Ap Us Government And Politics Unit 1 Test

Front 1

Articles of Confederation

Back 1

the compact among the 13 original states that was the basis of their government. Written in 1776, the Articles were not ratified until 1781. Confederacy.

Front 2

Great Compromise (of Connecticut)

Back 2

a decision made during the Constitutional Convention to give each state the same number of representatives in the Senate; representation in the House was determined by population.

Front 3

US v. Lopez

Back 3

the Court invalidated a section of the Gun Free School Zones Act, ruling that regulating guns did not fall within the scope of the commerce clause, and therefore the powers of the federal government. Only states have the authority to ban guns in schools.

Front 4

Federalism

Back 4

the philosophy that describes the governmental system created by the Framers; government power divided between the states and the federal governments.

Front 5

Federalist Papers

Back 5

a series of 85 political papers written by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay in support of the ratification of the Constitution.

Front 6

Judicial review

Back 6

power of the courts to review acts of other branches of government and the states. Can invalidate laws and decisions that are incompatible with the Constitution.

Front 7

Concurrent powers

Back 7

authority possessed by both the state and national governments that may be exercised concurrently as long as that power is not exclusively within the scope of national power or in conflict with national law.

Front 8

Privileges & Immunities Clause

Back 8

part of Article IV of the Constitution guaranteeing that the citizens of each state are afforded the same rights as citizens of all other states.

Front 9

Block grants

Back 9

broad grant with few strings attached; given to states by the federal government for broadly specified activities (i.e. secondary education or health care).

Front 10

Override

Back 10

an action taken by Congress to reverse the presidential veto, requiring a ⅔ majority vote in each chamber.

Front 11

Articles of Confederation

Back 11

the compact among the 13 original states that was the basis of their government. Written in 1776, the Articles were not ratified until 1781. Confederacy.

Front 12

Great Compromise (of Connecticut)

Back 12

a decision made during the Constitutional Convention to give each state the same number of representatives in the Senate; representation in the House was determined by population.

Front 13

US v. Lopez

Back 13

the Court invalidated a section of the Gun Free School Zones Act, ruling that regulating guns did not fall within the scope of the commerce clause, and therefore the powers of the federal government. Only states have the authority to ban guns in schools.

Front 14

Federalism

Back 14

the philosophy that describes the governmental system created by the Framers; government power divided between the states and the federal governments.

Front 15

Federalist Papers

Back 15

a series of 85 political papers written by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay in support of the ratification of the Constitution.

Front 16

Judicial review

Back 16

power of the courts to review acts of other branches of government and the states. Can invalidate laws and decisions that are incompatible with the Constitution.

Front 17

Concurrent powers

Back 17

authority possessed by both the state and national governments that may be exercised concurrently as long as that power is not exclusively within the scope of national power or in conflict with national law.

Front 18

Privileges & Immunities Clause

Back 18

part of Article IV of the Constitution guaranteeing that the citizens of each state are afforded the same rights as citizens of all other states.

Front 19

Block grants

Back 19

broad grant with few strings attached; given to states by the federal government for broadly specified activities (i.e. secondary education or health care).

Front 20

Override

Back 20

an action taken by Congress to reverse the presidential veto, requiring a ⅔ majority vote in each chamber.

Front 21

Selective incorporation

Back 21

a judicial doctrine whereby most but not all of the protections found in the Bill of Rights are made applicable to the states via the 14th amendment.

Front 22

Revenue sharing

Back 22

A law providing for the distribution of a fixed amount or share of federal tax revenues to the states for spending on almost any government purpose. Distribution was intended to send more money to poorer, heavily taxed states and less to richer ones.

Front 23

Shay’s Rebellion

Back 23

a 1786 rebellion in which an army of 1500 disgruntled and angry farmers led by Daniel Shays marched to Springfield, MA and forcibly restrained the state court from foreclosing mortgages on their farms.

Front 24

Informal changes to the Constitution

Back 24

change in the meaning/interpretation of something in the Constitution but not a change in the actual wording.

Front 25

Dual federalism

Back 25

the belief that having separate and equally powerful levels of government is the best arrangement. Also known as layer cake federalism.

Front 26

Bill of Rights

Back 26

the first 10 amendments to the US Constitution, which largely guarantee specific rights and liberties.

Front 27

Representative democracy

Back 27

a government rooted in the consent of the governed. A form of government in which people elect elector to vote for them. Also known as a republic or indirect democracy.

