AP Gov Review Unit 1 Key Terms

Constitutional Convention

Also called the Philadelphia Convention. A meeting of delegates from 12 of the 13 states to revise or replace the Articles of Confederation with a new Constitution featuring a stronger central government.

limited government

A political system in which the government’s power is restricted by laws or a written Constitution.

natural rights

The right to life, liberty, and property, which no government may take away.

republicanism

The principle of governing through elected representatives.

social contract

An agreement between people and government in which citizens consent to be governed so long as the government protects their natural rights.

John Adams

Massachusetts statesman and leader in the movement for American independence. Adams aided Jefferson in drafting the Declaration of Independence.

Ben Franklin

Pennsylvania statesman and leader in the movement for American independence. Franklin aided Jefferson in drafting the Declaration of Independence.

Alexander Hamilton

New York statesman who promoted replacing the Articles of Confederation with a stronger central government. He coauthored the Federalist Papers, which argued in favor of ratifying the Constitution.

Thomas Jefferson

Principal author of the Declaration of Independence.

James Madison

Virginia statesman and major contributor to the US Constitution. He coauthored the Federalist Papers and wrote the Bill of Rights.

George Washington

Revolutionary War general who presided over the Constitutional Convention.

The Declaration of Independence - What does it do?

Explains why the Thirteen Colonies in North America desired independence from Great Britain. The ideals for government expressed in the Declaration, including popular sovereignty and social contract, serve as the inspiration for American democratic values.

The US Constitution - What does it do?

It is blueprint for how American government functions. Establishes the three separate branches of US government (legislative, executive, and judicial) and describes the relationship between the states and the federal government. It demonstrates the principle of limited government in the United States by restricting the powers of government. It also establishes the principle of republicanism by establishing the process for citizens to elect representatives to the legislature.

Balancing liberty and order takeaways

From the beginning, the US government has attempted to balance individual rights and liberties with the government power necessary to, as the Constitution puts it, “establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, [and] provide for the common defense.”

The Declaration of Independence served as a statement of the Founders’ beliefs in natural rights and individual liberties. With the Constitution, the early American statesmen attempted to build a government that was strong enough to sustain itself without infringing on citizens’ rights and liberties.

democracy

A system of government in which the power of the government is vested in the people, who rule directly or through elected representatives.

participatory democracy

A form of democracy that emphasizes broad, direct participation in politics and civil society, in which most or all citizens participate in politics directly.

pluralist democracy

A form of democracy in which political power rests with competing interest groups so that no one group dominates political decisions.

elite democracy

A form of democracy in which a small number of people, usually those who are wealthy and well-educated, influence political decisionmaking.

Federalist No. 10

An essay written by James Madison, in which he argued that a strong representative government would be able to control the effects of factions.

Brutus No. 1

An Anti-Federalist essay which argued against a strong central government based on the belief that it would not be able to meet the needs of all US citizens.

Constitution (1787)

The fundamental laws and principles that govern the United States. The document was the result of several compromises between Federalists and Anti-Federalists surrounding the ratification of the Constitution.

Referanda / Referandum

Referanda allow citizens to have a direct vote on a particular law. A referendum is an example of participatory democracy because the citizens themselves (not their government representatives) are the ones who decide whether to enact that law.

Articles of Confederation

The first government system of the United States, which lasted from 1776 until 1789. The Articles placed most power in the hands of state governments. Government under the Articles lacked an executive or a judicial branch.

Confederation Congress

The central government under the Articles of Confederation, composed of delegates chosen by state governments. Each state had one vote in the Congress, regardless of its population. The Congress had difficulty legislating as the Articles required nine of the thirteen states to vote to approve any measure, and a unanimous vote in order to amend the Articles themselves.

Shays' Rebellion

An uprising of Revolutionary War veterans in Massachusetts, who had not been paid for their military service as the federal government lacked the power to raise funds through taxation. Led by veteran Daniel Shays, the rebellion demonstrated the weaknesses of the federal government under the Articles, as it could neither raise the money to pay the veterans nor raise an army to put down the uprising.

Problems with the Articles of Confederation

The national government could not tax citizens directly, only request money from the states. - The states rarely contributed money, meaning the national government could not pay its debts or fund initiatives.

