AP GOV VOCAB

the process of government

rules and institutions of law making

a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives.

rights that can never be taken away; inalienable rights; life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness

agreement between people and the ruler (sovereign)

“the people rule”

rights that the government cannot take away; life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness

A theory that widespread political participation is essential for a democratic government

a model of democracy in which organized groups compete with each other to influence policy.

Model of democracy in which a small number of people, usually those who are wealthy or well-educated, influence political decision making.

beliefs, customs, traditions, and values that americans share

political, social, and economic freedom

rather than directly governing, the people select officials to serve in political office; government follows the rules outlined in a constitution

a document that sets out the fundamental principles of governance and establishes the institutions of government.

a government ruled by representatives of the people.

a governing document that created a union of thirteen sovereign states in which the states, not the national government, were supreme.

only containing one chamber

a popular uprising against the government of massachusetts.

a meeting attended by state delegates in 1787 to fix the Articles of Confederation.

the right of people detained by the government to know the charges against them.

when the legislature declares someone guilty without a trial.

laws punishing people for acts that were not crimes at the time they were committed.

a plan of government calling for a three-branch government with a bicameral legislature, where more populous states would have more representation in Congress.

a plan of government that provided for a unicameral legislature with equal votes for each states.

a committee at the Constitutional Convention that worked out the compromise on representation.

an agreement for a plan of government consisting of a bicameral congress; compromise between the new jersey and virginia plans

a two-house legislature.

an agreement reached by delegates at the Constitutional Convention that a slave would count as three- fifths of a person in calculating a state’s representation.

Congress could not restrict the slave trade until 1808.

branches of government can prevent others from abusing their power; sharing of power between branches

the sharing of power between state and federal government

the branch of government whose main purpose is to write and pass laws; congress

powers given to congress that are explicitly stated in the constitution (ex. power to tax)

clause in the constitution that gives congress implied powers; must be tied to an expressed/enumerated power

the authority of the government that goes beyond expressed powers (ex. establishing the IRS)

the branch of government whose main purpose is to execute/enforce laws passed by legislature

the branch of government that hears and decides cases through federal courts

the constitution is the supreme law of the land; federal law > state law

a change to the constitution; outlined in article V

support ratifying the constitution (as is in 1787); want a stronger federal government

argued against ratifying the constitution (as is in 1787); want to add a bill of rights to the constitution; want less power to the federal government

a collection of 85 articles and essays written by Hamilton, Madison, and John Jay under the false name "Publius" to promote the ratification of the constitution

separation of powers and checks and balances makes up for not having a bill of rights in the constitution

the constitution creates a system with many competing factions, preventing a majority faction from coming into power, which will protect individual rights and eliminates the need for a bill of rights

a group with similar interests and passion

the constitution gives congress “unlimited” powers through the necessary and proper clause (implied powers)

we only need 1 executive leader that can hold everyone accountable and also be held accountable

we need a judicial branch to protect the people’s rights and keep the other branches in check

a government system in which the federal government has more power than subnational governments

a government system in which the subnational government has more power than the federal government

a government system in which power is divided between the subnational and federal governments

powers that can only be exercised by the federal government; declare war, regulate interstate and foreign trade, armed forces, etc.

powers that can only be exercised by state governments; education, establish local governments, election requirements, etc.

powers granted to both the state and federal governments; borrow money, tax, establish courts, etc.

grants congress the ability to regulate interstate trade, business, and commercial activity

all powers not directly given to the federal government or those not prohibited in the constitution are to be given by the states; “powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”

states are required to recognize public acts, records, and civil courts proceedings from another state; ex. marriage

officials in one state must return a defendant to the state where the crime was committed

states cannot discriminate against people from out of state

federal and state governments operate side by side, but they do not interact much

state and federal governments work together in the same areas of public policy; federal governments give funding to the states

money provided to the states by the federal government to carry out a policy that is important to the federal government

the federal government’s use of grants-in-aid to influence state policies

grants-in-aid with specific provisions on their use

when the federal government wants states to implement programs but wants the states to fund them themselves

grants-in-aid that give the states authority over how to use government funding

part of federal taxes that is given to the states with no strings attached

returning authority back to the state or local governments

a set of dominant beliefs, customs, and traditions

individuals should be responsible for themselves and their actions

everyone should have the chance to succeed; social status should be determined by effort, not by inherited position

the government plays the smallest role possible in economic transactions

no one is above the law, not even elected officials; citizens must abide by laws (social contract)

consent of the governed; checks and balances; separation of powers

survey at the beginning of a campaign to determine support for the candidate and important issues; b for before

survey throughout the campaign; t for throughout

poll of people entering campaign events

polling outside of polling centers, asking who they voted for and why

a small group of people who are asked questions or have conversations; can be used to gather opinions, but may not represent a whole population

representative poll of randomly selected respondents

a selection from a population

when you randomly select from the population

a sample where the demographics in the sample are proportional to the population

adjusting results based on differences in demographics to be more representative of the population

the order in which poll questions are asked

the wording with which poll questions are asked

an individual’s attachment to a particular party

want more government control over social behavior, less control on business and economic policies

want less government control over social behavior, more control on economic policies and businesses

want very little government intervention; only want protection of rights and property

when the government controls all economic activity; ex. Iran, North Korea

when the government has very little involvement; consumer-based economy; ex. Switzerland

when most economic decisions are left to businesses, with federal and state governments regulating economic activity; ex. USA, France, India.

the total value of goods and services produced by a country; measures total economic output; the higher the better

2 consecutive quarters of GDP decrease

a percentage of the people actively looking for jobs who don’t have one

rise in the prices of goods and services; healthy rate is ~2% per year; decreases the value of our money

measures the costs of goods and services over time

increase in the financial supply leads to an increase in economic activities of a country (and vice versa)

affecting the economy during a recession by either increasing or decreasing tax levels and public spending; focus is on the consumers