AP Gov Unit 1 Review

Note:* mean important topics to know. This review guide does not go into detail on any of the required documents, such as the Articles of Confederation.

What was the Enlightenment?

A European intellectual movement in the 18th century that influenced how the framers of the Constitution thought.

Who were the four main Enlightenment philosophers?

The three Enlightenment philosophers were John Locke, Baron de Montesquieu, Thomas Hobbes, and Jean-Jacque Rousseau.

What was Thomas Hobbes’s contribution to the Enlightenment philosophy?

He believed in the Social Contract theory, that in order to prevent a stateless society, people must sacrifice some of their rights to bring about freedom and security for the common good of all.

What was Jean-Jacque Rousseau’s contribution to the Enlightenment philosophy?

He introduced the concept of Popular Sovereignty, that the “ultimate ruling authority” was the people and they were the ones shaping the laws that governed them and the government officials only carried them out.

What was Baron Montesquieu’s contribution to the Enlightenment philosophy?

He advocated for a form of government called Republicanism, where the people elect leaders and the leaders make laws in the interests of the people. The power in the government should be split into different branches, (Legislative, Executive, and Judicial).

What was John Locke’s contributions to the Enlightenment philosophy?

He proposed the idea of natural rights, that all people are born with equal rights to life, liberty, and property. Since the government did not give them these rights, they also could not take these rights away.

He believed that if the government failed to protect these rights, the people had the right to revolt and establish a new government. Power of the government comes from the consent of the governed.

What is limited government?

A government protected from tyranny through a system of checks and balances and the distribution of power among several acting members.

Why did American colonists want to break away from King George lll and Great Britain?

They believed Britain had violated their natural rights and violated their right to self governance.

What are the three main forms of democracy in the United States?

Participatory, Elite, and Pluralist.

What is the Participatory from of democracy?

A type of democracy with broad participation. Most, if not all citizens are involved in political processes.

What are the key features of Participatory democracy?

People don’t need leaders to meditate between them and the government, like in town hall meeting where people are directly involved, or protesting policies they don’t like, or voting directly for policies. Shows up more in state and local levels.

What is the Elite form of democracy?

Form of democracy limiting participation to only a few well educated and informed states people who are qualified to direct the nation on behalf of the people.

What are the key features of Elite Democracy?

The US government is complex so it helps if experts are doing the work. Can prevent masses from making unwise decisions. The Electoral college and Supreme Court are examples of this.

What is the Pluralist form of democracy?

A type of democracy that emphasizes group based activism that works to influence decision making.

What are the key features of the Pluralist democracy?

Average citizens come together in groups united in a single cause (interest groups) and have a big influence on policies through investing money in candidates, and persuading legislators a certain way.

Who were the Federalists?

Those who supported a strong federal government and full ratification of the proposed Constitution to unite the individual states under a single power.

Who were the Anti-Federalists?

Those who opposed the ratification of the Constitution and wanted stronger state governments with a weaker national government.

Why didn’t the Anti-Federalists want the Constitution to be ratified?

Having recently come out of Britain’s tyrannical rule, they feared the Constitution gave the national government too much power like the one they just escaped from and would probably become tyrannical.

Why did the Federalists want the Constitution to be ratified?

They believed the Constitution would protect the rights of the states and individuals to create a balanced government. They feared that without a strong central government there would be instability and disorder.

How did the Federalists eventually get the Anti-Federalist to ratify the Constitution?

They wrote the Federalist Papers and promised to add a Bill of Rights to the proposed Constitution that would protect their individual freedoms.

What were the Articles of Confederation? (generally)

Original document that governed the American people that gave the states a disproportionately large amount of power compared to the federal government.

What were the problems with the Articles of Confederation? (5)

1. There was only Congress, no other branches of government to enforce the laws

2. Congress had no power to raise revenue through taxes so it had no money

3. Amendments required unanimous consent from all states, making changes difficult.

4. The government did not have the power to raise an army

5. The government had no power to regulate interstate commerce

In 1787, what event highlighted the fact that the government was too weak under the Articles of Confederation? Describe.

Shays Rebellion, which was a group of poor farmers that were protesting unfair taxes and economic injustices by the federal government. Because the federal government did not have an army, the rebellion had to be stopped by a private militia.

What was the Virginia Plan?

A plan proposed by the Virginia at the Constitutional Convention that benefitted the larger states because it proposed having a bicameral legislature and representation in both based on the population of each state.

What was the New Jersey plan?

A plan proposed at the National Convention that benefitted smaller states because it advocated for a unicameral legislature and equal representation for each state.

What was the Great Compromise?*

A compromise created between the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan that came up with a bicameral legislature composed of a House of Representatives and Senate. Representation in the House of Representatives is apportioned by population of the state, and the Senate gives equal representation to all states.