AP Gov AMSCO Topic 1.2 Types of Democracy Studyguide

Representative Democracy

government where the people elect officials to represent their concerns/beliefs

Participatory Democracy

citizens vote directly for laws and other matters that affect them, no representatives (purest form)

Ex of a Participatory Democracy: USA

(not pure, there's room for individual self-representation at the state/local levels to change laws/constitutions)

Ex of Participatory Democracy: Citizens participating through state and local ballot initiatives and referendums

to change unpopular laws

Initiatives

process that allows citizens to bypass their state legislature by placing proposed statues and, in some states, constitutional amendments on the ballot

Referendum

allows citizens to repeal unpopular laws with signatures or votes

Pluralist Democracy

people with varying interests group together and share their interests; organize and unite into nongovernmental groups to exert influence on political decision making

Interest Groups

groups of people that share their interests and organize themselves into nongovernmental groups

Ex of a Pluralist democracy: the House and Senate and the Electoral College

Structures are made to prevent varying interests from dominating the government

Actions common of Interest Groups

Raise/spend money to elect people friendly to their ideas, interact with government officials, monitor the government as it enforces existing laws, buy ads to influence public opinion

Interest Groups in the USA

NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), NOW (National Organization of Woman), AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organization), NRA (National Rifle Association)

Elite Democracy

elected representatives make decisions and act as trustees for the people who elected them; recognizes an inequity in the spread of power among the general populace and the elites

Ex of Elite Democracy: Electoral College

all three branches of government, the House of Representatives, the Senate, Cabinet officials, and judges

Most democratic

the House of Representatives

More elite

The Senate

Most Elite

Cabinet officials and judges

Tensions Within the Constitution

The Constitution reflects a balance between citizen participation and a strong central government of representatives.

Elite Model of Democracy

Strong Central Government

Possibility of a Participatory Democracy

the freedom of states to make their own decisions as long as they don't conflict with federal law

Federalists

people who supported the proposed constitutional structure, a strong federal government, and full ratification

Federalists Papers

85 essays supporting the Constitution and explained the government it created

Anti-Federalists

people who opposed the consolidation of the states under a federal government

Leaders of Anti-Federalists

Robert Yales and William Lansing

Lansing's Contribution

wrote newspaper articles to sway people's decisions to adopt/reject the Constitution