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AP Government & Politics > Unit 1 > Flashcards

Unit 1 Flashcards

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1
Q

tyranny

A

a government that takes away your natural rights

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2
Q

natural rights

A

the rights to life, liberty, and property which the government can’t take away

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3
Q

liberty

A

social, political, and economic freedoms

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4
Q

John Locke

A
  1. natural rights
  2. the only purpose government has is to maintain/protect those natural rights
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5
Q

politics

A

the process of influencing the actions and policies of government

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6
Q

government

A

the rules and institutions that make up that system of policymaking

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7
Q

democracy

A

a system of government where power is held by people

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8
Q

social contract

A

people allow their government to rule over them to ensure an orderly and functioning society

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9
Q

What is one way that the government can break the social contract?

A

violating people’s natural rights

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10
Q

If a government breaks the social contract, what do people have the right to do?

A

replace the unjust government with a new one

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11
Q

Baron de Montesquieu

A

proposed that power in government should be divided between different branches so that no one branch becomes too powerful

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12
Q

David Hume

A

said that government should be designed to keep the greedy from using political power to their own advantages

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13
Q

American political culture

A

the set of beliefs, customs, traditions, and values that Americans share

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14
Q

popular sovereignty

A

the idea that the government’s right to rule comes from the people

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15
Q

republicanism

A

a system in which the government’s authority comes from the people

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16
Q

representative government

A

citizens choose representatives to assert their interests in a policymaking process

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17
Q

How often do members of US Representative stand for?

A

every 2 years

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18
Q

How often do US senators stand for election?

A

every 6 years

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19
Q

inalienable rights

A

rights the government cannot take away

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20
Q

limited government

A

a government’s power cannot be absolute

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21
Q

What 4 democratic ideals is the US government based on?

A
  1. natural rights
  2. social contract
  3. popular sovereignty
  4. limited government
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22
Q

The ideals of limited government are ensured by what 3 principles?

A
  1. separation of powers, checks and balances
  2. federalism
  3. republicanism
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23
Q

participatory democracy

A

a theory that widespread political participation is essential for democratic government

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24
Q

civil society groups

A

independent associations outside the government’s control

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25
Q

pluralist theory

A

a theory of democracy that emphasizes the role of groups in policymaking

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26
Q

elitist theory

A

a theory of democracy that the elites have a disproportionate amount of influence

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27
Q

political institutions

A

the structure of government, including the executive, legislature, and judiciary

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28
Q

constitutional republic

A

a democratic system with elected representatives in which the Constitutions is the supreme law

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29
Q

What did federalists support?

A

the ratification of the Constitution and a strong central government

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30
Q

Why did anti-federalists oppose the ratification of the Constitution?

A

they wanted more power reserved to the state governments

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31
Q

What 5 incidents highlighted the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?

A
  1. lack of centralized military power to address Shay’s Rebellion
  2. lack of an executive branch to enforce laws, including taxation
  3. lack of a national court system
  4. lack of power to regulate interstate commerce
  5. lack of power to coin money
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32
Q

unicameral

A

one-house legislature

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33
Q

Constitutional Convention

A

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

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34
Q

write of habeas corpus

A

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

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35
Q

bills of attainder

A

when the legislature declares someone guilty without a trial

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36
Q

ex post facto laws

A

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

37
Q

Virginia Plan

A

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

38
Q

New Jersey Plan

A

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

39
Q

Great (Connecticut) Compromise

A

an agreement for a plan of government that drew upon both the Virginia and New Jersey Plans; it settled issues of state representation by calling for a bicameral legislature with a House of Representatives apportioned proportionately and a Senate apportioned equally

40
Q

Three-Fifths Compromise

A

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

41
Q

Compromise on Importation

A

Congress could not restrict the slave trade until 1808

42
Q

checks and balances

A

a design of government in which each branch has powers that can prevent the other branches from making policy

43
Q

federalism

A

the sharing of power between the national and state governments

44
Q

legislative branch

A

the institution responsible for making laws

45
Q

expressed/enumerated powers

A

authority specifically granted to a branch of the government in the Constitution

46
Q

necessary and proper clause

A

grants Congress the powers necessary to carry out its enumerated powers

47
Q

implied powers

A

authority of the federal government that goes beyond its expressed powers

48
Q

executive branch

A

the institution responsible for carrying out laws passed by the legislative branch

49
Q

judicial branch

A

the institution responsible for hearing and deciding cases through federal court

50
Q

supremacy clause

A

constitutional provision declaring that the Constitution and all national laws and treaties are the supreme law of the land

51
Q

What are the two stages of amending the Constitution?

