Ap U.s. Government And Politics Vocab

Front 1

Concurrent powers

Back 1

Powers shared by the national and state governments.

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Coattail effect

Back 2

The tendency for a popular leader to attract votes for other candidates of the same party in an election.

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Enumerated powers (delegated powers)

Back 3

Powers given to the national government alone, in the constitution.

Front 4

Extradition

Back 4

When one nation or state obtains a criminal (suspected or convicted) from another nation or state.

Front 5

Full Faith and Credit Clause

Back 5

States have to respect and enforce court rulings of other states.

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Government by consent

Back 6

A political theory stating that a government's right to govern comes from, or should come from, the consent of the people.

Front 7

Informal amendments

Back 7

The meaning, or interpretation of the constitution, not expressly written in the constituion, subject to change over time.

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Plutocracy

Back 8

Government by the wealthy.

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Reserved powers

Back 9

Powers given to the state government alone.

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Social contract

Back 10

An agreement among the members of an organized society or between the government and the governed defining and limiting the rights and duties of each.

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Supremacy Clause

Back 11

The constitution, federal laws, and treaties are the supreme law of the land.

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Franchise

Back 12

A privilege or right officially granted to a person or group by the government.

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Thomas Jefferson

Back 13

Wrote the Declaration of Independence, 3rd American President.

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Naturalization

Back 14

The process by which an alien is granted the rights and privileges of a native or citizen.

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James Madison

Back 15

Wrote the constitution, believed in a strong federal government.

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Split ticket voting

Back 16

Voting for candidates of different parties for various offices in the same election.

Front 17

Voter apathy

Back 17

Voters feel that their vote will not count or are not interested in the issue.

Front 18

Voter identification

Back 18

Your ability to connect with a candidate.

Front 19

Coalition

Back 19

An alliance of factions

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Electorate

Back 20

Those who can vote.

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Ideological parties

Back 21

A party that values principled stands on issues above all else.

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Activist approach

Back 22

The view that judges should discern the general principles underlying laws or the Constitution and apply them to modern circumstances

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Activist

Back 23

People who tend to participate in all forms of politics

Front 24

Ad hoc structure

Back 24

Several subordinates, cabinet officers, and committees report directly to the president on different matters.

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Adversarial press

Back 25

The tendency of the national media to be suspicious of officials and eager to reveal unflattering stories about them.

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Amicus curiae

Back 26

A brief submitted by a "friend of the court."

Front 27

Antifederalists

Back 27

Those who favor a weaker national government.

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Appropriation

Back 28

A legislative grant of money to finance a government program or agency.

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Articles of Confederation

Back 29

A weak constitution that governed America during the Revolutionary War.

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Assistance programs

Back 30

A government program financed by general income taxes that provides benefits to poor citizens without requiring contribution from them.

Front 31

Australian Ballot

Back 31

A government printed, uniform, secret ballot that was adopted by many states around 1890 to reduce voting fraud associated with party-printed ballots.

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Authority

Back 32

The right to use power.

Front 33

Authorization legislation

Back 33

Legislative permission to begin or continue a government program or agency.

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Bicameral Legislature

Back 34

A lawmaking body made up of two chambers or parts.

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Bill of Attainder

Back 35

A law that declares a person, without trial, to be guilty of a crime.

Front 36

Bill of Rights

Back 36

The first ten amendments to the constitution.

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Bipolar world

Back 37

A political landscape with two superpowers.

Front 38

Blanket primary

Back 38

A primary election in which each voter may vote for candidates from both parties.

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Block grants

Back 39

Money from the national government that states can spend within broad guidelines determined by Washington.

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Brief

Back 40

A written statement by an attorney that summarizes a case and the laws and rulings that support it.

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Budget

Back 41

A document that states tax collections, spending levels, and the allocation or spending among purposes.

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Budget resolution

Back 42

A congressional decision that states the maximum amount of money the government should spend.

Front 43

Bully pulpit

Back 43

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

Front 44

Bureaucracy

Back 44

A large, complex organization composed of appointed officials.

Front 45

Bureaucratic view

Back 45

View that the government is dominated by appointed officials.

Front 46

Cabinet

Back 46

The heads of the fifteen executive branch departments of the federal government.

Front 47

Categorical grants

Back 47

Federal grants for specific purposes, such as building an airport.

Front 48

Caucus

Back 48

A meeting of party members to select delegates backing one or another primary candidates.

Front 49

Charitable choice

Back 49

Name given to four federal laws passed in the late 1990s specifying the conditions under which nonprofit religious organizations could compete to administer certain social service delivery and welfare programs.

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Circular structure

Back 50

Several of the president's assistants report directly to him.

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Civic competence

Back 51

A belief that one can affect government policies.

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Civic duty

Back 52

A belief that one has an obligation to participate in civic and political affairs.

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Civil rights

Back 53

The rights of people to be treated without unreasonable or unconstitutional differences.

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Clear-and-present-danger test

Back 54

Law should not punish speech unless there was a clear and present danger of producing harmful actions.

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Client politics

Back 55

A policy in which one small group benefits and almost everybody pays.

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Closed primary

Back 56

A primary election in which voting is limited to already registered party members.

Front 57

Closed rule

Back 57

An order from the House Rules Committee that sets a time limit on debate; forbids a bill from being amended on the floor.

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Cloture rule

Back 58

A rule used by the Senate to end or limit debate.

Front 59

Command-and-control strategy

Back 59

A strategy to imrpove air and water quality, involving the setting of detailed pollutions standards and rules.

Front 60

Committee clearance

Back 60

The ability of a congressional committee to review and approve certain agency decision in advance and without passing a law.