AP Gov Unit 1: Foundations of Democracy

Limited Government

A government’s power cannot be absolute; The ideal of limited government is ensured by the interaction of these principles: separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, republicanism

Natural Rights

All people have certain rights that cannot be taken away (life, liberty, property)

Popular Sovereignty

All government power comes from the consent of its people

Republicanism

The democratic principle that the will of the people is reflected in government debates and decisions by their representatives

Social Contract

An implicit agreement among the people in a society to give up some freedoms to maintain social order

Representative Democracy

A system of government in which all eligible citizens to vote on representatives to make public policy for them; can take several forms including the following models: participatory democracy, pluralist democracy, elite democracy

Participatory Democracy

Emphasizes broad participation in politics and civil society

Pluralist Democracy

Emphasizes group-based activism by nongovernmental interests striving for impact on political decision making

Elite Democracy

Emphasizes limited participation in politics and civil society

Declaration of Independence

Drafted by Thomas Jefferson (with help from Adams and Franklin), restates the philosophy of natural rights, and provides a foundation for popular sovereignty

U.S. Constitution

An example of a social contract and establishes a system of limited government; provides the blueprint for a unique form of democratic government in the US

Federalist 10

Focused on the superiority of a large republic in controlling the “mischiefs of faction,” delegating authority to elected representatives and dispersin power between the states and national government, written by James Madison

Brutus I

Adhered to popular democratic theory that emphasized the benefits of a small, decentralized republic while warning of the dangers to personal liberty from a large, centralized government, written by Robert Yates

Articles of Confederation

Specific incidents and legal challenges that highlighted key weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation are represented by the: lack of centralized military power to address Shay’s Rebellion, lack of an executive branch to enforce laws, including taxation, lack of a national court system, lack of power to regulate interstate commerce, lack of power to coin money

Anti-Federalist

Opposed the ratification of the Constitution and wanted more power reserved to state government rather than a strong central government

Federalist

Supported ratification of the Constitution and a strong central government

Democracy

A system of government in which power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or through freely elected representatives

Faction

A party or group that is often contentious or self-seeking

Shay’s Rebellion

An armed uprising in western Massachusetts in opposition to high taxation and insufficient economic policies that exposed concern over the weaknesses of the national government under the Articles of Confederation

Great (Connecticut) Compromise

Created a dual (bicameral) system of congressional representation with the House of Representatives based on each state’s population and the Senate representing each state equally

Electoral College

Created a system for electing the president by electors from each state rather than by popular vote or by congressional vote

3/5ths Compromise

Provided a formula for calculating a state’s enslaved population for purposes of representation in the House and for taxation

Constitutional Convention

A meeting of delegates from the several states in 1787 intended to revise the Articles of Confederation and ultimately drafted the US Constitution in establishing a stronger central government

Article V/Amendment Process

Entailed either a two-thirds vote in both houses or a proposal from two-thirds of the state legislatures, with final ratification determined by three-fourths of the states

Ratification

The act of consenting to the US Constitution through state ratification conventions, requiring 9 of the 13 states to ratify per Article VII of the US Constitution

Separation of Powers

Specific and separate powers delegated to Congress, the president, and the courts allow each branch to check and balance the power of the other branches, ensuring no one branch becomes too powerful; creates multiple access points for stakeholders and institutions to influence public policy

Checks and Balances

Allow legal actions to be taken against public officials deemed to have abused their powerFe

Federalist 51

Explains how constitutional provisions of separation of powers and checks and balances control potential abuses by majorities, written by James Madison

Impeachment

The House formally charges an official with abuse of power or misconductRe

moval (Impeachment Process)

If the official is convicted in a Senate impeachment trial

Federalism

The system of government in the US in which power is shared between the national and state governments

Enumerated Powers

Written in the Constitution

Implied Powers

Not specifically written in the Constitution bu are inferred from the Necessary and Proper Clause

Reserved Powers

Those no delegated or enumerated to the national government bu are reserved to the states, as stated in the Tenth Amendment

Concurrent Powers

Shared between both levels of government such as the power to collect taxes, the power to make and enforce laws and the power to build roads

Revenue Sharing

National funding with almost no restrictions to the states on its use and is the least used form of funding

Categorical Grants

National funding that is restricted to specific categories of expenditures, is preferred by the national government, and is the most commonly used form of funding

Block Grants

National funding with minimal restrictions to the states on its use and is preferred by the states

Mandates

Requirements by the national government of the states

Tenth Amendment

The last of the Bill of Rights to define the balance of power between the federal government and the states; establishes reserved powers of the states

Fourteenth Amendment

Due Process Clause and Equal protection Clause as applied to the states

Necessary & Proper Clause/Elastic Clause

Gives Congress the power to make laws related to carrying out its enumerated powers, but Supreme Court interpretations can influence the extent of these powers

Supremacy Clause

Gives the national government and its laws general precedence over states’ laws, but Supreme Court interpretations may affect when specific actions exceed this constitutional power