GOV AP EXAM (REQUIRED DOCUMENTS), MAY 5TH

Federalist 10

Madison defines a faction as an interest group or political party. He states it’s impossible to prevent factions because to do that we would have to destroy liberty, so instead we have to prevent the negative effects of factions. In other words, we have to prevent the factions from making policy that is not in the best interest of the country or abuses the rights of minority. Madison days the best way to prevent negative effects of factions is to have a large republic. In a large republic, there will be more representatives, so the bad reps will be diluted. Also, the factions will be spread out and not concentrated, so they will not be able to join forces.

Federalist 78

Hamilton responds to Anti-Federalists, who do not want federal judges serving for life. He says the judicial branch is the weakest branch. He says judges must serve for life because that helps them be independent, and independent judges will strike down unconstitutional laws. Advocates for judicial review.

Federalist 70

Hamilton argued for a single executive (President) instead of an executive control. He stated that a single executive could protect against foreign attack and administer laws better. He further stated that with a single executive, the people would be able to hold one person accountable. Multiple executives would cause dispute which would cause delays in governing the nation.

Federalist 51

Madison says thay humans will try to gain power, so the government must be designed to make it hard for one person or a group the control the government. He says the was to do that is separate the states and national government (federalism), then divide the governments into 3 branches ( separation of powers). After, each branch will get independence from the other branches, but also let each branch limit the power of the other branches (checks and balances). Lastly, he says we need to protect the minority by requiring a supermajority on important congressional laws (impeachment, amendments, treaties).

Brutus 1

Brutus says thay although the Articles of Confederation habe weakness, if we the people give up our power, we won’t get it back. The Necessary and Proper clause and the Supremacy clause give the national government too much power. The national government has too much taxing power. The federal courts created by this new constitution will overshadow state courts. A large republic will not work for our country because the people will not know the representatives, and the representatives won’t know what the people want. A large republic will lead to corruption.

Articles of Confederation

The articles of confederation were the 1sr constitution. It divided power between states and national governments. Each state had great power and the national government was very weak. The key weaknesses of the articles were that the national government would not easily raise and army (Shay’s Rebellion) and thay the national government could not levy taxes.

Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence stated a new theory of governemnt based on enlightenment ideas, like natural rights, social contract, and consent of the governed. The document lists all the ways the kind abused the rights of the Americans colonists and then, declares the colonies independent of Great Britain.

Letter from Birmingham Jail

This is a letter to white moderate clergyman who think Martin Luther King Jr. is moving too quickly for change. King explains the purpose of his tactics, and explains why he cannot wait. He explains the difference between just and unjust laws, and the difference between his movement and the black nationalist movement.