AP US Government Study Guide Exam
Questions and Answers 100% Pass
Chapter 1: The Study of American Government - ✔✔...
Legitimacy - ✔✔political authority conferred by law or by a state or
national constitution
Authority - ✔✔the power or right to give orders or make decisions
Democracy - ✔✔a political system in which the supreme power lies in a
body of citizens who can elect people to represent them
Political elite - ✔✔An identifiable group of persons who poses a
disproportional share of some valued resource, such as money or political
power; people who possess more political power than others and are
commonly referred to in the U.S. as "activists"
1
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,Direct democracy - ✔✔A form of government in which citizens rule
directly and NOT through representatives
Representative democracy - ✔✔A system of government in which citizens
elect representatives, or leaders, to make decisions about the laws for all
the people.
Bureaucratic theory - ✔✔The hierarchical structure and standarized
procedures of government allow bureaucrats to hold the real power over
public policy; proposed by Max Weber
Power elite theory - ✔✔the theory that a small number of very wealthy
individuals, powerful corporate interest groups, and large financial
institutions dominate key policy areas.
Pluralist theory - ✔✔A theory of government and politics emphasizing that
politics is mainly a competition among groups, each one pressing for its
own preferred policies.
2
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,Marxist theory - ✔✔the ideology espoused by Karl Marx which holds that
government is a reflection of economic forces, primarily ownershop of the
means of production
Chapter 2: The Constitution - ✔✔...
Unalienable - ✔✔incapable of being repudiated or transferred to another,
natural rights that belong to everyone and cannot be taken away
Federalists - ✔✔Supporters of the Constitution that were led by Alexander
Hamilton and John Adams. They firmly believed the national government
should be strong. They didn't want the Bill of Rights because they felt
citizens' rights were already well protected by the Constitution.
Articles of Confederation - ✔✔this document, the nations first constitution,
was adopted by the second continental congress in 1781during the
revolution. the document was limited because states held most of the
power, and congress lacked the power to tax, regulate trade, or control
coinage
3
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, Anti-Federalists - ✔✔They opposed the ratification of the Constitution
because it gave more power to the federal government and less to the
states, and because it did not ensure individual rights. Many wanted to
keep the Articles of Confederation. The Antifederalists were instrumental
in obtaining passage of the Bill of Rights as a prerequisite to ratification of
the Constitution in several states. After the ratification of the Constitution,
the Antifederalists regrouped as the Democratic-Republican (or simply
Republican) party.
Declaration of Independence - ✔✔the document recording the
proclamation of the second Continental Congress (4 July 1776) asserting the
independence of the colonies from Great Britain
The Federalist Papers - ✔✔This collection of essays by John Jay, Alexander
Hamilton, and James Madison, explained the importance of a strong
central government. It was published to convince New York to ratify the
Constitution.
4
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Questions and Answers 100% Pass
Chapter 1: The Study of American Government - ✔✔...
Legitimacy - ✔✔political authority conferred by law or by a state or
national constitution
Authority - ✔✔the power or right to give orders or make decisions
Democracy - ✔✔a political system in which the supreme power lies in a
body of citizens who can elect people to represent them
Political elite - ✔✔An identifiable group of persons who poses a
disproportional share of some valued resource, such as money or political
power; people who possess more political power than others and are
commonly referred to in the U.S. as "activists"
1
100% Pass Guarantee Katelyn Whitman, All Rights
,Direct democracy - ✔✔A form of government in which citizens rule
directly and NOT through representatives
Representative democracy - ✔✔A system of government in which citizens
elect representatives, or leaders, to make decisions about the laws for all
the people.
Bureaucratic theory - ✔✔The hierarchical structure and standarized
procedures of government allow bureaucrats to hold the real power over
public policy; proposed by Max Weber
Power elite theory - ✔✔the theory that a small number of very wealthy
individuals, powerful corporate interest groups, and large financial
institutions dominate key policy areas.
Pluralist theory - ✔✔A theory of government and politics emphasizing that
politics is mainly a competition among groups, each one pressing for its
own preferred policies.
2
100% Pass Guarantee Katelyn Whitman, All Rights
,Marxist theory - ✔✔the ideology espoused by Karl Marx which holds that
government is a reflection of economic forces, primarily ownershop of the
means of production
Chapter 2: The Constitution - ✔✔...
Unalienable - ✔✔incapable of being repudiated or transferred to another,
natural rights that belong to everyone and cannot be taken away
Federalists - ✔✔Supporters of the Constitution that were led by Alexander
Hamilton and John Adams. They firmly believed the national government
should be strong. They didn't want the Bill of Rights because they felt
citizens' rights were already well protected by the Constitution.
Articles of Confederation - ✔✔this document, the nations first constitution,
was adopted by the second continental congress in 1781during the
revolution. the document was limited because states held most of the
power, and congress lacked the power to tax, regulate trade, or control
coinage
3
100% Pass Guarantee Katelyn Whitman, All Rights
, Anti-Federalists - ✔✔They opposed the ratification of the Constitution
because it gave more power to the federal government and less to the
states, and because it did not ensure individual rights. Many wanted to
keep the Articles of Confederation. The Antifederalists were instrumental
in obtaining passage of the Bill of Rights as a prerequisite to ratification of
the Constitution in several states. After the ratification of the Constitution,
the Antifederalists regrouped as the Democratic-Republican (or simply
Republican) party.
Declaration of Independence - ✔✔the document recording the
proclamation of the second Continental Congress (4 July 1776) asserting the
independence of the colonies from Great Britain
The Federalist Papers - ✔✔This collection of essays by John Jay, Alexander
Hamilton, and James Madison, explained the importance of a strong
central government. It was published to convince New York to ratify the
Constitution.
4
100% Pass Guarantee Katelyn Whitman, All Rights
