AP GOVERNMENT REVIEW

popular sovereignty + social contract

by nature, power to govern is in the hands of people

to protect natural rights, people willingly give up some of their power to the government

• rousseau

natural rights

people are born with specific rights endowed by their creator

• locke + hobbes

republicanism

people elect others to represent them, who make laws in their interests

• montesquieu

participatory democracy

emphasizes broad participation in politics and civil society → citizens directly vote on bills

• ex: town hall meetings, initiative, referendum

initiative

voters put a measure on the ballot that they want to get passed

referendum

people vote to oppose a law passed by the legislature

elite democracy

emphasizes limited participation by a few, well-educated and informed statespeople who are qualified to direct the nation through law making on behalf of the people

• supreme court judge nomination, electoral college

pluralist democracy

describes group-based activism by nongovernmental interests that work to impact political decision making

• interest groups, states

federalists

hamilton, madison, jay

argued for centralized power in the federal government

wrote the federalist papers

anti-federalist

wrote the antifederalist papers

power should be invested in the states

articles of confederation’s failures

• federal government only had one branch

• all states must agree to amendments to AoC

• congress had no power to raise tax revenue

• no national currency

• congress couldn’t raise a national army

—> shays rebellion

shays rebellion

• congress didn’t have the money to pay revolutionary soldiers their dues

• shays raised a militia

• massachusetts militia crushed the rebellion

• no national army could have helped —> state leaders were concerned about the threat of rebellion

constitutional convention

convened after the articles of confederation failed in 1787

great compromise

virginia plan vs new jersey plan

—> created a bicameral legislature

• house of representatives - representatives apportioned by population

• senate - representatives appointed equally to each state

virginia plan

argued that representatives ought to be apportioned by population

• benefitted populous states

new jersey plan

argued that representatives ought to be apportioned equally

• smaller states had the advantage

three fifths compromise

northerners - representation only by free people

southerners - representation should include enslaved people

counts three-fifths of enslaved population for both taxation and representation

compromise on the importation of enslaved people

slave trade wouldn’t be touched for 20 years, after which it would be abolished

proposal of an amendment

2/3 of congress or special state conventions propose the amendment

ratification of an amendment

¾ of state legislatures or state ratifying conventions agree to a proposed amendment

separation of power

no one branch of the United States contains all of the authority

—> power is separated into three branches

checks and balances

each branch can check the power of other branches

1) legislative’s power of advice and consent

2) legislative’s power of impeachment

3) executive branch can check congress through veto

4) legislative’s power to override the veto

5) judicial branch can do judicial review

stakeholder

anyone with a vested interest in the outcome of policymaking, i.e. us

—> interest groups pay lobbyists to meet with representatives

—> citizens can call congresspeople

—> citizens have access to bureaucratic agencies

—> stakeholders can use courts to challenge unconstitutional laws or appeal wrongful convictions

federalism

sharing of power between national and state governments

NOT ABOUT FEDERAL POWER

exclusive powers

powers delegated by the constitution to the federal government alone

reserved powers

powers kept by the states, guaranteed by 10th amendment

• policing, hospitals, education

concurrent powers

powers shared by the federal and state government

fiscal federalism

congress can establish standards and direct funds to states that uphold the standards and withhold funding from states that dont

categorical grant

gives federal money to the states as long as they comply with specific federal standards

block grant

gives federal money to be spent in a broad category and the states determine how the money is spent

mandates

require states to follow federal directives and gives money towards carrying out the mandate

unfunded mandate

federal government sets a mandate and provides no funds to help states comply

unfunded mandates reform act

curtailed federal government’s ability to issue unfunded mandates

14th amendment + federalism

applies the bill of rights to the states

commerce clause

gives congress authority to regulate commerce between the states

article one, section 8

necessary and proper clause

congress has power to pass laws necessary and proper in carrying out their enumerated powers

article one, section 8

full faith and credit clause

states must respect the laws of other states

article 4

laboratories of democracies

states pass laws, and representatives at the federal level and other states can see the effect of the bill to implement it

senate

• each state represented equally (2 representatives)

• 100 senators

• more mature, must be 30 years older

• 6 year terms (more insulated from public pressure)

• less connected to the people they represent

house of representatives

• each state represented by population

• each state has at least one representative

• 435 representatives in total

• must be 25 years old

• 2 year terms (higher turnover)

• closer to the issues that people in their districts care about

• less likely to form bipartisan coalitions

debate rules

• senate has unlimited debate (more informal)

• house has restricted debate

enumerated powers of congress

article 1 section 8

• power to pass federal budget

• raise revenue

• coin money

• power to declare war

• raise and maintain armed forces

implied powers of congress

derived from necessary and proper clause

house leadership

• speaker of the house

• majority and minority leaders

• majority and minority whips

speaker of the house

chosen by house (from majority party)

• decides who speaks

• makes committee assignments

majority and minority leaders (house)

guide their party members in policy making issues —> help direct debate

majority and minority whips

keep the party in line

senate leadership

• president of senate (VPOTUS)

• president pro tempore

• majority and minority leaders

president of the senate

vice president of u.s.

