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AP Gov Unit One Foundations/Underpinnings of US Govt.

Terms in this set (78)

Alexander Hamilton
United States statesman and leader of the Federalists
Anti-Federalists
They 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. Many wanted to keep the Articles of Confederation. The Antifederalists were instrumental in obtaining passage of the Bill of Rights as a prerequisite to ratification of the Constitution in several states. After the ratification of the Constitution, the Antifederalists regrouped as the Democratic-Republican (or simply Republican) party.
authority
the power or right to give orders or make decisions
Baron de Montesquieu
Famous for the idea of having three branches of government so that no one branch may have too much power
bicameral legislature
A law making body made of two houses (bi means 2). Example: Congress (our legislature) is made of two house - The House of Representatives and The Senate.
Bill of Rights
a statement of fundamental rights and privileges (especially the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution)
bureaucrats
government officials
Checks and Balances
A system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power
concurrent powers
Powers that the Constitution gives to both the national and state governments, such as the power to levy taxes.
confederation
the act of forming an alliance or confederation
Connecticut Compromise
Compromise agreement by states at the Constitutional Convention for a bicameral legislature with a lower house in which representation would be based on population and an upper house in which each state would have two senators
consent of the governed
agreement by the people of a nation to subject themselves to the authority to a government. Natural rights philosophers, such as John Locke, believe that any legitimate government must draw its authority from the consent of the governed.
Constitutional Convention
the convention of United States statesmen who drafted the United States Constitution in 1787
democracy
a political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them
direct (participatory) democracy
a government in which all or most citizens participate directly
elastic clause
clause in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution that gives Congress the right to make all laws "necessary and proper" to carry out the powers expressed in the other clauses of Article I
Electoral College
the body of electors who formally elect the United States president and vice-president
elite & class theory
A theory of government and politics contending that societies are divided along class lines and that an upper-class elite will rule, regardless of the formal niceties of governmental organization.
enumerated powers
Powers specifically given to Congress in the Constitution; including the power to collect taxes, coin money, regulate foreign and interstate commerce, and declare war.
Ex post facto law
a law that makes an act criminal although the act was legal when it was committed
factions
Interest groups arising from the unequal distribution of property or wealth that James Madison attacked in Federalist Paper No. 10.
federalism (federal system of government)
a system in which power is divided between the national and state governments
Federalist No. 10
An essay composed by James Madison which argues that liberty is safest in a large republic because many interests (factions) exist. Such diversity makes tyranny by the majority more difficult since ruling coalitions will always be unstable.
Federalist No. 51
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.
Federalist Papers
a series of 85 essays written by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay (using the name "publius") published in NY newspapers and used to convice readers to adopt the new constitution
Federalists
supporters of the Constitution
Gibbons v. Ogden
Regulating interstate commerce is a power reserved to the federal government
Government
(government) the system or form by which a community or other political unit is governed
hyper pluralism
A theory of government and polities contending that groups are so strong that government is weakened. Hyerpluralism is an extreme, exaggerated, or perverted form of pluralism. Compare elite and class theory, pluralist theory, and traditional democratic theory.
implied powers
powers that congress has that are not stated explicitly in the constitution
indirect democracy
Form of democracy in which individuals are represented by appointed representatives.
individualism
giving priority to one's own goals over group goals, and defining one's identity in terms of personal attributes rather than group identifications
inherent powers
The powers of the national government in foreign affairs that the Supreme Court has declared do not depend on constitutional grants but rather grow out of the very existence of the national government
James Madison
4th President of the United States
John Locke
English philosopher who advocated the idea of a "social contract" in which government powers are derived from the consent of the governed and in which the government serves the people; also said people have natural rights to life, liberty and property.
judicial review
the power of the Supreme Court to declare laws and actions of local, state, or national governments unconstitutional
legitimacy
undisputed credibility
limited government
In this type of government everyone, including all authority figures, must obey laws. Constitutions, statements of rights, or other laws define the limits of those in power so they cannot take advantage of the elected, appointed, or inherited positions.
Line-item veto
An executive's ability to block a particular provision in a bill passed by the legislature.
linkage institutions
The channels through which people's concerns become political issues on the government's policy agenda. In the United States, they include elections, political parties, interest groups, and the media.
majority rule
the doctrine that the numerical majority of an organized group can make decisions binding on the whole group
mandates
Terms set by the national government that states must meet whether or not they accept federal grants.
