AP US Government and Politics Final Exam Review 2024

AP US Government and Politics Final Exam Review 2024

1. Articles of Confederation: A weak constitution that governed America during the Revolutionary War 2. Northwest Ordinance: Enacted in 1787, it is considered one of the most sig- nificant achievements of the Articles of Confederation. It established a system for setting up governments in the western territories so they could eventually join the Union on an equal footing with the original 13 states. 3. Federalism: A system in which power is divided between the national and state governments 4. Shay's Rebellion: Rebellion led by Daniel Shays of farmers in western Massa- chusetts in 1786-1787, protesting mortgage foreclosures.It highlighted the need for a strong national government just as the call for the Constitutional Convention went out. 5. Constitution: A nation's basic law. It creates political institutions, assigns or divides powers in government, and often provides certain guarantees to citizens. Constitutions can be either written or unwritten. 6. Constitutional Convention (of 1787): A meeting in Philadelphia in 1787 that produced a new constitution. 7. Virginia Plan: "Large state" proposal for the new constitution, calling for propor- tional representation in both houses of a bicameral Congress.The plan favored larger states and thus prompted smaller states to come back with their own plan for apportioning representation. 8. New Jersey Plan: A framework for the Constitution proposed by a group of small states; its key points were a one-house 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. 9. Great Compromise: A compromise that proposed two houses of Congress; one where a state's population would determine representation and another where all states were represented equally 10. Bicameral Legislature: A lawmaking body made up of two chambers or parts 11. Three-Fifths Compromise: Agreement that each slave counted as three-fifths of a person in determining representation in the House for representation and taxation purposes (negated by the 13th amendment) 12. Federalists: A term used to describe supporters of the Constitution during ratification debates in state legislatures. 13. Anti-Federalists: They opposed the creation of a stronger national government, arguing that a Constitution would threaten citizens' personal liberties and effectively make the president a king 14. Federalist Papers: Essays written by Alexander Hamilton,James Madison, and John Jay that are the primary source for understanding the original intent of the Framers.They were designed to persuade the states of the wisdom of a strong central government coupled with autonomous political power retained by the states. 15. Bill of Rights: First 10 Amendments to the Constitution 16. Necessary and Proper Clause (elastic clause): Clause that allows Congress to "make all laws" that appear "necessary and proper" to implement its delegated powers. 17. Presidential Practice: Through this, the president has expanded his executive power 18. Executive Order: Orders enacted by the president that bypass Congress and have the same effect as law 19. Executive Agreement: Agreements between heads of countries and the pres- ident that has some of the same elements as treaties 20. Judicial Review: Allows the court to determine the constitutionality of laws 21. Confederation: A system of government in which many decisions are made by an external member-state legislation; decisions on day-to-day matters are not taken by simple majority but by special majorities, consensus, or unanimity--and changes to the constitution require unanimty 22. Delegated Powers: Powers that belong to the national government 23. Reserved Powers: Powers that belong exclusively to the states 24. Concurrent Powers: Powers shared by the national and state governments 25. "Full Faith and Credit" Clause: Constitution's requirement that each state accept the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other state 26. Privileges and Immunities Clause: The statesmay not refuse police protection or access to their courts to a U.S. Citizen just because he lives in a different state 27. Extradition: Process of states returning fugitives to the states from which they have fled 28. Supremacy Clause: Requires conflicts between federal law and state law to be resolved in favor of federal law. State laws that violate the Constitution, federal laws, or international treaties can be invalidated through this clause 29. Dual Federalism: Doctrine holding that the national government is supreme in its sphere, the states are supreme in theirs, and the two spheres should be kept separate 30. States' Righters: define Federalism as a relationship which the states retain most of the political power 31. Nationalists: often see the federal government as being supreme in all matters and ultimately in control 32. Categorical Grants: Federal grants for specific purposes, such as building an airport