AP U.S. Government and Politics
Weitzel
Name: _______________________________
Period: ______
UNIT VOCABULARY AND NOTE CARDS
Knowing vocabulary is imperative to understanding the topics covered in this class and on the
AP U.S. Government and Politics Exam. You will be responsible for knowing and applying
between 20 and 30 terms per unit of study (about 3-5 weeks). The following procedure will
apply for each unit:
1. You will take a pre-assessment of all the unit terms. You are not expected to know all,
some, or any of the terms at the time of the pre-test. However, if you can correctly define
and explain a term, you are exempt from creating a note card for that term.
2. For each term you were not able to define on the pre-test, you must create a note card
following the example below.
(Front)
FORMAT
EXAMPLE
Write the Term Here
Bicameral
(Back)
Definition:
3-4 key points that are connections
1)
2)
3)
4)
1 example
Historical significance
A type of legislature made up of two chambers
1) bi=2
2) Senate and House of Reps.
3) representation different in each chamber—
balances large and small states
Example: United States Congress
Historical significance: part of Virginia plan, CT
Compromise; resolved conflict about fair
representation in legislative branch (Senate:
2/state; House: based on pop.)
Vocabulary will be a significant part of your grade (15%).
Save all of the cards that you have completed throughout the year. When you have a few minutes
of your day, e.g., the last 5 minutes of LLB, review your cards. Keep old and new information
fresh in your mind. It is crucial to continue reviewing throughout the year.