Ap Govt. Final

Front 1

Bill Of Rights

Back 1

The first ten amendments to the US Constitution.

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Checks and Balances

Back 2

A Major principle of American government in which each of 3 branches of govt. is given means to check actions of others

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Commerce Clause

Back 3

Clause in Article 1, Sect. 8 of the Constitution that gives Congress the power to regulate interstate commerce

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Great Compromise

Back 4

A plan for bicameral legislature in which one chamber would be based on population and the other chamber would represent each state equally. Solved big/small state problem w/ Conn. Compr.

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Constitutional Convention

Back 5

convention of delegates from the states that was held in Phil. in 1787 for purpose of amending the AOC. Wrote new constitution that est. a federal form of govt. instead of AOC

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Federal System

Back 6

form of govt. that provides for a division of powers between a central govt. and several regional govts.

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1st Continental Congress

Back 7

first gathering of delegates from 12 of 13 colonies, 1774. Georgia was missing

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liberalism

Back 8

set of political beliefs that includes the advocacy of active govt., icluding govt. intervention to improve welfare of individual and protect civil rights.

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Madisonian Model

Back 9

model of govt. devised by Madison in which powers of govt. are seperated into 3 branches: exec., legis, judi.

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separation of powers

Back 10

principle of dividing governmental powers among 3 branches of govt.

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2nd Continental Congress

Back 11

Congress of the colonies that met in 1775 to assume powers of a central govt. and to establish an army

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idealogue

Back 12

an individual who holds very strong political opinions

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Conservatism

Back 13

set of beliefs that includes a limited role for the natl. govt. in helping individuals and in the economic affairs of the nation, supports for trad. values and cautious response to change

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government

Back 14

indivdls. and institutions that make society's rules and that also possess the power and authority to enforce those rules

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moderate

Back 15

person whose views fall in the middle of the political spectrum

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politics

Back 16

process of resolving conflicts over how society should use its scarce resources and who should recieve various benfits, such as public health care and higher education.

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radical left

Back 17

persons on extreme left side of political spectrum who would like to significantly change political order. promotes egalitarianism.

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radical right

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persons on extreme right of political spectrum, includes reactionaries and libertarians.

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social conflict

Back 19

disagreements among people in a society over what the society's priorities should be with respect to the use of scarce resources

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block grant

Back 20

federal grant given to a state for a broad area

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concurrent powers

Back 21

powers held by both the federal and the state govts. in a federal system

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trade organization

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an assoc. formed by members of a particular industry, to develop common standards and goals for the industry

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federal mandate

Back 23

requirement in federal legislation that forces states and municipalities to comply with certain rules.

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inherent powers

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powers of the natl. govt. that although not always expressly granted by the Constit. are necessary to ensure the nation's integrity. Includes power to make treaties and wage wars

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implied powers

Back 25

powers of federal govt. that are implied by the expressed powers in the Const., particularly in Art. 7 Sect. 8

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supremacy clause

Back 26

Art. IV. Clause 2 of Const. which makes the Const. and federal laws superior to all conflicting state and local laws

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ex post facto laws

Back 27

criminal law that punishes individuals for commiting an act that was legal when the act was committed.

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libel

Back 28

published report of a falsehood that tends to injure a person's reputation or character

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slander

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public utterance of a statement that holds a person up for contempt, ridicule, or hatred

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seditious speech

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speech that urges resistance to lawful authorityor that advocates the overthrowing of a govt.

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bill of attainder

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legislative act that inflicts punishment on particular persons or groups without granting them the right to a trial

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writ of habeas corpus

Back 32

order that requires an official to bring a specified prisoner into court and explain to the judge why the person is being held in prison

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racial profiling

Back 33

form of discrimination in which law enforcement assumes that people of a certain race are likely to commit crimes.

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PAC

Back 34

committee that is established by a corporation, labor union, or special interst group to raise funds and make contributions on the establishing organization's behalf.

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rating system

Back 35

system by which a particular interest group evaluates the performance of legislators based on how often the legislators have voted with the group's position on particular issues.

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party identifier

Back 36

person who identifies himself or herself as being a member of a particular political party

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patronage

Back 37

practice of giving government jobs to individuals of the winning political party

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realigning election

Back 38

election in which the popular support for and relative strength of the parties shift

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one person, one vote rule

Back 39

rule requiring that congressional districts have equal populations so that one person's vote counts as much as another's vote

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office block ballot

Back 40

ballot that lists together all of the candidates for each office

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soft money

Back 41

campaign contributions not regulated by federal law, such as some contributions that are made to political parties instead of to particular candidates

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gerrymandering

Back 42

drawing of a legislative district's boundaries in such a way as to maximizethe influence of a certain group or party

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filibustering

Back 43

Senate tradition of unlimited debate, undertaken for purpose of preventing action on a bill