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AP Government Semester Test

Terms in this set (97)

Articles of Confederation

1st constitution of the U.S. with weaknesses of no executive, no judicial, not power to tax, and no power to regulate trade

first 10 amendments to the constitution; guarantees liberties to the people

Concurrent powers

powers shared by the federal and state government

document setting forth the laws and principles of the gov

Declaration of Independence

drafted by Thomas Jefferson declaring Americas separation from great Britain with 3 parts: new theory of gov, reasons for separation, and independence

Enumerated Powers

17 specific powers granted to congress under article 1, sec. 8-These powers includes coinage of money, regulate commerce, & provide a national defense

groups acting in pursuit of an interest that often proceed formation of political parties

powers that are shared and divided among federal and sub-divisional gov

Thomas Jefferson

Author of the declaration of independence and in the Democratic-republican party

Principal architect of the constitution who felt that a gov powerful enough to encourage virtue in its citizens was too powerful

Basic rights that are guaranteed to all persons; basic rights that a gov cannot deny- John Locke: Life, liberty, and property (pursuit of happiness)

Reserved powers

powers belonging specifically to the states and people because they were not delegated to the national gov nor denied to the states

Separation of Powers

practice by which power is separated among 3 branches of gov

Anti-federalists

opposed adoption of U.S. constitution because it gave too much power to the national gov at the expense of the state govs and lacked bill of rights

Bill of Attainder

Prohibits a person being found guilty of a crime without trial

Checks and Balances

each branch of gov is subject to restraints by the other 2 branches

Ex Post Facto Law

laws applied to the acts committed before passage of the laws are unconstitutional

Supported a strong central gov and expanded legislative powers

judicial review

authority given the courts to review constitutionality of acts by the executive/state/legislature; established in Marbury V. Madison

Writ of Habeas Corpus

right to be told what you are being held for a shown evidence against you- used in death penalty case appeals

Money given to states for general programs within a broad category

Categorical Grant

Federal grants for specific purposes defined by law

Dual Federalism

Federal and state govs each have defined responsibilities within their own sphere of influence (layer cake federalism)

programs, money, and resources provided by the federal gov to state and local gov to be used for specific projects and programs

allows voters to petition to purpose legislation and then submit it for a vote by qualified voters

McColloch V. Maryland

Supreme court decision upholding the supremacy of the national gov over the states

Necessary and Proper clause

gives congress the powers to pass all laws necessary to carry out their constitutional duties (elastic clause Art. 1, Sec. 8, clause 18)

special election initiated by petition to allow citizens to remove an offical from office before his/her term expires

procedure where by the state submits legislaiton to its voters approval, allowing citizens to vote directly on issues

Tenth Amendment

powers that are not reserved to the federal gov. are not forbidden to the states are reserved to the states or people

Establishment Clause

constitutionald guaruntee that everyone be treated equally-14th amendment

Exclusionary Rule

rule that evidence acquired as a result of an illegal act by police cannot be used against the person from whom it was seized

Free Exercise Clause

Congress may not make laws restricting/prohibiting a persons religious practices- 1st amendment

Miranda V. Arizona

right to be told what you are being held for

overturned Plessy v. Fergusen: ended legal segregation, said school regulation is unconstitutional

Political Socialization

Complex process by which people get their sense of political identity, belibefs, values (family, media, religion, etc)

Locally held meeting in a state to select delegates who, in turn, will nominate condidates to plitical offices

prohibits gov emoloyees from engaging in political activities while on duty/running for office/seeking politcal funding while off duty

Political Party

Voluntary association of people who seek to control the gov through common princioles based on peaceul & legal actions such as the winning of elections

party officials in the democratic party who attend the nationsal convention without having to run in primates or caucusses

General Elections

Voters choose office holder among all the candidates nominated by pol. parties/ running as independents

Drawing of congressionald districts to favor one pol. party/group over another

The person currently holding office

Political Action Committee (PAC)

independent organization established by interest groups, political candidates, & people who hold office, PACs serve to raise & contribute money to the political camoaigns of individuals whose platforms agree with the aims of the PAC

group of private citizens whose goal is to influence & shape public policy

Uses political persuassion to influence legislation and benefit his/her organization

media executives, news editiors, and prominent reporters who decide what news to present & how it will be presented

A lengthy speech designed to delay or kill the vote on a bill; used on in the senate

