ethnicity.
56
Digital Citizen:
A daily internet use with broadband home internet access and the technology and literacy skills to go online for employment, news, politics, entertainment, commerce, and other activities.
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Citizen Journalism:
News reported and distributed by citizens, rather than professional journalists and for-profit news organizations.
58
Agenda Setting:
The power of the media to bring public attention to particular issues and problems.
59
Selection Bias (News):
The tendency to focus news coverage on only one aspect of an event or issue, avoiding coverage of other aspects.
59
Framing:
The power of the media to influence how events and issues are interpreted.
59
Equal Time Rule:
The requirement that broadcasters provide candidates for the same political office equal opportunities to communicate their messages to the public.
59
Priming:
The process of preparing the public to bring specific criteria to mind when evaluating a politician or issue.
60
60
Right of Rebuttal:
A Federal Communications Commission regulation giving individuals the right to have the opportunity to respond to personal attacks made on a radio or television broadcast.
61
Incumbent:
A candidate running for re-election to a position they already hold.
61
Coattails:
The coattail effect describes when a candidate is able to attract votes for other candidates in their party. Often occurs in U.S. presidential elections where the winning candidate’s party often also wins seats in Congress. Thus, members are voted into Congress ‘on the coattails’ of the President.
62
Malapportionment:
The uneven distribution of the population among legislative districts.
63
Gerrymandering:
The apportionment of voters in districts in such a way as to give unfair advantage to one racial or ethnic group or political party.
64
Majority System:
A type of electoral system in which, to win a seat in the representative body, a candidate must receive a majority of all the votes cast in the relevant district.
64
Position Issues:
An issue about which the public is divided and rival candidates or political parties adopt different policy positions
64
The Electoral College:
The presidential electors from each state who meet after the general election to cast ballots for president and vice president.
64
Valence Issues:
An issue about which the public is united and rival candidates or political parties adopt similar positions in hopes that they each will be thought to best represent those widely shared beliefs
64
Midterm Elections:
Congressional elections that do not coincide with a presidential election; also called off-year elections.
64
Primary Elections:
Elections held to select a party’s candidate for the general election.
64
Proportional Representation:
A multiple-member district system that allows each political party representation in proportion to its percentage of the total vote.
64
Runoff Election:
A “second-round” election in which voters choose between the top two contenders of the first round.
64
Plurality System:
A type of electoral system in which, to win a seat in the parliament of another representative body, a candidate need only receive the most votes in the election, not necessarily a majority of the votes cast.
65
Closed Primary:
A primary election in which voters can participate in the nomination of candidates but only of the party in which they are enrolled for a period of time prior to primary day.
65
General Election:
A regularly scheduled election involving most districts in the nation or state, in which voters select officeholders; in the US, general elections for national office and most state and local offices are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in even-numbered years (every 4 years).
65
Open Primary:
A primary election in which the voter can wait until the day of the primary to choose which party to enroll in to select candidates for the general election.
65
Straight-Ticket Voting:
Selecting candidates from the same party for all offices on the ballot.
66
Partisan Gerrymandering:
Occurs when politicians from one party intentionall manipulate boundaries for legislative election districts to disadvantage their political opponents’ chance of winning an election and advantage their own party.
66
Redistricting:
The process of redrawing election districts and redistributing legislative representatives; this happens every 10 years, to reflect shifts in population or in response to legal challenges in existing districts.
67
Majority-Minority District:
An electoral district, such as a congressional district, in which the majority of the constituents belong to racial or ethnic minorities.
68
Retail Politics:
A style of campaigning where candidates connect to voters at intimate gatherings and local events.
68
Delegates:
A representative who votes according to the preferences of their constituents.
69
Party Platform:
A party document, written at a national convention that contains a party philosophy, principles, and policy positions.
70
Ballot Initiative:
Proposed law or policy change that is placed on the ballot by citizens or interest groups for a popular vote.
71
Referendum:
The practice of referring a proposed law passed by a legislature to the vote of the electorate for approval or rejection.
71
Recall:
A procedure to allow voters to remove state officials from office before their terms expire by circulating petitions to call a vote.
72
Grassroots Campaigns:
Political Campaigns that operate at the local level, often using face-to-face communication to generate interest and momentum by citizens.
73
Town Hall Meeting:
An informal public meeting in which candidates meet with citizens; allows candidates to deliver messages without the presence of journalists or commentators.
74
Political Action Group (PAC):
A private group that raises and distributes funds for use in election campaigns.
75
527 Committee (Super PAC):
A nonprofit independent political action committee that may raise unlimited sums of money from corporations, unions, and individuals but is not permitted to contribute to or coordinate directly with parties or candidates.
76
501(c)(4) Committees or Dark Money:
Politically active nonprofits under federal law. They can spend unlimited amounts on political campaigns and not disclose their donors as long as their activities are not coordinated with the candidates campaign and political activities are not their primary purpose.
77
Prospective Voting:
Voting based on the imagined future performance of a candidate or political party.
78
Retrospective Voting:
Voting based on the past performance of a candidate or political party.
