AP GOV Unit 1

Natural Rights

The rights given to a person as soon as they are born.

Social contract

How people and government should behave.

Popular Sovereignty

The right for a population to govern itself.

Limited Government

A government should be restricted on the powers it has and can use.

Representative Democracy

A form of government where the people elect representatives to voice their opinions in government.

Participatory Democracy

A form of government where everyone has a say in the government.

Pluralist Democracy

Different groups work together to make government decisions.

Elite Democracy

The elite members of society are the ones making decisions for the government.

Federalists

People who supported the ratification of the constitution.

Anti Federalists

People who opposed the ratification of the constitution.

Shays’ Rebellion

A rebellion led by Daniel Shays, because state taxes were too high and he was in debt because of it. This proved that the Articles of Confederation was weak and had to be replaced.

Constitutional Convention

A group of delegates who met in Pennsylvania to revise the Articles of Confederation.

Great Compromise

The deal between the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan. There would be a bicameral legislature, with one house being based on population and the other having 2 senators each.

Electoral College

The system of how votes are distributed. The total votes is equal to the sum of the representatives in the House of Representatives and the Senate.

3/5 Compromise

The deal where in terms of population, a slave counted as 60% of a person.

Ratification

The process of passing an amendment or a new constitution.

Separation of Powers

Certain powers should be split among different branches of government.

Checks and Balances

A government should have the ability to control it’s own powers

Impeachment

When the president is convicted of a federal crime.

Removal

When a president is forced out of office.

Federalism

A system of government divided among two systems.

Exclusive powers

Powers only held by 1 level of government.

Concurrent powers

Powers shared by both levels of government.

Enumerated Powers

Powers directly stated in the Constitution.

Reserved Powers

Powers that are not directly implied by the constitution, but come out of enumerated powers.

Revenue Sharing

A type of fiscal federalism whereby the federal government allocates revenue to state and local governments with little or no strings attached.

Block Grants

Money given to a state for a broad category like secondary education or health services.

Categorical Grants

Money is given by Congress for a specific purpose.

Mandates

The hidden details behind a law or grant.

14th Amendment

This gave all people born within United States borders to be considered citizens of the US.

Commerce Clause

This allows Congress to regulate interstate trade

Necessary and Proper Clause

Congress can do anything it needs to do to serve the country.

Supremacy Clause

The constitution is the supreme law of the land