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AP Government > AP Government > Flashcards

AP Government Flashcards

Chapter 2 Vocabulary

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1
Q

A fundamental democratic principle requiring that the majority’s view be respected.

A

Majority Rule

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2
Q

The system in which each branch of government can limit the power of the other two branches.

A

Checks and Balances

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3
Q

System of government in which all power is invested in a central government.

A

Unitary System

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4
Q

A system of government in which power is divided by a written constitution between a central government and regional government.

A

Federalism

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5
Q

Powers specifically granted to the federal government by the Constitution

A

Expressed Powers

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6
Q

Powers of the federal government that go beyond those enumerated in the Constitution.

A

Implied Powers

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7
Q

Powers not specifically granted to the national government or denied to the states.

A

Reserved Powers

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8
Q

Situations in which the national and state governments work together to complete projects.

A

Cooperative Federalism

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9
Q

Funds provided for a specific and clearly defined purpose.

A

Categorial Grant

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10
Q

Funds granted to the states for a broadly defined purpose.

A

Block Grant

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11
Q

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

A

Mandates

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12
Q

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

A

Devolution

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13
Q

A set of widely shared political beliefs and values.

A

Political Culture

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14
Q

The process by which political values are formed and passed from one generation to the next.

A

Political Socialization

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15
Q

Attitudes about institutions, leaders, political issues, and events.

A

Public Opinion

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16
Q

A cohesive set of beliefs about politics, public policy, and the role of government.

A

Political Ideology

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17
Q

The belief that one’s political participation makes a difference.

A

Political Efficacy

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18
Q

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

A

Split-Ticket Voting

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19
Q

A group of citizens who organize to win elections, hold public offices, operate governments and determine public policy.

A

Political Party

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20
Q

The winning candidate is the person who receives more votes than anyone else, but less than half the total.

A

Plurality Election

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21
Q

An electoral district from which one person is chosen by the voters for each elected office.

A

Single-Member District

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22
Q

A historical period dominated by one political party.

A

Party Era

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23
Q

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

A

Critical Election

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24
Q

The majority party is displaced by the minority party, thus ushering in a new party era.

A

Party Realignment

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25
Q

A government in which one party controls the presidency while another party controls Congress.

A

Divided Government

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26
Q

An organization of people whose members share views on specific interests and attempt to influence public policy to their benefit.

A

Interest Group

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27
Q

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

A

Political Action Committee

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28
Q

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

A

Free Riders

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29
Q

The theory that a small number of very wealthy individuals, powerful corporates interest groups, and large financial institutions dominate key policy areas.

A

Power Elite Theory

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30
Q

The theory that many interest groups compete for power in a large number of policy areas.

A

Pluralist Theory

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31
Q

The theory that government policy is weakened and often contradictory because there are so many competing interest groups

A

Hyperpluralist Theory

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32
Q

Means of communication such as newspapers, radio, television, and the internet that can reach large, widely dispersed audiences.

A

Mass Media

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33
Q

Institutions that connect citizens to government.

A

Linkage Institutions

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34
Q

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

A

Horse-Race Journalism

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35
Q

The reallocation of the number of representatives each state has in the House of Representatives.

A

Congressional Redistricting

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36
Q

The legislative process by which the majority party in each state legislature redraws congressional districts to ensure the maximum number of seats for its candidates.

A

Gerrymandering

37
Q

An officeholder who is seeking reelection.

A

Incumbent

38
Q

The right of members of Congress to mail newsletters to their constituents at the government’s expense.

A

Franking Privilege

39
Q

Permanent subject-matter congressional committees that handle legislation and oversee the bureaucracy.

A

Standing Committee

40
Q

Temporary bodies that are formed to resolve differences between House and Senate versions of a bill.

A

Conference Committees

41
Q

The House Rules Committee sets the guidelines for floor debate.

A

House Rules Committee

42
Q

House committee that handles tax bills.

A

House Ways and Means Committee

43
Q

An unwritten rule in both houses of Congress reserving committee chairs to members of the committee with the longest records of continuous.

A

Seniority

44
Q

A way of delaying or preventing action on a bill by using long speeches and unlimited debate to “talk a bill to death.”

A

Filibuster

45
Q

A Senate motion to end a filibuster.

A

Cloture

46
Q

The tactic of mutual aid and vote trading among legislators.

A

Logrolling

47
Q

Congressional review of the activities of an executive agency, department, or office.

A

Oversight

48
Q

When members of Congress cast votes based on the wishes of their constituents.

A

Delegate Role of Representation

49
Q

A primary in which voters are required to identify a party preference before the election and are not allowed to split their ticket.