Franking Privilege

Privilege that allows members of congress to mail letters & other materials to constituents postage-free

Majority Leader

elected leader of the party with the most seat in the house/senate

Gov. departments headed by presidential appointees to help establish public policy and operate a specific policy are of gov avtivity

Electoral College

Number each state gets is biased on the number of representatives and the number of senators that state has;needs 270 to win

Office of Management and Budget

Prepare estimates of how much will be spent by federal agencies, to negotiate & to make that legislative proposals of these other departments live with the presidents program

Money granted by congress or to a state legislature for a specific purpose

A systematic way of organizing a complex & large adminstrative structure w/ responsibility for carrying out day-to-day tasks of the organization, departments, and agencies of the gov

friend of the court

Appealate Jurisdiciton

on appeal from lower courts-supreme court is mostly an appealate court

Writ of Certioran

Order by the supreme court directing a lower court to send up the records of a case for review

Let decision stand

Clear and Present Danger Test

interpretation by justice Oliver Wendell Holmes regarding limits on free speech if it presents clear and present danger to the public or leads to illegal actions; for example, one cannot shout "Fire!" in a crowded theater.

De Facto Segregation

racial segregation that occurs because of past social and economic conditions and residential racial patterns

De Jure Segregation

racial segregation that occurs because of laws or administrative decisions by public agencies.

Gitlow V. New York

established selective incorporation of the Bill of rights; states cannot deny freedom of speech; protected through the 14th amendment

Established the exclusionary rule was applicable to the states (evidence seized illegally cannot be used in court)

Griswold V. Conneticut

law that disallowed contraceptives was ruled unconstitutional; "zones of privacy"

Plessy V. Ferguson

separate but equal is legal

law prohibiting abortion violated women's constitutional right to privacy

Wall of Seperation Principle

prevents government involvement in religion, even on a nonpreferential basis

Lawrence V. Texas

Homosexuals can legally have sexual intercourse

Gender discrimination violates the equal protection clause of the Constituition

Dred Scott V. Sandford

Congress had no authority to ban slavery in a territory because a slave was considered property

Nonviolent Civil Disobedience

practice of achieving goals through symbolic protests, civil disobedience, economic or political noncooperation, satyagraha, or other methods, without using violence.

Rostker V. Goldberg

Congress can draft men without drafting women

Sothern Manifesto

Souths declaration against the Brown V. BOE decision

election-related questions asked of voters right after they vote

Political Machine

A party organization that recruits voter loyalty with tangible incentives and is characterized by a high degree of control over member activity

Winner-take-all

an electoral system in which the party that receives at least one more vote than any other party wins the election

the differences between women and men, especially as reflected in social, political, intellectual, cultural, or economic attainments or attitudes.

Politcal Elites

a small group of people who control a disproportionate amount of wealth or political power

person who campaigns to bring about political or social change

Fifteenth Amendment

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude

Nineteenth Amendment

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex

Twenty-Sixth Amendment

the right to vote may not be denied on account of age (age 18)

Voting Rights Act 1970

18-year-olds was not allowed to vote; Supreme Court ruled this unconstitutional, so the 26th Amendment was created

Freedom of Information Act

allows for the full or partial disclosure of previously unreleased information and documents controlled by the United States government

Telecommunication Act of 1996

Update of the nation's communications laws bringing cable fully under the federal rules that had long governed the telephone, radio, and TV industries

Marginal Disticts

parties have equal chance to gain victory

legislative district in which the likely voters support one political party or the other by an overwhelmingly large margin

Minority Leader

The leader of the political party that holds a minority of seats in either house of Congress or of a state legislature

the president's use of his prestige and visibility to guide or enthuse the American public

A constitutional procedure by which federal judges and civil officers can be removed from office before their terms expire

Twenty-fifth amendment

specifies what must happen when the position of president or vice president is left vacant for any reason

Civil Service Reform Act

reformed the civil service of the United States federal government, partly in response to the Watergate scandal

an economic system in which transactions between private parties are free from government interference such as regulations, privileges, tariffs, and subsidies

support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows to another

made campaign contributions from federal employees illegal, and it established the Civil Service Commission to make appointments to federal jobs on the basis of competitive examination

Class Action Suit

a type of lawsuit where one of the parties is a group of people who are represented collectively by a member of that group

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