AP Gov Foundational Documents

Declaration of Independence (1776)

Author- Thomas Jefferson

-Written to announce America's independence from Britain and why.

-ideas taken from enlightenment philosophers

Articles of Confederation (1781)

Author(s)- The First Continental Congress + 13 Colonies

-Distributed powers for federal and state governments. Made state governments more powerful.

-Weaknesses- no checks or balances, no separation of powers, no supreme courts, no president, fed. gov could not tax.

U.S. Constitution (1788 ratified)

Authored primarily by James Madison

-Replaced Articles of Confederation

-Created a competitive policymaking system to better represent the people

• Implements federalism= relationships between state and federal governments.

-Bill of Rights (first 10 amendments) added after ratification to appease Anti-Federalists

Federalist No. 10 (1787)

Authored by James Madison

Topic of Essay:

-Faction: disagreement among people. often leads to people forming organized groups opposed to each other.

-Dictatorship is worse than factions- liberty is essential

-Can't eliminate faction, but can control its effects.

-Direct democracy is bad. Minority is unrepresented.

• Best form of government:Medium sized republic

Federalist No. 51 (1788)

Author- James Madison

Topic of essay:

-Separation of powers is essential because it provides liberty

-Government must be given power (Not too much= dictatorship, Not too little= anarchy)

-Government is needed because human nature is selfish

-Citizens are the best checks on government (elections and impeachment).

-Elections work, but separation of powers + checks and balances are crucial.

-Egos of officials must be matched by other officials egos.

-Legislative is the most powerful branch. (We need to separate it into two parts= house + senate).

-Federal and state governments will have checks and balances in its branches.

-Majority may try and suppress the minority (Tyranny of the Majority)

-No king or dictator= republic to protect a variety of interests.

Federalist No. 70

Author- Alexander Hamilton

Topic of essay:

-The benefits of a strong presidency

(unified government, effective government, protection against foreign invasion).

-The "ingredients" of an executive that keeps a republic safe (unity, longer terms, power to the people).

-No co-presidency (Or more than 1 president)

(disagreements, leads to factions, Gridlock, cannot pin-point responsibility/blame).

Federalist 78

Author- Alexander Hamilton

Topic of Essay:

-Judicial branch

• Lifetime appointments of Justices will prevent them from being swayed by public opinion

-Power of the Sword + Power of the Purse

-Judiciary branch is the weakest (no purse or sword) needs powers.

-Judiciary branch needs to be separate + have powers to promote liberty

-Judicial review

-Interpreting laws + keeping constitution supreme

-Precedent

-Judges need lifetime appointments to study all the elements of the constitution .

Brutus #1

-The constitution takes too much power away from people

-The elastic clause gives the government too much power

-The supremacy clause gives federal government too much power

-The government's ability to control our military peace and war destroys our liberty

-The Necessary and Proper Clause gives leeway to create a bunch of laws

-People in power will try to gain even more power

-These people will use their own power to their benefit

"Letter from a Birmingham Jail," 1963

Author- Dr. Martin Luther King, jr.

-response to criticism of civil rights movement by white clergymen who thought it should be fought in the courts rather than the streets

-King discusses racist laws and their entrenchment in society that necessitates movement to be so visible

-"injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere"