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AP Gov > Unit 1 > Flashcards

Unit 1 Flashcards

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U.S. Government Basics flashcards AP® U.S. Government flashcards
1
Q

John Locke

A

Argued that individuals were born equal with natural rights no one could void; believed true justice came from the law

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2
Q

Natural Law

A

Society should be governed by ethical principles that are a part of nature

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3
Q

Monarchy

A

Power is vested in hereditary kings and queens

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4
Q

Totalitarianism

A

A form of government in which power resides in a leader who rules according to self interest and without regard for individual rights and liberties

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5
Q

Republic

A

People vote for representatives who work on their behalf, i.e. Indirect democracy

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6
Q

Popular Sovreignity

A

Ultimate authority rests with the people

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7
Q

Thomas Hobbes

A

Argues that humans natural state is war and therefore government has to intrude on people rights and liberties to better control society and to provide the necessary safeguards for property

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8
Q

Social Contract

A

An agreement among the people signifying their consent to be governed

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9
Q

Oligarchy

A

A few people who rule in their own interest

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10
Q

Direct democracy

A

Every person votes for everything

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11
Q

Indirect democracy

A

People vote for representatives who work on their behalf

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12
Q

Popular consent

A

Government must draw power from the consent of the people

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13
Q

Majority rule

A

Majority of the citizens support changes

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14
Q

Conservative

A

One who believes government is best when governed least and believes that big government should not infringe on personal and economic rights.

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15
Q

Liberal

A

One who favors government involved in the economy and provision of social services.

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16
Q

Voter apathy

A

People that don’t care about the election.

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17
Q

Traditional democracy

A

The traditional democratic theory emphasizes the values of liberty, equality and justice in any system of governance. It promotes the rule of majority, while protecting minority rights and maintaining the readiness to compromise.

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18
Q

Pluralist theory

A

The theory that political power is distributed among a wide array of diverse and competing interest groups

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19
Q

Elitist theory

A

a theory of the state which seeks to describe and explain the power relationships in contemporary society.

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20
Q

Hyperpluralist theory

A

A theory that asserts that too many groups are getting too much of what they want, resulting in a government policy that is often contradictory and lacking in direction

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21
Q

Articles of Confederation

A

A compact among the 13 original colonies that created a lose league of friendship, with the national government drawing its power from the states

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22
Q

Shays Rebellion

A

1786 rebellion where soldiers with Shays marched to Massachusetts and forcibly restrained the state court from foreclosing on their farms. National government couldn’t put a stop to it because they had no power.

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23
Q

Virginia Plan

A

Wanted a new government with the power resting in the hands of the people; population based reprtesentation

24
Q

New Jersey Plan

A

Wanted to keep the Articles of Confederation; equal representation

25
Q

Great Compromise

A

Two house legislature: senate, every state is equal, House. population based

26
Q

Electoral College

A

Representatives of each state who cast the final ballots that actually elect a president.

27
Q

Separation of Powers (Montesquieu)

A

A way of dividing the power of government among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.

28
Q

Elastic Clause

A

Article 1, section 8 of the Constitution gives Congress the authority to pass all laws necessary and proper to carry out the enumerated powers

29
Q

Supremacy Clause

A

Portion of article VI of the constitution mandating that national law is supreme to all other laws passed by the states or by any other subdivision of government.

30
Q

Federalist

A

Those who favored a stronger national government and supported the proposed US constitution; later became the first US political party

31
Q

Anti-federalist

A

Those who favored strong state governments and a weak national; opposed the ratification of the US Constitution.

32
Q

Informal amendments

A

A process by which over time many changes have been made in the Constitution which has not involved any changes in its written words

33
Q

Bill of Rights

A

First 10 amendments to the Constitution, which largely guarantees specific rights and liberties

34
Q

Enumerated powers

A

Seventeen specific powers granted to Congress under Article 1, section 8

35
Q

Implied Powers

A

Powers derived from the enumerated powers and the necessary and proper clause; they aren’t stated specifically but are considered reasonably implied

36
Q

Reserved powers

A

Powers reserved to the states

37
Q

Concurrent powers

A

Powers shared by the national and federal governments

38
Q

Bill of Attainder

A

A law declaring an act illegal without a trial.

39
Q

Ex Post Facto

A

Making something illegal even if you did it when it was legal

40
Q

Writ of Habeaus Corpus

A

A court order to bring someone to court because you have evidence.

41
Q

Marbury V. Madison

A

Case in which the Supreme Court first asserted the power of judicial review by ruling something congress did unconstitutional.

42
Q

Gibbons V. Ogden

A

The Supreme Court upheld broad congressional power to regulate interstate commerce. The court’s broad interpretation of the constitution’s commerce clause paved the way for later rulings upholding expansive federal powers.

43
Q

Dual Federalism

A

The belief that having separate and equally powerful levels of government is the best arrangement.

44
Q

New Federalism (devolution)

A

Federal-state relationship proposed by Reagan administration during the 1980’s; hallmark is returning administrative powers to the state governments.

45
Q

10th Amendment

A

The power that the federal gov doesn’t have, the states have.

46
Q

17th Amendment

A

Made senators directly elected by the people, removing their selection from state legislators.

47
Q

Categorical grants

A

Grant that allocated federal funds to states for a specific purpose.

48
Q

Revenue Sharing

A

The distribution of a portion of federal tax revenues to state and local governments.

49
Q

McCulloch V. Maryland

A

The Supreme Court upheld the power of the national gov and denied the right of a state to tax the fed. Bank using the constitution’s supremacy clause. The court’s broad interpretation of the necessary and proper clause paved the way for later rulings upholding expansive federal powers.

50
Q

Plessy V. Ferguson

A

Challenged a Louisiana statute requiring that railroads provide separate accommodations for blacks and whites. The court found that separate but equal accommodations did not violate tie equal protection clause of the 14th amendment.

51
Q

Cooperative federalism

A

The intertwined relationship between the national, state, and local governments that began with the New Deal.

52
Q

16th Amendment

A

Authorized congress to enact a national income tax.

53
Q

Block grants

A

A large grant given to a state by the federal government with only general spending guidelines.

54
Q

Mandates

A

A command, indicated by an electorate’s votes, for the elected officials to carry out a part platform or political agenda.

55
Q

Unfunded Mandates

A

Things the federal government wants you to do but dos not give you the money to do it.

AP Gov (7 decks)

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