A

Closed Primary

50
Q

The recent pattern of states holding primaries early in order to maximize their media attention and political influence.

A

Frontloading

51
Q

Contributions to political parties for party-building activities.

A

Soft Money

52
Q

A tax-exempt organization creates to influence the political process; 527 groups are not regulated by the Federal Election Commission because they do not coordinate their activities with a candidate or party.

A

527 Group

53
Q

The president’s constitutional power to reject a bill passed by Congress.

A

Veto

54
Q

The power to veto specific dollar amounts or line items from major congressional spending bills.

A

Line-Item Veto

55
Q

A pact between the president and the head of a foreign state.

A

Executive Agreement

56
Q

The president’s power to refuse to disclose confidential information.

A

Executive Privilege

57
Q

The period of time in which the president’s term is about to come to an end.

A

Lame-Duck Period

58
Q

A large, complex organization of appointed officials.

A

Bureaucracy

59
Q

A directive, order, or regulation issued by the president.

A

Executive Order

60
Q

An alliance among an administrative agency, and interest group, and a congressional committee.

A

Iron Triangle

61
Q

A network that includes policy experts, media pundits, congressional staff members, and interest groups who regularly debate an issue.

A

Issue Network

62
Q

A set of issues and problems that policymakers consider important

A

Policy Agenda

63
Q

The authority of a court to hear an appeal from a lower court.

A

Appellate Jurisdiction

64
Q

An unwritten tradition whereby the Senate will not confirm nominations for lower court positions that are opposed by a senator of the president’s own party from the state in which the nominee is to serve.

A

Senatorial Courtesy

65
Q

An order by the Supreme Court directing a lower court to send up the record in a given case for its review.

A

Writ of Certiorari

66
Q

The Supreme Court will hear a case if four justices agree to so do.

A

Rule of Four

67
Q

The solicitor general is responsible for handling all appeals on behalf of the United States government to the Supreme Court.

A

Solicitor General

68
Q

A friend of the court brief filed by an interest group or interested party to influence a Supreme Court decision.

A

Amicus Curiae Brief

69
Q

Stare decisis is a Latin phrase meaning “let the decision stand.”

A

Stare Decisis

70
Q

The philosophy that the Supreme Court should use precedent and the Framers’ original intent to decide cases.

A

Judicial Restraint

71
Q

The philosophy that the Supreme Court must correct injustices when other branches of government or the states refuse to do so.

A

Judicial Activism

72
Q

Monetary policy involves regulating the money supply, controlling inflation, and adjusting interest rates.

A

Monetary Policy

73
Q

Raising and lowering taxes and government spending programs.

A

Fiscal Policy

74
Q

A government-sponsored program that provides mandated benefits to those who meet eligibility requirements.

A

Entitlement Program

75
Q

The OMB is responsible for preparing the budget that the president submits to Congress.

A

Office of Management and Budget

76
Q

Legal and constitutional rights that protect individuals from arbitrary acts of government.

A

Civil Liberties

77
Q

Policies designed to protect people against arbitrary or discriminatory treatment by government officials or individuals.

A

Civil Rights

78
Q

The case-by-case process by which liberties listed in the Bill of Rights have been applied to the states using the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

A

Selective Incorporation

79
Q

A provision of the First Amendment that prohibits Congress from establishing an official government-sponsored religion.

A

Establishment Clause

80
Q

A provision of the First Amendment that guarantees each person the right to believe what he or she wants.

A

Free Exercise Clause

81
Q

Judicial interpretation of the First Amendment that the government may not ban speech unless it poses an imminent threat to society.

A

Clear and Present Danger Test

82
Q

A court order directing that a prisoner be brought before a court and that the court officers show cause why the prisoner should not be released.

A

Writ of Habeas Corpus

83
Q

A legislative act that provides for the punishment of a person without a court trial.

A

Bill of Attainder

84
Q

Law applied to an act committed before the law was enacted.

A

Ex Post Facto Law

85
Q

Supreme Court guideline that prohibits evidence obtained by illegal searches or seizures from being admitted in court.

A

Exclusionary Rule

86
Q

Warnings that police must read to suspects prior to questioning that advises them of their rights.

A

Miranda Warnings

87
Q

Supreme Court rule that classification by race and ethnic background is inherently suspect and must be justified by a “compelling public interest.”

A

Strict Scrutiny

88
Q

A policy requiring federal agencies, universities, and most employers to take positive steps to remedy the effects of past discrimination.

A

Affirmative Action

AP Government (2 decks)

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