AP Government Unit 1 Test Overview

AP Government - Unit 1 Test 1. basic functions of national defense, preserve order, establish and maintain government a legal system, provide services, socialize new generations 2. government the institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies 3. politics the effort to control or influence the conduct and policies of government 4. public policy the course of action the government takes in response to an issue or problem 5. political system the system of government in a nation 6. political issue an issue that arises when people disagree about a problem and how to fix it 7. policy agenda a set of issues thought by the public or those in power to merit action by the government 8. Robert Dahl author of "Who Governs?" and created the idea of a "criteria of democracy" 9. the state A body of people, living in a defined territory, organized politically and with the power to make and enforce law without the consent of any higher authority. 10. sovereignty supreme or ultimate political power; a sovereign government is one that is legally and politically independent of any other government 11. divine right belief that a ruler's authority comes directly from God 12. democracy a term used to describe a political system in which the people are said to rule, directly or indirectly 13. republic a form of democracy in which power is vested in representatives selected by means of popular competitive elections 1/9 14. democratic centralism a government is said to be democratic if it's decisions will serve the "true interests" of the people wether or not the people affect the decision-making or select the decision-makers 15. power the ability of one person to get another person to act in accordance with the first person's intentions 16. authority the right to use power 17. legitimacy political authority conferred by law, public opinion, or constitution 18. majoritarian theo- the politics of policy-making in which almost everybody ry benefits from a policy and almost everybody pays for it 19. elitist theory an identifiable group of persons who possess a disproportionate share of some valued resource such as money or political power 20. pluralist theory a theory that competition among affected interests shapes public policy 21. hyperpluralist theory A theory of government and politics contending that groups are so strong that government is weakened. Hyperpluralism is an extreme form of pluralism (results in gridlock) 22. Greek government ideas democarcy and responsibilities of citizenship 23. Roman government ideas rule or law, republic, and representation 24. British government ideas limited government 25. Causes of Ameri- taxation without representation, violation of natural rights can Revolution 2/9 26. unicameral one house 27. bicameral two houses 28. Magna Carta a legal document written by English lords in 1215 that stated certain rights and limited the power of the King 29. English Bill of Rights protected the rights of English citizens and became the basis for the American Bill of Rights. 30. social contract theory The belief that people are free and equal by natural right, and that this in turn requires that all people give their consent to be governed (John Locke) 31. state of nature hypothetical condition assumed to exist in the absence of government where human beings live in "complete" freedom and general equality. 32. natural (unalienable) rights rights inherent in human beings, not dependent on governments, which include life, liberty, and property 33. limited government a government whose powers are defined and limited by a constitution 34. consent of the governed the idea that government derives its authority by sanction of the people 35. Declaration of In- the document approved by representatives of the Ameridependence can colonies in 1776 that stated their grievances against the British monarch and declared their independence 36. Articles of Confederation the nations first constitution; was limited because states held most of the power, and congress lacked the power to tax and regulate trade 37. "critical period" 1780s, time when the United States was in jeopardy of falling apart 38. Shays' Rebellion uprising led by Daniel Shays in an effort to prevent courts from foreclosing on the farms of those who could not 3/9 pay the taxes; caused many to criticize the Articles of Confederation and admit the weak central government was not working 39. John Locke believed all people have a right to life, liberty, and property 40. Thomas Hobbes saw absolute sovereignty as the only kind of government that could resolve problems caused by the selfishness of human beings 41. Jean Jacques Rousseau believed people in their natural state were basically good but that they were corrupted by the evils of society; the idea of a "social contract" 42. Constitutional Convention meeting of state delegates in 1787 in Philadelphia called to revise the Articles of Confederation. It instead designed a new plan of government, the US Constitution. 43. Virginia Plan called for representation of each state in Congress in proportion to that state's population 44. New Jersey Plan proposed a single-chamber congress in which each state had one vote 45. Connecticut (aka provided for a two-house congress. Each state would be Great) Compro- given equal representation in the Senate and the House mise of Representatives would based on population 46. Three-fifths Com- agreement that enslaved persons would count as promise three-fifths of other persons in determining representation in Congress 47. Commerce and Congress could not tax exports nor ban the slave trade Slave Trade Com- for 20 years promise 48. popular sovereignty the idea that political authority belongs to the people 49. 