AP GOV UNIT 1

AP exam review

1st ammendment

freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition

2nd ammendment

right to keep and bear arms

3rd ammendment

prohibits the forced quartering of soldiers

4th ammendment

protects against unreasonable searches and seizures; needs warrant or probably cause

5th ammendment

ensures rights to due process, protects against self-incrimination, and prohibits double Jeopardy.

6th ammendment

right to speedy and public trial, legal council, and to confront witnesses

7th ammendment

right to trial by jury

8th ammendment

no excessive bail or fines, no cruel or unusual punishment

9th ammendment

citizens have rights not listed in the constitution

10th ammendment

the federal government an only do things in constitution, anything else belongs to the states and citizens

ideals of democracy

• natural rights

• popular sovereignty

• social contract

• limited government

natural rights

all people have certain rights that cannot be taken away, that are given to them by God, not a monarch or ruler.

popular sovereignty

all government power comes from the consent of the people

social contract

people give up some of their freedoms to maintain social order.

characteristics of a limited government

• separation of powers

• checks and balances

• federalism

• republicanism

separation of powers

power is divided among different branches of government to prevent any branch from becoming too powerful

checks and balances

each ranch of government is given constitutional means to limit the power of the other branches

federalism

systems like the U.S., power is further divided vertically between a national government and state governments, decentralizing authority.

republicanism

government should be based on the consent of the governed and emphasizes individual rights, civic virtue, and the common good.

the European Enlightenment

an intellectual movement emphasizing reason, individualism, and skepticism of traditional authority

• this influenced U.S. government by promoting natural rights, social contract theory, and separation of powers.

representative republic

a form of government where citizens elect officials to make decisions and pass laws on their behalf, balancing popular sovereignty with institutional limitations.

types of democracy

• participatory

• pluralist

• elite

participatory democracy

emphasizes broad participation in politics and civil society

• citizens vote on laws directly, not through representatives

• shown through state laws mostly

• initiatives, referendums

shown in constitution through seperation of powers between the fed government and the state governments

elite democracy

emphasizes limited participation by a few, well-educated and informed statespeople who are qualified to direct the nation through law making on behalf of the people

• example includes electoral college and supreme court justices.

• shown in constitution through it providing elected representatives that legislate on behalf of the people

pluralist democracy

group based activism by nongovernmental interests which work to impact political decision making

• interest groups, ie NAACP, NRA

• shown in constitution through stating in order to get a law passes, various interests, both states and otherwise, have to comprimise to get it done

federalists

wanted more centralized power in the federal governemnt

antifederalists

power should stay with the states

state powers

• powers granted to the individual states

• includes establishing schools, intrastate commerce, conducting elections

federal powers

• powers given to the national government

• includes printing money, maintaing treaties with foreign nations, declaring war

concurrent powers

• shared powers between the federal and state governments

• includes collecting axes, enforcing laws, protecting public health and safety

confederation

an association of states with some authority delegate to a national government

• the U.S. under the articles of confederation

the states in such a system retain most of the power, but the national government is authorized to carry out some functions, such as a diplomatic relations.

unitary government

only one central government has authority over a nation

• there are no levels of government that share power, power is note shared

federal governmet

• decentralized

• power is shared by a powerful central government and the staes

  • public involvement: citizens can elect local, state, and federal representaitves

  • access: a greater # of interests can be represented across levels, ensuringthat the government will be more responsive to public concerns

weaknesses of articles of confederation

• federal government only had one branch (legislative)

• all 13 states had to agree to an amendment of the articles

• no power to raise taxes

• no national currency

• Congress had no power to raise a national army

shays rebellion

farmers who had gotten in to debt while they were off fighting the war, and they wanted relief from taxes because they were serving their country

• did not get relief, so they raised militia

• massachusets could not raise a national army to come help fight militia

• shined bright light on weaknesses of articles

constitutional convention

• called to fix issues w/articles of confederation

the great comprimise

• how would people be represented in new Congress?

• comprimise of the Virginia plan and the new jersey plan

• bicameral legislature, house of representatives apportioned by population, Senate apportioned equally with one member per state

virginia plan

• argued that representatives ought to be apportioned by population

• bigger states would have more representatives and smaller states would have less

• interests of small states would never prevail

• larger states have the advantage over smaller states

new Jersey plan

• argued that representatives ought to be apportioned equally: each state gets one vote

• small states have the advantage over big states.

electoral college

each state is given the same # of electors as they have representatives in Congress, and it is the electors who put the president in office

3/5 comprimise

• how would enslaved people account for representation int eh House of Representatives

• comprimise between slave-holding and non-slave hold states (south and north) was that slaves accounted for 3/5 of the population and taxes

importation of enslaved people

slave trade wouldn’t be touched until 20 years, and it was abolished in 1808

proposal of ammendment

• either Congress or special state convention can propose an ammendment

  • 2/3 vote is needed to pass the ammendment on to the next state

ratification of ammendments

• proposed amendment must be ratified or accepted by ¾ of the states

  • can be done by state legislatures or state ratifying conventions

• if ¾ of states approve, it becomes an official amendment to the constitution

advantages of federalism

• prevents growth of tyranny

• provides training for future leaders

• permits a uniform country with different opinions

• keeps people closer to the government

• encourages expirimentation

legislative branch

branch of gov’t responsible for making, amending, and passing law

• consists of the congress, which is the house or representatives and the Senate combined.

executive branch

the branch of government that enforces laws, including the bureaucracy and the president.

judicial branch

system of federal courts and judges that interprets laws, applies them to the real-world, and decides if laws violate the constitution.

legislative checks on the executive

• power of advise and consent, a checking power specifically designated to the senate

• power of impeachment

executive checks on legislative

• can check Congress through veto, but Congress can override this through 2/3 vote

judicial checks on legislative

• the power of judicial review, to declare laws unconstitutional

stakeholder

anyone with a vested interest in the outcome of policymaking

speaking into law

• interest groups can pay professional lobbyists to meet with representatives to make them aware of the group

• average citizens can write letter or emails to representatives.

neccessary and proper clause

clause that gives Congress what are considered implied powers

• article one section 8

implied powers

powers that are assumed to be true without being specially stated.

commerce clause

gives Congress the power to regulate the “movement of goods, services, and people across state lines”.

• article 1, section 8

intrastate commerce

• trade inside one state

• power of state

interstate commerce

• trade with between two states

• power of congress

expressed powers

• powers expressed or stated in the constitution by the founders

• aka enumerated powers

implied power

political powers granted to the United States government that are not explicitly stated in the constitution

reserved powers

powers that the states excercise but generally the federal government does not.

14th ammendment

• granted citizenship and equal civil and legal rights to all African Americans, especially those who had been emancipated after the American civil war

• all persons now counted as citizens

• equal protection of the law

due process clause

no one shall be “deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law” by the federal government

• included in the 5th and 14th amendments

revenue sharing

• distribution of a potion of federal tax revenue to state and local governments

mandated funds

federal money distributed to states with specific directives

categorical grant

federal money distributed to states who meet specific federal standards

block grant

federal money distributed to states with broad boundaries