AP Government – Unit 1 Test – Flashcards

national defense, preserve order, establish and maintain a legal system, provide services, socialize new generations

the institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies

the effort to control or influence the conduct and policies of government

the course of action the government takes in response to an issue or problem

the system of government in a nation

an issue that arises when people disagree about a problem and how to fix it

a set of issues thought by the public or those in power to merit action by the government

author of "Who Governs?" and created the idea of a "criteria of democracy"

A body of people, living in a defined territory, organized politically and with the power to make and enforce law without the consent of any higher authority.

supreme or ultimate political power; a sovereign government is one that is legally and politically independent of any other government

belief that a ruler's authority comes directly from God

a term used to describe a political system in which the people are said to rule, directly or indirectly

a form of democracy in which power is vested in representatives selected by means of popular competitive elections

a government is said to be democratic if it's decisions will serve the "true interests" of the people wether or not the people affect the decision-making or select the decision-makers

the ability of one person to get another person to act in accordance with the first person's intentions

the right to use power

political authority conferred by law, public opinion, or constitution

the politics of policy-making in which almost everybody benefits from a policy and almost everybody pays for it

an identifiable group of persons who possess a disproportionate share of some valued resource such as money or political power

a theory that competition among affected interests shapes public policy

A theory of government and politics contending that groups are so strong that government is weakened. Hyperpluralism is an extreme form of pluralism (results in gridlock)

democarcy and responsibilities of citizenship

rule or law, republic, and representation

limited government

taxation without representation, violation of natural rights

one house

two houses

a legal document written by English lords in 1215 that stated certain rights and limited the power of the King

protected the rights of English citizens and became the basis for the American Bill of Rights.

The belief that people are free and equal by natural right, and that this in turn requires that all people give their consent to be governed (John Locke)

hypothetical condition assumed to exist in the absence of government where human beings live in "complete" freedom and general equality.

rights inherent in human beings, not dependent on governments, which include life, liberty, and property

a government whose powers are defined and limited by a constitution

the idea that government derives its authority by sanction of the people

the document approved by representatives of the American colonies in 1776 that stated their grievances against the British monarch and declared their independence

the nations first constitution; was limited because states held most of the power, and congress lacked the power to tax and regulate trade

1780s, time when the United States was in jeopardy of falling apart

uprising led by Daniel Shays in an effort to prevent courts from foreclosing on the farms of those who could not pay the taxes; caused many to criticize the Articles of Confederation and admit the weak central government was not working

believed all people have a right to life, liberty, and property

saw absolute sovereignty as the only kind of government that could resolve problems caused by the selfishness of human beings

believed people in their natural state were basically good but that they were corrupted by the evils of society; the idea of a "social contract"

meeting of state delegates in 1787 in Philadelphia called to revise the Articles of Confederation. It instead designed a new plan of government, the US Constitution.

called for representation of each state in Congress in proportion to that state's population

proposed a single-chamber congress in which each state had one vote

provided for a two-house congress. Each state would be given equal representation in the Senate and the House of Representatives would based on population

agreement that enslaved persons would count as three-fifths of other persons in determining representation in Congress

Congress could not tax exports nor ban the slave trade for 20 years

the idea that political authority belongs to the people

basic principle that government and those who govern must obey the law

a principle of American government whereby constitutional authority is shared by three separate branches of government

the power of the legislature, executive, and judicial branches of government to block some acts by the other two branches

a political system in which ultimate authority is shared between a central government and state or regional governments

the power of the courts to declare acts of legislature and of the executive to be unconstitutional and hence null and void

established judicial review

argued that the Founders were largely motivated by the economic advantage of their class in writing the Constitution

supporters of the ratification of the Constitution and a strong central government

opposed the ratification of the Constitution because it gave more power to the federal government and less to the states, and because it did not ensure individual rights

series of essays that defended the Constitution and tried to reassure Americans that the states would not be overpowered by the federal government (some authored by Madison)

argues that liberty is safest in a large republic because many factions exist; This diversity makes tyranny by the majority more difficult since ruling coalitions will always be unstable

argues that separation of powers within the national government is the best way to prevent the concentration of power in the hands of one person or a single group

a group, usually a small part of a larger group, united around some cause; refers to political parties and special interests or interest groups

required 9 out of 13 states

a document that grows and changes as needed (Constitution)

proposed by 2/3 vote in each house of congress, ratified by 3/4 of state legislation

changing the meaning of the Constitution without a formal amendment (ex. Supreme Court opinions and laws)

constitutional amendment passed by Congress but never ratified that would have banned discrimination on the basis of gender

the act of changing a constitution

a system in which sovereignty is wholly in the hands of the national government on its will

a political system in which states or regional governments retain ultimate authority except for those powers that they expressly delegate to a central government

powers given to the federal government

powers directly stated in the Constitution

powers of the federal government that go beyond those in the Constitution

powers delegated to the national government because it is the government of a sovereign state within the world community

powers that can be exercised by the national government alone

powers that are shared by both the federal and state governments

the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States

strong national government

the right of states to limit the power of the federal government

Supreme Court ruled that states had no right to interfere with federal institutions within their borders and that a national bank was constitutional; strengthened federal power

Supreme Court decision that ruled that the Constitution gave control of interstate commerce to the U.S. Congress, not the individual states through which a route passed

(layer cake) both the states and the national government remain supreme within their own spheres, each responsible for some policies.

(marble cake) system in which both federal government and state governments cooperate in solving problems

(cupcakes) system in which the national government restores greater authority back to the states.

the surrender of an accused or convicted person by one state to another

citizens of each state must have the privleges of citizens of other states

each State accept the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other State

the states'-rights doctrine that a state can refuse to recognize or to enforce a federal law passed by the United States Congress. North's Civil War victory decided that this can not happen.

the pattern of spending, taxing, and providing grants in the federal system

money from the national government that states can spend within broad guidelines

federal grants to states or local governments that are for specific programs or projects.

federal categorical grants distributed according to a formula specified in legislation or in administrative regulations

categorical grants awarded on the basis of competitive applications submitted by prospective recipients to perform a specific task or function

the transfer of powers and responsibilities from the federal government to the states

rules imposed by the federal government on the states as condition for obtaining federal grants or requirements that the states pay the costs of certain nationally defined programs