Unit One AP US Government And Politics

Preamble

Establishes justice, ensures domestic tranquility, common defense, general welfare, and Liberty.

Declaration Of  Independence

Foundation of Popular Sovereignty, natural rights, and social contract In the US. It says limited governments receive their power from the people

Natural rights

Rights of all people not give by the gov.

Popular sovereignty

people are the source of the government’s power and authority before this people believed in divine rights to rule.

Divine rights to rule

monarchs claimed God was the source of their power.

social contract

people create gov to protect their rights

John locke

Believed in natural rights and social contract theory.

Natural rights according to John locke

Life, Liberty, Property

Jean jacques Rousseau

Believed in social contract

Baron de Montesquieu

Wrote the spirit of laws, argued for separation of powers

U.S. Constitution

Establishes Natural rights, popular sovereignty, social contract, limited government and republicanism

Limited Government

Gov’s power is restricted by the constitution

Republicanism

Representative form of government

Republic Representative democracy

Citizens choose people to represent them in gov/ make policies

Direct democracy

Citizens vote directly on policies

Examples of direct democracy

Referendums and Initiatives

Referendum

State/local legislature passes a policy, then placed on ballot for citizen approval

initiative

Citizens proposed policy, then placed on a ballot and citizen vote directly for or against it.

Participatory democracy

Focuses on broad participation in politics/ civil society, direct democracy, majority rules

civil society

Non governmental organizations

Participatory democracy weakness

Problem is it may violate minorities

pluralist democracy

Focuses on the role of groups in policy making, the competition prevents only one group from dominating the government, protects minority rights better. 

Pluralist democracy weakness

Problem is strong groups have disproportionate influence

Current example of pluralist democracy

Political parties and interest groups.

Elite democracy

Limited participation in politics/ civil society, is a representative democracy.

weakness of elite democracy

The weakness is gov can be dominated by wealthy of those with high status in business, military or politics.

Current example of elite democracy

Electoral college and congressional law making

How is elite democracy in the constitution

In the constitution the Electoral college picks the president because framers (founding fathers) didn't trust people to directly pick the president

How is Participatory democracy in the constitution

In the 15th, 19th, and 26th amendment expanded suffrage (rights to vote), and in the direct election for house of representatives

How is pluralist democracy in the constitution

In the constitution freedom of assembly allows us to make interest groups/ political parties.

Anti federalists

Opposed new constitution, believed in state rights

Anti Federalists feared

Feared national gov would restrict Liberty, or that congress would tax heavily, or that supreme court would overrule state court, or that the president would head a large standing army.

Anti Federalists goals

Add a bill of rights, more restriction on gov power, eliminate congress ability to tax.

Brutus NO.1

Focused on the benefits of decentralized republic, warned of loss of liberty from large centralized gov. (anti federalist)

Federalists

supported new constitution and song central govt

Federalist NO 10.

Large republic is the best way to control factions to give authority to elected reps and share power between state and national gov (federalism)

Bill of rights

The first 10 amendments, guarantees individual rights from gov abuse.  

Factions

Groups of people who share common interests often at the expense others

State rights

govern in individual states

Central/national/federal gov

govern entire country

Articles of confederation

Weak federal gov, unicameral legislature where each state had one vote, no executive/ judicial branch, each step held its own power/ sovereignty

In the articles of confederation congress could

could Declare war, make treaties, raise an army, coin money, and borrow money

In articles of confederation congress couldn't

Tax states or people, regulate interstate commerce, regulate trade/tariffs.

In articles of confederation states could

could put tariffs on other states, create their own currency, refuse to recognize federal treaties.

Shay’s rebellion

lack of centralized military power led to slow response to put it down, showed weakness of federal gov in the articles of confederation, made more people want new constitution and strong central gov.

Constitutional convention purpose

To revise the articles of confederation.

Constitutional convention lead to

Development of the constitution.

Virginia plan

bicameral legislature both houses appointed based on population, favored large states and strong national gov

new Jersey plan

unicameral legislature, all states are equal, favored smaller states, liked articles of confederation

great compromise

Established bicameral legislature, with equal representation in the senate those house is based on population but the senate is 2 per state

Grand committee

negotiated great compromise, convinced large states to agree with the bicameral legislature with equal representation in the senate.

Electoral college

Compromise between those who wanted congress or citizens to vote for president

Three fifths compromise

Each slave counts as 3/5 of a person in representation in the house of representatives

compromise on importation of slaves

Congress couldn't ban the importation of slaves for 20 years after ratification of constitution

Amendment process

The constitution could be amended by either 2/3 votes in both houses of congress to propose and ¾ of state legislatures to ratify or 2/3 of the states request national convention propose and ¾ of state conventions ratify

contemporary debates

What is the proper role of central gov, what are the rightful powers of the ste gov, what rights belong to individuals.

Separation of powers 

Governmental powers are divided between 3 different branches or government 

Legislative, executive, and judicial

3 different branches of government

Congressional/ legislative powers

Make laws, power of the purse, declare war

Executive powers

Enforce laws, make treaties, commander in chief, grant pardons

Executive branch

president

Judicial branch

interpret laws, review decisions of states/ lower federal courts

Judicial branch

Judiciary branch

Checks and balances

each branch can block/ influence actions of the other branches

Congressional checks for the president/ executive branch

override presidential veto (2/3 both houses), impeach the president, refuse to pass bill the president wants, confirm presidential nominees (senate only), ratify a treaty (senate only)

Congress checks judicial branch by

Altering number of judges on the court, change the jurisdiction of lower courts and appellate  jurisdiction of the SC, propose a constitutional amendment to override courts decision, pass legislation to limit the impact of a court ruling

Presidential checks on congress

veto legislation

Presidential checks on judiciary

nominate federal judges, ignore ruling of supreme court

Judicial checks on congress

declare federal laws unconstitutional

judicial checks on president

declare executive orders/ presidential cations unconstitutional

Impeachment

be indicted/ charged

congress can impeach president if

president commits high crimes and misdemeanors

House of representatives can impeach president if

majority rules of them being charged

To remove president/federal judge senate must

hold impeachment trial that requires 2/3 votes

Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton

were impeached by the house

Richard Nixon

was going to be impeached but resigned before anything could happen

federalist NO.51

Separation of powers/ checks and balances limit gov power, control majority from abusing, protect minority rights.