Ap Us Government Vocab

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personal liberty

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a key characteristic of US democracy, initially meant freedom from government interference, now means freedom to engage in a variety of practices without government interference

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political equality

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the principal that all citizens are the same in the eyes of the law

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popular consent

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the principle that governments must draw their power from the consent of the governed

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majority rule

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central premise of democracy, only policies that garner the support of the majority of voters will be made into law

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popular sovereignty

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the idea that the ultimate authority in society rests with the people

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natural law

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a doctrine that society should be governed by a set of ethical principles that are part of nature, and therefore can be understood by reason

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monarchy

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form of government in which hereditarily appointed kings and queens govern in the interest of all

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totalitarianism

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form of government in which the power resides in a leader who rules according to self-interest and without regard for individual rights and liberties

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oligarchy

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form of government in which the right to participate is conditioned on the possession of wealth, social status, military position, or achievement

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democracy

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system of government that gives power directly to the people, whether directly or through elected representatives

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political culture

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commonly shared attitudes and beliefs about how government should operate

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direct democracy

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system of government in which members of the polity meet to discuss all policy decisions and then agree to abide by majority rule

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indirect democracy

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system of government that gives citizens the opportunity to vote for representatives who work on their behalf

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republic

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a government rooted in the consent of the governed, a representative or indirect democracy

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government

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the formal vehicle through which policies are made and affairs of state are conducted

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social contract theory

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the belief that people are free and equal by natural right, and that this requires in turn that all people give their consent to be governed, espoused by Thomas Hobbes and John Locke and important to the Declaration of Independence

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political ideology

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the coherent set of values and beliefs about the purpose and scope of government held by groups and individuals

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conservative

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one who believes that a government is best that governs least and that big government should not infringe on individual, personal, and economic rights

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social conservative

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one who believes that traditional moral teachings should be supported and furthered by the government

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liberal

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one who favors governmental involvement in the economy and in the provision of social services and who takes an activist role in protecting the rights of women, the elderly, minorities, and the environment

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moderate

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a person who takes a relatively centrist or middle-of-the-road view on most political issues

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libertarian

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one who believes in limited government and no governmental interference in personal liberties

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politics

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the study of who gets what, when, and how - or how policy decisions are made

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American dream

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an American ideal of a happy, successful life, which often includes wealth, a house, a better life for one's children, and for some, the ability to grow up to be president

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mercantilism

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an economic theory designed to increase a nation's wealth through the development of commercial industry and a favorable balance of trade

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Committees of Correspondence

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organizations in each of the American colonies created to keep colonists abreast of developments with the British; served as powerful molders of public opinion against the British

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First Continental Congress

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meeting held in philadelphia from September 5 to October 26, 1774, in which fifty-sex delegates from every colony except Georgia adopted a resolution in opposition to the Coercive Acts

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Second Continental Congress

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meeting that convened in Philadelphia in 1775, at which it was decided that an army should be raised and George Washington of Virginia was named commander in chief

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Declaration of Independence

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document drafted by Thomas Jefferson in 1776 that proclaimed the right of the American colonies to separate from Great Britain

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Articles of Confederation

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the compact among the thirteen original colonies that created a loose league of friendship, with the national government drawing its powers from the states

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constitution

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a document establishing the structure, function, and limitations of a government

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Virginia Plan

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the first general plan for the Constitution offered in Philadelphia, key points were a bicameral legislature, and an executive and a judiciary chosen by the national legislature

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New Jersey Plan

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a framework for the Constitution proposed by a group of small states, key points were a one-house legislature with one vote for each state, a Congress with the ability to raise revenue, and a Supreme Court with members appointed for life

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Great Compromise

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the final decision of the Constitutional Convention to create a two-house legislature with the lower house elected by the people and with powers divided between the two houses, also made national law supreme

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Three-Fifths Compromise

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agreement reached the Constitution Convention stipulating that each slave was to be counted as three-fifths of a person for purposes of determining population for representation in the U.S. House of Representatives

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separation of powers

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a way of dividing the power of government among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, each staffed separately, with equality and independence of each branch ensured by the Constitution

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checks and balances

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a constitutionally mandated structure that gives each of the three branches of government some degree of oversight and control over the actions of the others

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federal system

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system of government where the national government and state governments share power and derive all authority from the people

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enumerated powers

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seventeen specific powers granted to Congress under Article 1, section 8 of the Constitution

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necessary and proper clause

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the final paragraph of Article 1, section 8 of the Constitution, gives Congress the authority to pass all laws "necessary and proper" to carry out the enumerated powers specified in the Constitution, also called the elastic clause

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implied powers

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

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full faith and credit clause

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

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supremacy clause

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portion of Article VI of the Constitution mandating that national law supersedes all other laws passed by the states or by any other subdivision of government

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Federalists

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those who favored a stronger national government and supported the proposed U.S. Consitution

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Anti-Federalists

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

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The Federalist Papers

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a series of eighty-five political essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay in support of the ratification of the U.S. Constitution

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Bill of Rights

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the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, largely guarantee specific rights and liberties