A

first, the amendment has to be officially proposed, and second, the amendment must be ratified

52
Q

What are the two ways an amendment can be proposed?

A
  1. a 2/3 vote of both houses of Congress
  2. Constitutional convention called by 2/3 of the states
53
Q

What are the two ways an amendment can be ratified?

A
  1. 3/4 of the 50 state legislatures
  2. 3/4 of state constitutional conventions
54
Q

Federalists Papers

A

a series of 85 essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay published between 1787 and 1788 that lay out the theory behind the Constitution

55
Q

Federalist No. 10

A

an essay in which Madison argues that the dangers of faction can be mitigated by a large republic and republican government

56
Q

The Tenth Amendment

A

reserves powers not delegated to the national government to the states and the people

57
Q

faction

A

a group of self-inserted people who use the government to get what they want, trampling the rights of others in the process

58
Q

Federalist No. 51

A

an essay in which Madison argues that separation of powers and federalism will prevent tyranny

59
Q

unitary system

A

a system where the national government has all of the power over state governments

60
Q

federal system

A

a system where power is divided between the national and state governments

61
Q

confederal system

A

a system where the state governments have most of the power

62
Q

exclusive powers

A

powers only the national government may exercise

63
Q

commerce clause

A

grants Congress the authority to regulate interstate business and commercial activity

64
Q

reserved powers

A

powers not given to the national government, which are retained by the states and the people

65
Q

concurrent powers

A

powers granted to both states and the federal government in the Constitution

66
Q

full faith and credit clause

A

constitutional clause requiring states to recognize the public acts, records, and civil court proceedings from another state

67
Q

extradition

A

the requirement that officials in one state return a defendant to another state where a crime was committed

68
Q

privileges and immunities clause

A

constitutional clause that prevents states from discriminating against people from out of state

69
Q

Thirteenth Amendment

A

constitutional amendment that outlaws slavery

70
Q

Fourteenth Amendment

A

constitutional amendment that provides that persons born in the United States are citizens and prohibits states from denying persons due process or equal protection

71
Q

Fifteenth Amendment

A

constitutional amendment that gave African American males the right to vote

72
Q

dual federalism

A

a form of American federalism in which the states and the nation operate independently in their own areas of public policy

73
Q

selective incorporation

A

the process through which the Supreme Court applies fundamental rights in the Bill of Rights to the states on a case-by-case basis

74
Q

cooperative federalism

A

a form of American federalism in which the states and the national government work together to shape public policy

75
Q

grants-in-aid

A

federal money provided to states to implement public policy objectives

76
Q

fiscal federalism

A

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

77
Q

categorical grants

A

grants-in-aid provided to states with specific provisions on their use

78
Q

unfunded mandate

A

federal requirements that states must follow without being provided with funding

79
Q

block grant

A

a type of grant-in-aid that gives state officials more authority in the disbursement of federal funds

80
Q

revenue sharing

A

when the federal government apportions tax money to the states with no strings attached

81
Q

devolution

A

returning more authority to state or local governments

82
Q

What did the McCulloch vs. Maryland case establish?

A

the McCulloch case established that Congress has the implied power to charter a bank under the necessary and proper clause, and states may not tax the federal government

83
Q

What document does the United States vs. Lopez case involve?

A

the Tenth Amendment

84
Q

What did the United States vs. Lopez case do to the federal government’s ability to pass legislation?

A

the Lopez case limited the federal government’s ability to pass legislation under the commerce clause and give more power to the states

85
Q

What are 6 examples of federal/enumerated and implied powers?

A
  1. coin money
  2. declare war
  3. raise and support armed forces
  4. make treaties
  5. provide for the naturalization of citizens
  6. regulate interstate and foreign trade and trade with Indian tribes
86
Q

What are 6 examples of shared/concurrent powers?

A
  1. levy taxes
  2. borrow money
  3. regulate interstate commerce
  4. regulate banks
  5. create and operate court systems
  6. determine voting qualifications
87
Q

What are 6 examples of state/reserved powers?

A
  1. provide police and fire protection
  2. conduct elections
  3. amendments approved by 3/4 of the states
  4. establish local, town, county, and regional bodies
  5. regulate intra state commerce
88
Q

What are 4 powers that the federal/national government does not have?

A
  1. violate bill of rights
  2. admit new states without the consent of the territory’s residents
  3. change state boundaries without the consent of its residents
  4. impose taxes on foods and services exported an imported within state boundaries
89
Q

What are 4 powers that the state governments do not have?

A
  1. enter into treaties with foreign governments
  2. print money
  3. tax imports/exports
  4. declare war

AP Government & Politics (1 decks)

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