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AP Government & Politics > Unit 1 (Concepts/Keywords) > Flashcards

Unit 1 (Concepts/Keywords) Flashcards

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1
Q

politics

A

The process of influencing the actions and policies of government

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2
Q

How do the actions of Boyd County students and Bridget Mergens demonstrate the balance between “liberty” and “order”?

A
  • School officials & “order”
  • Students & “liberty”
  • Order prevents infringement of others’s liberties
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3
Q

Main concepts of American political culture

A

Democracy, natural rights, Popular sovereignty, Republicanism, liberty, pursuit of happiness, religious freedom

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4
Q

Democracy

A

Concept from Enlightenment era: Power held by the people

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5
Q

Natural rights

A

Right given to individuals at birth (right to life, liberty, property), cannot be revoked by gov’t (Enlightenment)

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6
Q

Social contract

A

People allow governments to rune over them to ensure an orderly society (Locke) [Enlightenment]

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7
Q

American political culture

A

Set of beliefs, customs, traditions, and values that Americans share

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8
Q

5 Parts of Declaration of Independence

A

i. Preamble
ii. Where Jefferson set stage for argument that British gov’t no longer legitimate
iii. Defense of the rights of citizens
iv. List of grievances against King
v. Statement separating colonies from GB

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9
Q

Popular sovereignty

A

Principle of American political culture that states the idea that the government’s right to rule comes from the people

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10
Q

Republicanism

A

A system that allows for the gov’t’s power to be viable via the people they protect

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11
Q

Inalienable rights

A

Rights granted to an individual that are self-evident, and that the gov’t can’t remove

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12
Q

Liberty

A

Social, political, and economic freedoms (liberty from gov’t, liberty to pursue one’s dreams/desires)

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13
Q

How is Republicanism reflected in American society?

A

Elections are held in order to determine those in power; elections in the hands of the people.

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14
Q

How might changing values influence American political culture in the future?

A

American culture can shift with national events. For example, welfare programs more acceptable during GD b/c equal hardship. Less receptive post-war. Americans believe in equality of opportunity, not equality of outcome.

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15
Q

Participatory democracy

A

Theory that widespread political participation is essential for democratic government

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16
Q

Civil society groups

A

Independent associations that are outside of government control, strongly emphasized in participatory democracy

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17
Q

Pluralist theory

A

A theory of democracy that emphasizes the role of groups in the policymaking process (groups compete = no domination)

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18
Q

Elitist theory

A

Theory of democracy saying elites have disproportionate amount of influence in policymaking process.

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19
Q

Political institutions

A

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

20
Q

Constitutional republic

A

Democratic system with elected representatives in which Constitution is supreme law of land

21
Q

Questions to ask when devising a system of government

A

1) How much power will the government have?
2) How is political power going to be distributed?

22
Q

Articles of Confederation

A

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

23
Q

Why were the AoC formed?

A
  • States operated independently, only came together to defeat British.
  • Policy makers distrusted a far away government making laws, too much central authority
  • Led to the creation of loose league of friendship among states; had most authority in policymaking; central structure = weak, ineffectual.
    -States are sovereign not the national government
24
Q

Limits on Power of Confederal Gov’t

A
  • Unable to tax (power lay with states, refused to send $$)
  • Fed gov’t could declare war, but states can impose tariffs
  • System was unicameral and favored small state representation (one state = one vote)
  • No executive/judiciary branch
25
Q

Annapolis Convention

A
  • Called in 1786 to address trade and navigation disputes among the states
  • Participation was weak (5 of 13 states represented)
  • Called for another convention in Philadelphia
26
Q

Shays’s Rebellion

A
  • A popular uprising against the government of Massachusetts, led by Daniel Shays
  • Illustrated the weakness of the Articles and led many skeptics to agree to replace the Articles of Confederation, after central gov’t unable to send military aid to MA
27
Q

Economic Complications w/ the Articles

A
  • Shortage of “hard money” and plenty of debt
    –> National government could not regulate commerce among the states or levy taxes under Articles
    –> Had to ask the states for money
  • Internal rebellions, like Shays’s Rebellion, could not be stopped because Congress could not raise an army
28
Q

Why would some Americans worry about replacing the Articles of Confederation even though most people believed it was ineffective?

A

The Articles already created a weak central structure, so there was a strong possibility that revisions would increase the authority of the national government, and more importantly, decrease at the state level. (Fearful of concentrated central gov’t power)

29
Q

Constitutional Convention

A

Meeting attended by state delegates in 1787 to fix Articles of Confederation
- Open discussion about way/workings of gov’t they proposed

30
Q

Goal of Constitutional Convention

A

create a strong fiscal and military state while simultaneously protecting individual liberty

31
Q

writ of habeas corpus

A

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

32
Q

bills of attainder

A

when the legislature declares someone guilty without a trial

33
Q

ex post facto laws

A

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

34
Q

What were the two big issues of the Constitutional Convention?

A
  • How states would be represented
  • How much power the national government would be allocated
35
Q

Virginia Plan

A
  • Proposed by James Madison
  • 3-branch government with a bicameral legislature
    –> Larger states had more representation in both chambers
  • Lower house: elected directly by the people
  • Upper house: nominated by state legislatures and chosen by lower house
36
Q

New Jersey Plan

A
  • Proposed by William Patterson
  • Unicameral legislature with each state allotted one vote
37
Q

Great (Connecticut) Compromise

A
  • Bicameral (two house) legislature
  • Lower House (House of Representatives)
    –> Elected directly by citizens; representation based on population of state
  • Upper House (Senate)
    –> Selected by state legislatures; 2 per state
38
Q

Compromise on Importation

A

Slave trade not restricted until 1808

39
Q

Grand Committee

A

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

40
Q

What issue was largely unsolved at the Constitutional Convention?

A

Issue of slavery
- Pushback from Southern representatives, Compromise on Importation & 3/5ths Compromise
- Only addressed slaves in terms of representation

41
Q

Federalism

A

the sharing of power between the national government and the states, allowing for multiple access points for citizens

42
Q

What is the purpose of Congress?

A

To create laws

43
Q

Enumerated/Expressed Powers

A

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

44
Q

Necessary and Proper Clause

A

Article I, Section 8, granting Congress necessary powers to carry out enumerated powers

45
Q

Implied powers

A

authority of the federal government that goes beyond its expressed powers

46
Q

What is the main purpose of the Executive Branch?

A

To carry out the laws that Congress has passed

AP Government & Politics (6 decks)

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