AP Government Vocabulary Study

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67 Terms

1

Grant

Monetary aid given from the federal government, can be many forms including block or categorical

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2

Federalism

government systems where power is shared by a national govenrment and state government

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3

Necessary and Proper Clause

grants congress latitude in creating laws to execute the enumerated powers of the constitution

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4

Dual Federalism

power is divided between the federal and state governments in clearly defined terms

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5

Bicameral legislature

a particular body of government that consists of two houses or chambers

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6

Incumbent

the current holder of a political office

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7

Gerrymandering

practice intended to establish a political advantage for a particular party or group bu manipulating district boundaries

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8

Pocket Veto

retention of a bill unsigned until it is too late for it to be dealt with

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9

Separation of powers

split of authority between government institutions to prevent individual becoming too powerful

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10

Checks and balances

interactive powers of branches to assure relative equality between the branches of government

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11

Judicial Review

analyzing the constitution to determine if laws contradict it

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12

Cooperative federalism

national, state, and local governments interact collectively to solve common problems

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13

Mandate

an official instruction given to a state or organization from the federal government; can be funded or unfunded

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14

Pork barrel legislation

use of government funds for local projects designed to please voters and win votes

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15

Divided Government

one party controls the executive branch while another party controls one or both houses of the legislative branch

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16

Bully pulpit

presidents use of prestige and visibility to guide or enthuse the public

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17

stare decisis

legal principle of determining points in litigation according to precedent

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18

Iron triangle

policy making relationship among the congressional committees, the bureaucracy, and the interest groups

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19

Bureaucracy

organization made up of many departments and divisions that are administered by lots of people, often un-elected

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20

Bureaucratic discretion

the ability to decide how government policies will be implemented

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21

Writ of Certiorari

order o higher court issues in order to review the decision and proceedings in a lower court and determine whether there were any irregularities

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22

amicus curiae brief

written exchange by someone not a party to a case who assists a court by offering information, expertise, or insight that has a bearing on the issues in the case

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23

Judicial restraint

the supreme court and other judges should not read the judges own philosophies or policy preferences into their decisions

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24

Caucus

a private meeting of party leaders to choose candidates for office

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25

Two-party system

a party system where two major political parties dominate the government

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26

Interest group

any association of individuals or organizations that, on the basis of one or more shared concerns, attempts to influence public policy in its favor

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27

fiscal policy

use of government spending and tax policies to influence macroeconomic conditions

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28

Free rider

individual who chooses to recieve the benefits of a public good or positive externalization without contributing to paying the costs of producing those benefits

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29

Filibuster

speech that obstructs progress in the senate while not contravening the required procedures

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30

Horse-race journalism

coverage focus on candidates polling positions rather than their policies

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31

Committees

a legislative sub-organization in the united states congress that handles a specific duty

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32

Cloture

procedure by which the senate can vote to place a time limit on consideration of a bill or other matter, ending a filibuster

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33

Red tape

excessive regulation or rigid conformity to formal rules considered redundant or bureaucracy hindering or preventing action or decision making

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34

executive privilege

An implied presidential power that allows the president to refuse to disclose information

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35

discretionary spending

portion of the budget that is decided by congress through the annual appropriations process each year

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36

entitlements

federal programs or provision of law that requeres payments to any person or unit of government that meets the elgibility criteria established by law

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37

Soft money

money that is donated to political parties where the purpose is not to promote a specific candidate - banned with bipartisan campaign reform act

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38

Retrospective Voting

electing after taking into consideration factors like the performance of a political party , an office holder, and/or the administration

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39

Prospective Voting

electing based on what candidate pledges to do in the future about an issue if they win

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40

Judicial Activism

the supreme court and other judges should creatively reinterpret the texts of the constitution in order to serve the judges own visions regarding the needs of contemporary society

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41

Civil Society

a community of citizens linked by common interests and collective activity

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42

Civil Liberties

individual rights protected by law from unjust governmental or other interference

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43

Civil Rights

access t liberties granted to groups of people based on legal processes (often litigation)

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44

Incorporation doctrine

process by which bill of rights have been made applicable to the states

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45

Prior restraint

judicial suppression material that would be published or broadcast, on the grounds that it is libelous or harmful

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46

Exclusionary rule

law that prohibits the use of illegally obtained evidence in a criminal trial

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47

Random sample

a group of subjects is selected for study from a larger group - each individual is chosen entirely by chance and each member of the population has an equal chance of being selected

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48

Political socialization

a lifelong process by which people form their ideas about politics and acquire political values

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49

Gender gap

a notable difference in the percentage of men and women who support or oppose an issue

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50

Political ideology

a set of ideas, beliefs, values, and opinions, exhibiting a recurring pattern, in regards to change in the social and political arrangements and processes of a community

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51

Political participation

any activity that shapes, affects, or involves the political sphere

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52

Political party

a group of persons who seek to control government through the winning of elections and the holding of public office

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53

Straight ticket voting

the practice of voting for every candidate that a political party has on a general election ballot

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54

Primary

process by which voters, either the general public or members of a political party can indicate their preference for a candidate in an upcoming general election

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55

National convention

The meeting of party delegates every four years to choose a presidential ticket and write the party's platform.

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56

Presidential Coattails

the ability of a candidate to bring out supporters who then vote for his party's other offices

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57

Linkage institution

structure within a society that connects the people to the government

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58

Clothespin vote

choice made by a person who does not like either candidate , and thus chooses the less objectionable of the two

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59

General election

a cycle in which all or most members of a political body are chosen

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60

Political Action Committee (PAC)

organization that pools campaign contributions from members and donates those funds to campaigns for or against candidates, ballot initiatives, or legislation

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61

budget deficit

occurs when government expenses exceed tax revenue, and is generally an indicator of financial health

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62

monetary policy

the federal reserves actions and communications to promote maximum employment, stable prices, and moderate long term interest rates

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63

Legitimacy

the right and acceptance of an authority

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64

Representative democracy

citizens of a country electing representatives to handle legislation and rule on the country on their behalf

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65

Pluralism

theory that power is (or should be) dispersed among a variety of economic and ideological groups

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66

Hyperpluralism

too many groups vying for power but lacking the cohesion necessary to force compromise, leading to gridlock

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67

Elitist theory of politics

powerful, often wealthy, citizens are really in charge of government in the united states and other have no influence

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