AP Gov Foundational Documents

Declaration of Independence

Listed grievances

Announced separation from Britain

Focus on natural human rights (life, liberty, and property)

Influenced by enlightenment

Articles of Confederation

Weak central government

No national executive, judiciary, or currency

Unicameral legislature

Congress had like no authority

Constitution

Separation of powers (Checks and Balances)

Federalism

National Supremacy

Bill of Rights added later (first 10 amendments)

Bicameral

Federalist 10

Large Republic is the only way to control the effects of factions (you can’t remove causes)

Federalist 51

Separation of Powers

Keeps corruption in check

Bicameral Legislature

Federalist 70

One executive

2+ causes too much arguing

Energy and unity is important for executives

Federalist 78

Judiciary is a relatively weak branch (power comes from people/ not superior to any branch)

Judges have lifetime tenure (bound only to Constitution and not parties/people)

Argues for Judicial Review

Brutus 1

Anti-federalist

Too much power to a central government

Too large a state to have free republic (US can’t be reduced to one state and still keep its freedom/ states have unique identities

Standing Armies (destruction of liberties)

Letters from Birmingham Jail

MLK response to southerners who said that the civil rights demonstrations were “unwise and untimely”

Argued for direct action - they have already done everything else they could and this was their last resort

non-violence protesting