AP Gov Unit 1

Vocabulary flashcards for American Government Lecture.

Limited government

The government isn’t overarching (no king).

Natural rights

The right to life, liberty, and property, which government cannot take away.

Popular sovereignty

The idea that the government’s right to rule comes from the people.

Republicanism

The authority of the government comes from the people.

Social contract

People allow their governments to rule over them to ensure an orderly and functioning society.

Representative democracy

A system of government in which all eligible citizens vote on representatives to make public policy for them.

Participatory democracy

A theory that widespread political participation is essential for democratic government; independent associations outside government control.

Pluralist democracy

A democracy that emphasizes the role of groups in the policymaking process.

Elite democracy

The elite (rich) have a disproportionate amount of influence in the policymaking process.

Declaration of Independence

Long list of grievances against King of England.

U.S. Constitution

Supreme law of the United States.

Federalist 10

Advocated for a large constitutional republic.

Brutus 1

The country is too large to be governed as a republic and the Constitution gave too much power to the national government.

Articles of Confederation

Provided equal representation to all states with one vote in Congress.

Anti-Federalists

Opposed to the proposed Constitution, who called for stronger governments.

Federalist

Supporters of the proposed Constitution, who called for a strong national government.

Democracy

Power is held by the people.

Faction

Group of self-interested individuals who use the government to get what they want, trampling the rights of others in the process.

Shays’s Rebellion

A popular uprising against the government of Massachusetts, led by Daniel Shays.

Great (Connecticut) Compromise

Two-house legislature.

Electoral College

Indirectly elected by the people.

3/5ths Compromise

An agreement to count slaves as three-fifths of a person in calculating a state’s representation.

Constitutional Convention

May 1787, 55 delegates from 12 of the 13 states met in Philadelphia to amend the Articles of Confederation.

Article V / Amendment process

Process by which changes may be made to the Constitution.

Ratification

The fate of the Constitution was based on state ratifying conventions.

Separation of powers

A design of government that distributes powers across institutions to avoid making one branch too powerful on its own.

Checks and balances

A design of government in which each branch has powers that can prevent the other branches from making policy.

Federalist 51

Antifederalists argued the national government would grow more distant from people and oppress them.