Front 28

Full faith and credit clause

Back 28

portion of Article IV of the Constitution that ensures judicial decrees and contracts made in one state will be binding and enforceable in any other states

Front 29

Extradition

Back 29

when you send someone against his or her will to another state to face criminal charges.

Front 30

Separation of powers

Back 30

a way of dividing power among 3 branches of government in which members of the House of Representatives, members of the Senate, the president, and the federal courts are selected by and responsible to different constituencies.

Front 31

Amendment

Back 31

any change made to the Constitution or to another legal document.

Front 32

Cabinet

Back 32

the formal body of presidential advisers who head the 15 executive departments. Presidents often add others to this body of formal advisers.

Front 33

Bicameral legislature

Back 33

a legislature divided into 2 houses; the US Congress and the state legislatures (except Nebraska, which is a unicameral legislature).

Front 34

Northwest Ordinance

Back 34

an act of the Confederation Congress that created the Northwest Territory, the first organized territory of the United States, from lands beyond the Appalachian Mountains, between British Canada and the Great Lakes to the north, and the Ohio River to the south.

Front 35

New Jersey Plan

Back 35

a framework for the Constitution proposed by a group of small states; main points were a unicameral legislature with one vote for each state, the establishment of the acts of Congress as the “supreme law” of the land, and a supreme judiciary with limited power.

Front 36

Three-Fifths Compromise

Back 36

agreement reached at the Constitutional Convention stipulating that each slave was to be counted as ⅗ of a person for purposes of determining population for representation in the House of Reps.

Front 37

Federalists

Back 37

those who favored a stronger national government and supported the proposed US Constitution; later became the first political party.

Front 38

Pluralist Theory

Back 38

there is not a dominant class or a set of institutionally based elites who hold predominant power. The great inequalities in wealth and power are dispersed among several groups.

Front 39

Delegated powers

Back 39

the powers of the Congress established in Article I Section 8 of the Constitution. Also known as the enumerated powers.

Front 40

Cooperative federalism

Back 40

relationship between the national and the state governments that began with the New Deal.

Front 41

Supremacy clause

Back 41

portion of Article VI of the Constitution mandating that national law is supreme to all others laws passed by the states or any other subdivision of government.

Front 42

Checks and balances

Back 42

a governmental structure that gives each of the 3 branches of government some degree of oversight and control over the actions of the others.

Front 43

Ratify

Back 43

to sign or give formal consent to.

Front 44

Governor

Back 44

chief elected executive in state government.

Front 45

Confederation

Back 45

type of government where the national government derives its powers from the states; a league of independent states.

Front 46

Virginia Plan

Back 46

the first general plan for the Constitution, proposed by James Madison. Its key points were a bicameral legislature, an executive chosen by the legislature, and a judiciary also named by the legislature.

Front 47

Federalist No. 10

Back 47

issue of The Federalist in which the writers called the new Constitution “a republican remedy for the disease incident to republican government”.

Front 48

Anti-federalists

Back 48

those who favored strong state governments and a weak national government; opposed the ratification of the US Constitution.

Front 49

Elite Theory

Back 49

belief that American power in government is held by a relatively small and wealthy group of people.

Front 50

Reserved powers

Back 50

powers reserved to the states by the 10th amendment that lie at the foundation of a state’s right to legislate for the public health and welfare of its citizens.

Front 51

Categorical grants

Back 51

grant for which Congress appropriates funds for a specific purpose.

Front 52

Veto

Back 52

formal constitutional authority of the president to reject bills passed by both houses of the legislative body, thus preventing their becoming law without further congressional activity.

Front 53

Establishment clause

Back 53

the first clause in the First Amendment; it prohibits the national government from establishing a national religion.

Front 54

Line-item veto

Back 54

the authority of a chief executive to delete part of a bill passed by the legislature that involves taxing or spending. The legislature may override a veto, usually with a ⅔ majority in each chamber.

Front 55

Pardon

Back 55

the authority of a government to cancel someone’s conviction of a crime by a court and to eliminate all sanctions and punishments resulting from the conviction.

Front 56

Implied powers

Back 56

powers derived from the enumerated powers and the necessary and proper clause. These powers are not stated specifically but are considered to be reasonably implied through the exercise of delegated powers.

Front 57

Federal mandates

Back 57

a command, indicated by an electorate’s votes, for the elected officials to carry out their platforms (i.e. water regulations).