AP Gov Vocab 1

Question 1

Social Contract

Answer 1

people create a govt. to protect rights of people

Question 2

Popular Sovereignty:

Answer 2

people are the source of govt. power and authority

Question 3

⅔ of both houses of Congress propose the amendment and then 3/4s of the states ratify the amendment

Answer 3

Process to Amend the US Constitution

Question 4

• Limited govt.

Answer 4

5 Core American Values

Question 5

Connecticut or Great Compromise

Answer 5

Offered at Constitutional Convention, created bicameral legislature with one house based on population and the other (US Senate) based on set representation (2 per state) All revenue bills start in House

Question 6

System in which each branch of government can limit the power of the other two branches. Suggested by James Madison in Federalist Papers # 51

Answer 6

Checks & Balances

Question 7

Each branch is assigned specific powers so each branch has limited power.

Answer 7

Separation of Powers

Question 8

A system of government in which power is divided by a written constitution between a central/federal government and state/local governments.

Answer 8

Federalism

Question 9

Full Faith and Credit Clause

Answer 9

Mutual respect and legality of laws, public records, and judicial decision made by states. Found in article IV of Constitution

Question 10

Commerce Clause

Answer 10

Expands Congressional power. Only Congress can regulate anything affecting interstate commerce. Established through Gibbons v. Ogden decision.

Question 11

Developed during New Deal characterized by the federal govt. becoming more intrusive in what were traditionally state powers

Answer 11

Cooperative federalism or Marble-Cake

Question 12

Ex.) education and running elections

Answer 12

Reserved Powers

Question 13

Examples: declare war raise an army

Answer 13

Delegated Powers

Question 14

Examples: Taxing and borrowing money

Answer 14

Concurrent Powers

Question 15

Block Grants

Answer 15

Federal money to states for the use within a broad purpose (no strings attached) - more freedom to states as to how to use the money

Question 16

Categorical grants

Answer 16

federal money to states for a specific defined purpose

Question 17

Privileges and Immunities Clause

Answer 17

Guarantees that rights of a citizen in one state will be respected by other states. Found in article IV and in the 14th amendment

Question 18

Supremacy Clause

Answer 18

Federal law trumps state law. Found in article VI of the Constitution.

Question 19

Ex: Congress coining money and declare war

Answer 19

Expressed/Enumerated powers

Question 20

Ex.) running the national bank or legislation dealing with environment or social issues

Answer 20

Implied Powers

Question 21

1776 - “Certain unalienable rights” = natural rights

Answer 21

Declaration of Independence

Question 22

Natural Rights:

Answer 22

fundamental rights of all humans and NOT received from a govt.

Question 23

Rules telling states what they must do to comply with federal guidelines

Answer 23

Mandates

Question 24

A movement to transfer the responsibilities of governing from the federal government to state & local governments.

Answer 24

Devolution

Question 25

A set of widely shared political beliefs & values like liberty political equality & limited government

Answer 25

Political culture

Question 26

The process by which political values/ideologies are formed & passed from one generation to the next. The family is the most important agent

Answer 26

Political socialization

Question 27

Attitudes about institutions leaders political issues & events

Answer 27

Public opinion

Question 28

Voting for candidates of different parties for different offices in the same election

Answer 28

Split-ticket voting

Question 29

A group of citizens who organize to gain power/win elections hold public offices operate governments & determine public policy. Linkage institution

Answer 29

Political party

Question 30

Electoral College

Answer 30

Electors based on # of HOR members + 2 (senators)

Question 31

An electoral district from one person is chosen by the voters for each elected office & typically leads to legislatures dominated by two political parties

Answer 31

Single-member district

Question 32

era following the election of Richard Nixon.

Answer 32

Party era

Question 33

Entrance/exit polls

Answer 33

Types of Polls

Question 34

Random sampling stratified sample sampling error good wording of questions and type/format of question

Answer 34

All good scientific polls include

Question 35

Ex. Conservative Liberal or Libertarian

Answer 35

Political ideology

Question 36

The belief that one's political participation makes a difference so if you have low efficacy you don't feel your vote matters.

Answer 36

Political efficacy

Question 37

Different voting patterns and political beliefs for people in different generations vs. people focus on different issues at different points in life (free college vs. free healthcare)

Answer 37

Generational effects vs. Lifecycle effects

Question 38

An election when significant groups of voters change their traditional patterns of party loyalty

Answer 38

Critical election

Question 39

Voting based on predictions of how a party of candidate will preform in the future

Answer 39

Prospective voting

Question 40

Supporting a party by voting for candidates from one political party for all public offices across the ballot

Answer 40

Party-line voting

Question 41

A government in which one party controls the presidency while another party controls House and/or Senate.

Answer 41

Divided government

Question 42

Going Public

Answer 42

The practice often used by presidents of taking their policy agendas directly to the public rather than to Congress

Question 43

An organization of people (public or private) whose members share views on specific interests & attempt to influence public policy to their benefit. use PAC's to fund themselves

Answer 43

Interest groups

Question 44

Means of communication such as newspapers radio TV and the internet that can reach large widely dispersed audiences. Linkage institution

Answer 44

Mass media

Question 45

Institutions that connect citizens to government. The mass media interest groups elections and political parties are the four main ones

Answer 45

Linkage institutions

Question 46

The tendency of media to cover campaigns by emphasizing how candidates stand in the polls instead of where they stand on the issues

Answer 46

Horse-race journalism

Question 47

The media choosing which issues to report and for how long impacts what viewers deem important

Answer 47

Gatekeeper

Question 48

The reallocation of the number of representatives each states has in the house of representatives based on new census

Answer 48

Congressional reapportionment

Question 49

A committee formed by business labor or other interest groups to raise money & make contributions to the campaigns of political candidates whom they support.

Answer 49

Political Action Committee (PAC)

Question 50

People who benefit from an interest group without making any contributions.

Answer 50

Free riders

Question 51

Examples: Electoral College Iron Triangles Super PACs and congressional representation

Answer 51

Elite Democracy

Question 52

Examples: Political parties & interest groups

Answer 52

Pluralist democracy

Question 53

Examples: #MeToo March for Our Lives .

Answer 53

Participatory Democracy

Question 54

Party Dealigmnet

Answer 54

A shift away from the major political parties to a more neutral or independent ideology or party identification

Question 55

ex: FDR led the New Deal and displaced the Republicans of the late 1800s and early 1900s

Answer 55

Party realignment

Question 56

Voting based on what is perceived to be in the citizens individual interest

Answer 56

Rational Choice Voting

Question 57

Voting to decide whether the party or candidate in power should be re-elected based on recent past

Answer 57

Retrospective voting

Question 58

Can lead to Gerrymandering (think Baker v. Carr & Shaw v. Reno)

Answer 58

Congressional Redistricting

Question 59

The legislative process by which the majority party in each state legislature redraws congressional districts (mis-shappened) to favor one political party over another

Answer 59

gerrymandering

Question 60

Representative votes his/her conscience regardless of what the constituents want

Answer 60

Trustee Model of Representation

Question 61

Representative votes how constituents want even if he/she personally disagrees

Answer 61

Delegate Model of Representation

Question 62

Representative acts as a trustee and sometimes acts as a delegate

Answer 62

Politico Model of Representation