AP Government Course Vocabulary

AP Government Course Vocabulary Review Latest Updated 2024 501 (c) groups - Groups that are exempted from reporting their contributions and can receive unlimited contributions. Section 501c of the tax code specifies that such groups cannot spend more than half their funds on political activities. 527 groups - Independent political groups that are not subject to contribution restrictions because they do not directly seek the election of particular candidates. activation - One of three key consequences of electoral campaigns for voters, in which the voter is activated to contribute money or ring doorbells instead of just voting. See also reinforcement and conversion. actual group - The people in the potential group who actually join. Adarand Constructors v. Pena - A 1995 Supreme Court decision holding that federal programs that classify people by race, even for an ostensibly benign purpose such as expanding opportunities for minorities, should be presumed to be unconstitutional. Such programs must be subject to the most searching judicial inquiry and can survive only if they are "narrowly tailored" to accomplish a "compelling governmental interest." administrative discretion - The authority of administrative actors to select among various responses to a given problem. Discretion is greatest when routines, or standard operating procedures, do not fit a case. advertising - According to David Mayhew, one of three primary activities undertaken by members of Congress to increase the probability of their reelection. Advertising involves contacts between members and their constituents between elections. See also credit claiming and position taking. affirmative action - A policy designed to give special attention to or compensatory treatment for members of some previously disadvantaged group. agents of socialization - Families, schools, television, peer groups, and other influences that contribute to political socialization by shaping formal and especially informal learning about politics. Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 - A law passed in 1990 that requires employers and public facilities to make "reasonable accommodations" for people with disabilities and prohibits discrimination against these individuals in employment. amicus curiae briefs - Legal briefs submitted by a "friend of the court" for the purpose of raising additional points of view and presenting information not contained in the briefs of the formal parties. These briefs attempt to influence a court's decision. Anti-Federalists - Opponents of the American Constitution at the time when the states were contemplating its adoption. They argued that the constitution was a class-based document, that it would erode fundamental liberties, and that it would weaken the power of the states. See also Federalists and U.S. Constitution antitrust policy - A policy designed to ensure competition and prevent monopoly, which is the control of a market by one company. appellate jurisdiction - The jurisdiction of courts that hear cases brought to them on appeal from lower courts. These courts do not review the factual record, only the legal issues involved. Compare original jurisdiction. appropriations bill - an act of Congress that actually funds programs within limits established by authorization bills. Appropriations usually cover one year. arms race - A tense relationship beginning in the 1950's between the Soviet Union and the United States whereby one side's weaponry became the other side's goad to procure more weaponry, and so on. Articles of Confederation - The first constitution of the United States, adopted by Congress in 1777 and enacted in 1781. The Articles established a national legislature, the Continental Congress, but most authority rested with the state legislatures. authorization bill - An act of Congress that established, continues, or changes a discretionary government program or an entitlement. It specifies program goals and maximum expenditures for discretionary programs. Compare appropriations bill. balance of trade - The ratio of what is paid for imports to what is earned from exports. When more is imported than exported, there is a balance-of-trade deficit. balanced budget amendment - A proposed amendment to the Constitution that would instruct Congress to hold a national convention to propose to the states a requirement that peacetime federal budgets be balanced. The amendment has been passed in varied forms by the legislatures of nearly two-thirds of the states.