AP Gov

Mayflower Compact

A governing document drafted by the Pilgrims in 1620 that established a civil body politic grounded in Christian morals.

Declaration of Independence

A document that provided a moral and legal justification for the American colonies' rebellion against Great Britain in 1776.

Natural Rights

God-given rights that empower individuals, as proposed by Enlightenment philosophers like John Locke.

Social Contract

An agreement among individuals to form a society, often discussed by Enlightenment thinkers like Rousseau and Locke.

Separation of Powers

The division of government responsibilities into distinct branches to limit any one branch from exercising the core functions of another.

John Locke

An Enlightenment philosopher who argued that people are born free and equal and should consent to be governed.

Thomas Hobbes

A philosopher known for his work 'The Leviathan,' arguing that without government, life would be 'solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.'

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Philosopher who emphasized popular sovereignty and the social contract, claiming that people are born free but everywhere in chains.

Montesquieu

An Enlightenment thinker who advocated for the separation of powers in government to prevent tyranny.

Constitutional Convention

A gathering in 1787 where delegates met to revise the Articles of Confederation and ultimately drafted the U.S. Constitution.

Articles of Confederation

The first constitution of the United States, which established a weak federal government.

Checks and Balances

A system established by the U.S. Constitution to ensure that no one branch of government becomes too powerful.

Popular Sovereignty

The principle that the government's authority derives from the consent of the governed.

Representative Republic

A type of government in which elected officials represent a group of people, emphasizing citizen representation at a national level.

Electoral College

A body of electors established by the Constitution who formally elect the President and Vice President of the United States.

Civil Body Politic

A term used to describe a self-governing political entity, as outlined in the Mayflower Compact.

Enlightenment Philosophy

A movement emphasizing reason, individualism, and the social contract, influencing the development of democratic government.

The Spirit of the Laws

A work by Montesquieu that discussed the need for separation of powers and defined aspects of political governance.