AP GOV- documents

Declaration of Independence

• gov must protect natural rights: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness

• social contract: Government gets power from the consent of the governed

• basis for constitution and bill of rights

• protect unalienable individual liberties

• despotism: right to abolish government if corrupt + unelected tyranny takes all power (dictator)

Articles of Confederation

-first national gov after declaration of independence, replaced by constitution, power to the states, only congress

-weak central gov: no executive, no judiciary, no power to tax(interstate/commerce), power only in states,

- laws 9/13 states, amendments, 1 vote per state, declare war and peace, coin and borrow $$$, sign treaties

Constitution overview

-3 branches gov/seperation of powers, power to tax(interstate commerce),

-amendments: 2/3 congress(senate+house), ¾ states

-checks and balances, federalism

-elite, pluralist, and participatory democracy

Preamble - goals of the constitution

“form union, justice, tranquility”

Article I - Legislative Branch (congress)

• house of reps + senate

• Powers: tax, declare war, regulate commerce, make laws

• (Elastic Clause = implied powers), necessary and proper clause

Article II - Executive Branch (president)

-enforces laws

-treaties, militia, foreign affairs, appointments, veto

Article III - Judicial Branch (supreme court)

• interprets constitutional laws

• federal courts(states)

• approval of senate

Article IV - State Relations

-rights and privileges for every citizen

Article V - Amendment Process

• proposal: 2/3 congress

• ratification: ¾ states

• constitutional convention: 2/3 states

Article VI - Supremacy Clause

• Supremacy Clause: Constitution = supreme law of the land

• federal laws over state laws

Article VII - Ratification

-9/13 states ratify constitution

Bill of Rights

protect individual liberties from federal abuse

BofR - 1st Amendment

freedom of religion (Free Exercise + Establishment Clauses), assembly, press/petition, speech

BofR- 2nd Amendment

Right to bear arms

BofR - 3rd Amendment

Right to not quarter soldiers , no quartering of troops

BofR- 4th Amendment

No unreasonable search and seizure

BofR- 5th Amendment

Legal rights: due process of law

-no self-incrimination

-rights of accused

-grand jury

-no double jeopardy

BofR- 6th Amendment

Right to fair, impartial, speedy, public, trial

-right to attorney appointed by state

BofR- 7th Amendment

Right to Civil trial by jury

BofR- 8th Amendment

No cruel or unusual punishment(torture, extreme sentances)

-no excessive fines

BofR- 9th Amendment

Individual rights

-right to privacy

-rights not listed in the constitution

BofR- 10th Amendment

Reserved power to the states

-Powers not given to the federal government go to states or people

13th Amendment

Abolished slavery 📝 Passed after Civil War. First of the Reconstruction Amendments.

14th Amendment

• Equal Protection

• no state can make laws that take away rights of ppl

• citizenship

15th Amendment

right to vote for US citizens

-Voting can’t be denied based on race

19th Amendment

Women’s suffrage

-cant discriminate against sex

- Key victory for the women’s rights movement.

24th Amendment

bans federal and state govs from taxing voters during elections

-eliminate economic barriers to voting

26th Amendment

Lowers voting age to 18

Federalist #10 - JM

control factions(dangerous) in a large republic

• Factions (interest groups/parties) are inevitable due to human nature

• control effects: large representative republic (pluralism), take away causes

• representation refines public views through elected leaders

• pluralist democracy

Federalist 51 - JM

How the structure of government protects liberty,

• Constitution’s structure uses checks and balances and separation of powers to prevent tyranny and protect individual freedom

• federalism

• gov in 3 branches: Legislative, Executive, Judicial

• legislative most powerful

Federalism #70 - AH

importance of strong executive

• energetic & forceful executive force protects liberty

• weak exectutive=weak government

• Protection against foreign attacks

• Steady administration of the laws

• Protection of property and liberty

• separation of powers (executive to balance legislative) checks and balances

Federalist #78 - AH

prevent abuse of power from passing unconstitutional laws/judiciary of gov

• advocates for an independent judiciary, appointment, and the concept of judicial review as a safeguard of the Constitution and individual rights

• judiciary = "least dangerous" branch, crucial check power of the other branches (legislative, executive)

• life tenure: frees from political pressure

Brutus #1 - anti-federalist

• against constitution, power to the states

• fear strong central gov > states = threaten individual liberties

• power given to fed gov → necessary and proper clause, supremacy

• dangers of a large centralized gov bc it cant represent views of ppl, corruption/tyranny

• the lack of a Bill of Rights

• historical evidence: confederation of states, federalist papers, city states and ancient rome

• taxing=lost confedertation

Letter From Birmingham Jail - Martin Luther King

civil rights movement: justice, civil disobedience, and constitutional rights

• right to protest, civil disobedience, equality under the law, and the role of the judicial system in ensuring justice for all citizens

• 1st amendment: civil disobedience aligns with right to freedom of speech and peaceable assembly

• Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause, fed gov needs to ensure safety under law

• call for justice and equality : balance btwn gov authority and individual rights

• protest: collect facts of injustice, negotiation, self-purification, direct action=peaceful demonstrations/sit-ins