The national government could not regulate international or interstate trade. - The national government could not stop states from undermining it by making their own trade agreements with foreign nations.

The national government could not raise an army, only request that the states send soldiers. - States could refuse to send soldiers, making it difficult to defend the nation.

Each state only had one vote in Congress, regardless of its population. - The citizens of small states had proportionally more political power than the citizens of large states.

The national government had no executive branch. - The national government had no way of implementing or enforcing its legislative decisions.

The national government had no judicial branch. - There was no effective way to resolve disputes between states, such as competing claims to the same territory.

Passing laws required the approval of nine states, and amending the Articles required the approval of all thirteen states. - It was difficult to get enough consensus to make laws and nearly impossible to fix the Articles themselves.

amendment

A change to the United States Constitution.

Article V

The section of the Constitution that details how to amend the Constitution, either through a congressional proposal or a convention of the states, with final ratification from three-fourths of the states.

Great Compromise

Also known as the Connecticut Compromise, a major compromise at the Constitutional Convention that created a two-house legislature, with the Senate having equal representation for all states and the House of Representatives having representation proportional to state populations.

Electoral College

A body of representatives from every state in the United States who formally cast votes to elect the president and vice president.

3/5 Compromise

An agreement added to the Constitution that would count each enslaved person as three-fifths of a white person for purposes of representation in the House of Representatives.

2 Amendment Processes

1. Congressional method

2. Convention method (never been used)

3 Major Compromises to Get the Anti-Federalist Vote

The Great Compromise (bicameral legislature), the Three-Fifths Compromise, and the Electoral College

access point

A point in the policymaking process where ordinary citizens can influence government.

checks and balances

Aspects of the Constitution that require each branch of the federal government to gain the consent of the other two in order to act.

faction

An interest group seeking to influence government for the benefit of its members. The Framers sought to prevent any one faction from gaining too much power.

majority

The largest group that shares an opinion on any one issue, for example, whether to declare war or support a tax.

minority

A smaller group with a differing opinion on any one issue. The Framers sought to keep majority opinions from trampling minority opinions.

impeachment

The bringing of formal charges against a government officer for alleged crimes or abuses of power.

removal

Removing a government officer from office after impeachment proceedings resulted in a conviction.

separation of powers

Aspects of the Constitution that ascribe different elements of power to different branches of the government, which act independently. This keeps one branch of government from controlling the others.

stakeholder

A person with an interest or a concern in a political issue.

block grants

Federal grants issued to states or local governments to support broad programs

categorical grants

Federal grants restricted to specific purposes

concurrent powers

Powers shared by the federal government and state governments, e.g. lawmaking and taxation

exclusive powers

Powers reserved either to the federal government or state governments

federalism

Political system that organizes government into two or more levels with independent powers; in the United States this consists of local, state, and national governments

federal revenue sharing

The practice of sharing federal income tax revenue with state and local governments

mandate

A requirement that states or local governments meet a specific condition in order to receive federal aid

Purposes of Articles V and IV

Articles IV and V of the US Constitution outline the federal system used in the United States today.

V: describes the process of amending the Constitution, which requires the ratification of three-quarters of the states.
VI: establishes that the states will give “full faith and credit” to the laws of other states; promises states protection of the federal government against invasion.

Review exclusive and concurrent powers of state and federal governments

commerce clause

Part of Article I of the Constitution that gives Congress the power to regulate interstate commerce (buying and selling of goods across state lines).

federalism

An institutional arrangement that creates two relatively autonomous levels of government, each possessing the capacity to act directly on behalf of the people with the authority granted to it by the national constitution.

enumerated powers

Powers of the federal government that are explicitly named in the Constitution.

implied powers

Powers of the federal government that are not explicitly named in the Constitution but are implied so that the federal government can carry out its enumerated powers.

necessary and proper clause

Part of Article I of the Constitution that gives Congress the power to create laws that they find “necessary and proper” for performing their constitutional responsibilities.

Tenth Amendment

Constitutional amendment that stipulates that all powers not given to the federal government are reserved to the states or the people.

Fourteenth Amendment

Constitutional amendment that grants citizenship, equal protection, and due process under the law to all people born in the United States.