Need to know AP US
Government and Politics
Vocabulary
I Constitution Underpinning
 Separation of Power: divisions of powers among
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the legislative, executive, and judicial branches
Divided Government: Governance divided between
the parties, especially when one holds the
presidency and one controls one or both houses of
congress
Democracy: a government ruled by the people,
directly or indirectly
Direct democracy: citizens vote on laws directly
Representative democracy: also called a Republic;
power in the hands of the few
Federalism: support of a strong central government
Constitutionalism: term applied to argumentschecks and balances and federalism
II Political Beliefs and Behaviors
 Political Culture: assumptions, attitudes, and
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patterns of behaviors people have toward the
government and politics
Natural Rights: rights of all people to dignity and
worth
Political Ideology: consistent pattern or belief about
political values and the role of government
Political Socialization: process by which we
develop our political attitudes
Reinforcing Cleavages: divisions within society that
reinforce one another, making groups more similar
Cross Cutting Cleavage: divisions within society
that cut across demographic categories to produce
groups that are more different
III Political Parties and Interest Groups
 Interest Group: people who share a common interest
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and seek to influence the government usually work
within the government and use tactic such as lobbying
Lobbying: engaging in activities aimed at influencing
public official
Iron Triangle: mutually supporting relationship among
interest groups, committees and government agencies
that share a common policy concern
Political Action Committee (PAC): political aim of an
interest group that is legally entitled to raise funds on a
voluntary basis
Patronage: dispensing of government jobs to persons
who belong to the winning political party
III Political Parties and Interest Groups
Continued
 Party Column Ballot: type of ballot that encourages
voting by listing all the party’s candidates in a column
under the party name
 Office Block Ballot: ballot which all candidates are listed
under the office for which they are running
 Direct Primary: election which voters choose party
nominees
 Open Primary: primary election which any voter may
vote
 Closed Primary: primary election where only people
registered in the party may vote
IV Institutions and Bureaucracy
 Gerrymandering: drawing of legislative district
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boundaries to benefit a party, group, or incumbent
Incumbent: the current holder of an office
Enumerated Powers: powers explicitly given to
congress in the constitution
Majority Leader: legislative leader selected by
majority party
Minority Leader: legislative leader selected by
minority party
Whip: party leader who is the liaison between the
leadership and the rank-and-file in the legislature
IV Institutions and Bureaucracy
Continued
 Filibuster: procedural practice in the Senate whereby a Senator
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refuses to relinquish the floor and thereby delays procedure
Cloture: procedure for terminating debate, especially filibusters
Standing Committee: a permanent committee established in a
legislature
Pocket Veto: a veto from the President
Override: congress reserves president veto, requires 2/3
majority
Executive Privilege: the right to keep executive communications
confidential
Office of Management and Budget: presidential staff agency that
serves as a clearing house for budgetary requests and
management improvements for government agencies
Executive agreement: agreement between the president and
other world leaders
V Public Policy
 Proportional Representative: an electoral district in which
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voters choose one representative
Winner-take-all system: election system in which the
candidate with the most votes wins
Electoral College: electoral system used in electing
president
Caucus: meeting of local party members to choose party
officials
National Party Convention: national meeting of delegates
elected in primaries etc.
Soft Money: contributions to a state or local party building
Issue Advocacy: promoting a position or an issue for an
interest group or individual, but not a candidate
VI Civil Rights and Liberties
 Judicial Review: the act in which a court can challenge
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a law that they believe unconstitutional
Judicial Activism: judicial ruling based on consideration
and not law
Stare Decisis: legal principle which judges are obligated
to respect prior decisions
Habeas Corpus: a prisoner can be released under
unlawful detention
Judicial Restraint: judges limit the exercise of their own
power
Amicus Curae: “friend of the court” someone who offers
information to help the court