Marbury v. Madison
The 1803 case in which Chief Justice John Marshall and his associates first asserted the right of the Supreme Court to determine the meaning of the U.S. Constitution. The decision established the Court's power of judicial review over acts of Congress, (the Judiciary Act of 1789).
Marxists
People who believe that those who control the economic system also control the political one.
McCulloch v. Maryland
An 1819 Supreme Court decision that established the supremacy of the national government over state governments. In deciding this case, Chief Justice John Marshall and his colleagues held that Congress had certain implied powers in addition to the enumerated powers found in the Constitution.
minority rights
a principle of traditional democratic theory that guarantees rights to those who do not belong to majorities and allows that they might join majorities through persuasion and reasoned argument
Monarchy
an autocracy governed by a monarch who usually inherits the authority
natural rights
the idea that all humans are born with rights, which include the right to life, liberty, and property
Necessary and Proper Clause
Clause of the Constitution (Article I, Section 8, Clause 3) setting forth the implied powers of Congress. It states that Congress, in addition to its express powers, has the right to make all laws necessary and proper to carry out all powers the Constitution vests in the national government
New Jersey Plan
The proposal at the Constitutional Convention that called for equal representation of each state in Congress regardless of the state's population
Northwest Ordinance
Enacted in 1787, it is considered one of the most significant achievements of the Articles of Confederation. It established a system for setting up governments in the western territories so they could eventually join the Union on an equal footing with the original 13 states
Oligarchy
a political system governed by a few people
Original Jurisdiction
The jurisdiction of courts that hear a case first, usually in a trial. These are the courts that determine the facts about a case.
pluralist theory
A theory of government and politics emphasizing that politics is mainly a competition among groups, each one pressing for its own preferred policies.
policy agenda
The issues that attract the serious attention of public officials and other people actively involved in politics at the time.
policy gridlock
A condition when no coalition is strong enough to form a majority and establish policy. The result is that nothing may get done
policymaking institutions
The branches of government charged with taking action on political issues. The U.S. Constitution established three policymaking institutions-the congress, the presidency, and the courts. Today, the power of the bureaucracy is so great that most political scientist consider it a fourth policy making institution
policymaking system
The process by which policy comes into being and evolves over time. People's interests, problems, and concerns create political issues for government policymakers. These issues shape policy, which in turn impacts people, generating more interests, problems, and concerns.
popular sovereignty
The concept that political power rests with the people who can create, alter, and abolish government. People express themselves through voting and free participation in government
power
one possessing or exercising power or influence or authority
project grants
federal categorical grants given for specific purposes and awarded on the basis of the merits of applications
public policy
A choice that government makes in response to a political issue. A policy is a course of action taken with regard to some problem.
representative democracy
A system of government in which citizens elect representatives, or leaders, to make decisions about the laws for all the people.
Republic
a political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them
reserved powers
Powers not specifically granted to the federal government or denied to the states belong to the states and the people
separation of powers
Constitutional division of powers among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, with the legislative branch making law, the executive applying and enforcing the law, and the judiciary interpreting the law
Shays' Rebellion
Rebellion led by Daniel Shays of farmers in western Massachusetts in 1786-1787, protesting mortgage foreclosures. It highlighted the need for a strong national government just as the call for the Constitutional Convention went out.
social contract
an implicit agreement among people that results in the organization of society
State of Nature
a wild primitive state untouched by civilization
supremacy clause
Article VI of the Constitution, which makes the Constitution, national laws, and treaties supreme over state laws when the national government is acting within its constitutional limits.
The Great (or Connecticut) Compromise
Roger Sherman created it, Bicameral congress, any law had to be passed by both Houses of Congress; census every 10 years to reapportion
Thomas Hobbes
English materialist and political philosopher who advocated absolute sovereignty as the only kind of government that could resolve problems caused by the selfishness of human beings (1588-1679)
Treason
a crime that undermines the offender's government
unalienable rights
These rights are fundamental or natural rights guaranteed to people naturally instead of by the law. They include life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
unicameral legislature
one-house legislature
unitary government
a centralized government in which all government powers belong to a single central agency
Veto
vote against
Virginia Plan
Virginia delegate James Madison's plan of government, in which states got a number of representatives in Congress based on their population
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