4/9 constitutionalism basic principle that government and those who govern / rule of law must obey the law 50. separation of powers a principle of American government whereby constitutional authority is shared by three separate branches of government 51. checks and balances the power of the legislature, executive, and judicial branches of government to block some acts by the other two branches 52. federalism a political system in which ultimate authority is shared between a central government and state or regional governments 53. judicial review the power of the courts to declare acts of legislature and of the executive to be unconstitutional and hence null and void 54. Marbury v. Madison established judicial review 55. Charles Beard argued that the Founders were largely motivated by the economic advantage of their class in writing the Constitution 56. Federalists supporters of the ratification of the Constitution and a strong central government 57. Anti-federalists opposed the ratification of the Constitution because it gave more power to the federal government and less to the states, and because it did not ensure individual rights 58. Federalist Papers series of essays that defended the Constitution and tried to reassure Americans that the states would not be overpowered by the federal government (some authored by Madison) 59. Federalist #10 argues that liberty is safest in a large republic because many factions exist; This diversity makes tyranny by the 5/9 majority more difficult since ruling coalitions will always be unstable 60. Federalist #51 argues that separation of powers within the national government is the best way to prevent the concentration of power in the hands of one person or a single group 61. faction a group, usually a small part of a larger group, united around some cause; refers to political parties and special interests or interest groups 62. ratification of Constitution required 9 out of 13 states 63. "living document" a document that grows and changes as needed (Constitution) 64. formal amendment process proposed by 2/3 vote in each house of congress, ratified by 3/4 of state legislation 65. informal amendment process changing the meaning of the Constitution without a formal amendment (ex. Supreme Court opinions and laws) 66. Equal Rights Amendment constitutional amendment passed by Congress but never ratified that would have banned discrimination on the basis of gender 67. constitutional re- the act of changing a constitution form 68. unitary system a system in which sovereignty is wholly in the hands of the national government on its will 69. confederation a political system in which states or regional governments retain ultimate authority except for those powers that they expressly delegate to a central government 70. delegated (enu- powers given to the federal government merated) powers 6/9 71. expressed powers powers directly stated in the Constitution 72. implied powers powers of the federal government that go beyond those in the Constitution 73. inherent powers powers delegated to the national government because it is the government of a sovereign state within the world community 74. exclusive powers powers that can be exercised by the national government alone 75. concurrent powers powers that are shared by both the federal and state governments 76. 10th Amendment the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States 77. Nationalist view strong national government 78. States' Rights view the right of states to limit the power of the federal government 79. McCulloch v. Maryland Supreme Court ruled that states had no right to interfere with federal institutions within their borders and that a national bank was constitutional; strengthened federal power 80. Gibbons v. Ogden Supreme Court decision that ruled that the Constitution gave control of interstate commerce to the U.S. Congress, not the individual states through which a route passed 81. dual federalism (layer cake) both the states and the national government remain supreme within their own spheres, each responsible for some policies. 82. cooperative federalism (marble cake) system in which both federal government and state governments cooperate in solving problems 7/9 83. new federalism (cupcakes) system in which the national government restores greater authority back to the states. 84. extradition the surrender of an accused or convicted person by one state to another 85. "privileges and immunities" citizens of each state must have the privleges of citizens of other states 86. "full faith and credit" each State accept the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other State 87. nullification the states'-rights doctrine that a state can refuse to recognize or to enforce a federal law passed by the United States Congress. North's Civil War victory decided that this can not happen. 88. fiscal federalism the pattern of spending, taxing, and providing grants in the federal system 89. block grants money from the national government that states can spend within broad guidelines 90. categorical grants federal grants to states or local governments that are for specific programs or projects. 91. formula grants federal categorical grants distributed according to a formula specified in legislation or in administrative regulations 92. project grants categorical grants awarded on the basis of competitive applications submitted by prospective recipients to perform a specific task or function 93. devolution the transfer of powers and responsibilities from the federal government to the states 94. mandates rules imposed by the federal government on the states as condition for obtaining federal grants or requirements that the states pay the costs of certain nationally defined programs