AP Gov Unit 1

the institutions and processes through which public policies are made for a society

goods, such as clean air and clean water, that everyone must have

the process by which we select out governmental leaders and what policies these leaders pursue  Politics produce authoritative decisions about public issues

the process by which we select our governmental leaders or the policies they pursue. Voting is the most common but not the only means of political participation in a democracy. Other means include protest and civil disobedience

groups that have a narrow interest, tend to dislike compromise, and often draw membership from people new to politics. These features distinguish them from traditional interest groups

the process by which policy comes into being and evolves over time. People's interests, problems, and concerns create political issues for government policymakers. These issues shape policy, which impact people, generating more interests, problems, and concerns.

the political channels through which people's concerns become political issues on the policy agenda. In the US, linkage institutions include elections, political parties, interest groups, and the media

the issues that attract the serious attention of public officials and other people actually involved in politics at any given point in time

an issue that arises then people disagree about a problem and how to fix it

the branches of government charged with taking action on political issues. The US constitution established 3 policymaking institutions- congress, presidency, and the courts. 

a choice that government makes in response to a political issue

a system of selecting policymakers and of organizing government so that policy represents and responds to the public's preferences

relationship between the few leaders and many followers

emphasizes that politics is mainly a competition among groups, each one pressing for its own preferred policies

theory stating societies are divided along class lines and that an upper-class elite will rule, regardless of the formal niceties of governmental organizaion

a theory that groups are so strong that the government is weakened.

a condition that occurs when no coalition is strong enough to form a majority and establish policy, nothing may get done

an overall set of values widely shared within a society

the sum total of the value of all the goods and services produced in a nation

• -a nation's basic law
• -creates political institutions, assigns or divides powers in gov
• -provides certain guarantees to citizens

the document approved by reps of the American colonies in 1776 that stated their grievances against the british monarch and declared their independence

rights inherent in human beings, not dependent on govs

idea that gov derives its authority by sanction of the people

idea that certain restrictions should be placed on gov to protect the natural rights of citizens

1st constitution of the US, adopted by congress in 1777, enacted in 1781. Most authority rested in state legislatures 

A series of attacks on courthouses by a small band of farmers led by Rev War capt Daniel Shays to block foreclosure proceedings

• -doc written in 1787
• -ratified in 1788
• -sets forth the institutional structure of US gov and the tasks these institutions perform
• -replaced AoC

• intrest groups arising from the unequal distribution of property or wealth
• James Madison Attacked in Federalist Paper #10

proposal at the Constitutional Convention that called for equal representation of each state in Congress regardless of the state's population

proposal at Constitutional Convention that called for representation of each state in Congress in proportion to that state's share of the US population

• The compromise reached at the Constitutional Convention
• established 2 houses of Congress: House of Reps (based on pop) and Senate (2 per state)

a court order requiring hailers to explain to a judge why they are holding a prisoner in custody

a feature of the constitution that requires each of the 3 braches (exec, legislative, judicial)  to be independent of the others

features of the constitution that limit gov's power by requiring that power be balanced among diff gov institutions

a form of gov in which the people select reps to govern them and make laws

supporters of the US constitution at the time the states were contemplating its adoption

opponents of the American Constitution at the time when the states were contemplating its adoption

A collection of 85 articles written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison under the name "Publius" to defend the constitution in detail

• Te first 10 amendments to the US constitution, drafted in response to some of the Anti-federalist concerns
• define basic liberties (freedom of religion, speech, press)

• A constitutional amendment passed by congress in 1972 stating that "equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the US or by any state on account of sex."
• failed because it could not get 3/4 support

• 1803 case
• Chief Justice John Marshall 1st asserted the right of the Supreme Court to determine the meaning of the US Constitution

power of the courts to determine whether acts of Congress and , by implication, the exec are in accord with the US Constitution

a way of organizing a nation so that 2 or more levels of gov have formal authority over the same land and people

a way of organizing a nation sot hat all power resides in the central gov.

the workings of the federal system- the entire set of interactions among nations, state, and local gov.

Article VI of the constitution, which makes the constitutions, national laws, and treaties supreme over state laws when the national gov is acting within its constitutional limits

The constitutional amendment stating, "the powers not delegated to the US by the constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people."

• An 1819 Supreme court decision that established the supremacy of the nat'l gov over state.
• In deciding this case, Chief Justice John Marshall and his colleagues held that Congress had certain implied powers in addition to the enumerated powers found in the constitution

powers of the federal gov that specifically addressed by the Constitution

powers of the federal gov that go beyond those enumerated in the Constitution

"authorizes Congress to pass all laws "necessary and proper" to carry out the enumerated powers

A landmark case decided in 1824 in which Supreme Court interpreted very broadly the clause in Article I Sec 8, of the constitution giving the Congress the power to regulate interstate commerce, encompassing virtually every form of commercial activity

A clause in Article IV, sec 1, of the constitution requiring each state to recognize the official docs and civil judgments rendered by the courts of other states

a legal process whereby an alleged criminal offender is surrendered by the officials of one state to officials of the state in which the crime is alleged to have been committed.

a clause in article IV, sec 2, of the constitution according citizens of each state most the privileges of citizens of other states

a system of gov in which both the states and the nat'l gov remain supreme within their own spheres, each responsible for some policies

• a system of gov in which powers and policy assignments are shared between states and national governments
• share costs, admin, blame

• the pattern of spending, taxing, and providing grants in the federal system
• cornerstone of the national gov' relations with state and local gov

federal grants that can be used only for specific purposes, or "categories," of state and local spending

federal categorical grants given for specific purposes and awarded on the basis of merits of applications

federal categorical grants distributed according to a formula specified in legislation or in admin regulations

federal grants given more or less automatically to states or communities to support broad programs in area such as community development and social services