• non voting member of senate

• votes to break a tie

president pro tempore

chosen by senators (member of majority party)

• leads senate when vice president is not present

majority and minority leaders (senate)

• sets legislative agenda

• determines calendar assignment of bills

committee

debate and draft legislature

**not in the constitution, just convenient

standing committee

remains from session to session

• appropriations committee (senate)

• ways and means (house)

joint committee

involves members from both house and senate

select committee

temporary committee designed for a specific purpose

conference committee

formed if both houses can’t agree on identical versions of a bill

house rules committee

• gatekeeper for legislation

• decides when votes take place

• assigns bills to committees for debate and revision

committee of the whole

procedural move to relax the house rules for debate

discharge peititon

forces bills out of house committees with a majority vote

filibuster

stalling a bill by talking for a very long time (only allowed in senate)

cloture rule

move to end a filibuster with 3/5 vote (60 senators)

—> difficult to achieve, so even the threat of filibuster deters bills

unanimous consent

call for agreement to restrict certain privileges in the senate

how a bill becomes law

1. bill can be sponsored by a member from either house or senate

2. bill is considered and debated

3. once bill is assigned to a committee, it can be further debated and changed

4. goes to floor for a vote

5. if bill passes both houses, goes to president for signing

non-germane riders

provisions added to bills that have nothing to do with the subject of the bill

pork barrel spending

funds earmarked for a particular legislator’s district

log rolling

congressional back scratching

mandatory spending

money that must be allocated by law

ex: medicare, medicaid

discretionary spending

money that isn’t allocated by law

• biggest portion is for human resources for government employees

lame duck president

presidents who can’t be elected again —> usually ignored by legislature because they don’t care about working with them anymore

delegate model

representatives must vote with the will of the people

trustee model

representatives most vote according to their own conscience

politico model

hybrid of the delegate and trustee models

gerrymandering

districts are drawn to benefit one group over another

policy agenda

set of policies that the president campaigned on —> informal promise

formal powers of president

powers explicitly given to executive of article ii of constitution

• veto

• 10 days to sign bill once it arrives on their desk

• commander-in-chief of armed forces

veto

president blocks a bill from passing

—> can be overridden with 2/3 vote of each house

—> threats to veto can be enough to inspire changes in the bill

pocket veto

if congress adjourns before the president’s allotted 10 days to sign a bill, the bill is effectively vetoed

informal powers of president

not mentioned in the constitution but exist because of the nature of presidential power

• bargaining and persuasion

• executive order

• signing statement

• executive agreement

executive order

directive from the president that has the force of federal law but isn’t actually a law

—> executive departments report directly to the executive so executive orders allow the president to direct the bureaucracy

signing statement

additional statement offered by president when signing a bill into a law that informs how they interpret the law and intend to execute it

executive agreement

agreement between president and another head of state

—> not a formal treaty

—> only exist as long as that president is in power

presidential appointments

senate has power of advice and consent

• ambassadors (usually rubber stamp)

• white house staff (no approval required)

• cabinet (usually approved without a fight)

• federal courts (contentious)

checks on presidency

• impeachment

• 22nd amendment (limits to 2 terms)

presidential communication

bully pulpit

• required: state of the union at the beginning of the year where the president makes policy recommendations

• roosevelt’s fireside chats over radio

• tv

• social media

structure of federal courts

1. supreme court

2. courts of appeal

3. district courts

—> article iii section i allows congress to establish lower courts

supreme court

• only court established by constitution, in article iii

• judges appointed by president

• lifetime appointments

• original jurisdiction in cases between two states or involving an ambassador or other public official

• most jurisdiction is appellate

courts of appeals

• 12, one for each district

• 3 judges

• on jury

• only appellate jurisdiction

district courts

• 94

• only original jurisdiction

judicial review

court has the power to review the constitutionality of laws

precedent

decisions in past cases act like a template for future decisions

stare decisis

let the decision stand

judicial activism

court acts to establish policy and considers the broad effects of a decision on society

judicial restraint

judges are not appointed to make policy so laws should only struck down if they went against the constitution

checks on supreme court

1. congress pass laws that modify the effect of court decisions

2. constitutional amendments

3. passing legislation that effects court’s jurisdiction

4. judicial appointments

5. president doesn’t enforce court decisions