AP Government Chapter 2: The Constitution

Mercantilism

is an economic theory designed to increase wealth through the development of commercial industry and a favorable trade balance

• Only have one trading partner and have to only purchase goods from that one country so they make a lot of money

Stamp Act

• There were stamps on everything and the money from purchasing that goes to England 

• Every time you used a piece of paper, you were taxed

  • Expanded to other products as well like tea 

• Stamp Act Congress was used to fight the taxes

  • They believed in free trade

  • Stop mercantilism and make money

Common Sense

• a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine that challenged the authority of the British government to govern the colonies

• Reasons why we should break from Britain

• This inspired other people

Declaration of Independence

• is a document drafted largely by Thomas Jefferson in 1776 that proclaimed the right of the American colonies to separate from Great Britain

• Theme: freedom from England 

  • Life, liberty, pursuit of happiness

• Talks about how now we are going to be free and why and what we believe

• Ideas the document is based on: Locke, the Enlightenment, Russo Monteskew

Social Contract Theory

• the belief that government exists based on the consent of the governed and the governed and the government enter into a contract whereby the governed provide the government with power and the government protects the rights of the citizens, if this relationship is not maintained the governed have the right, or duty, to break from the government 

• is a political theory that individuals consent to form a government to ensure protection and order in exchange for some personal freedoms, influencing the development of democratic governments.

Political Culture

the commonly held attitudes, behaviors, and core values about how government should operate

• Equality of opportunity, not outcome 

• Individual responsibility 

• Mistrust of government & governmental power 

• Limited government 

• Religion and faith 

• Providence, abundance, and Manifest Destiny 

• Associationalism and civic duty 

• Greater inclusion of “out-groups”

What was the issue that caused many people to argue for lowering the voting age and describe the circumstances that ultimately led it to becoming the 26th Amendment?

people who were being drafted to fight in wars believed if they were old enough to fight for their country they should have the right to vote

• this lowered the voting age to 18 from 21

Before the 1760s how did Americans see themselves and what event began to change it? What way did it change, and who was responsible for initiating the shift?

• Before the American Revolution, Americans viewed themselves as English men and women

  • The French and Indian war changed this because we didn’t get any representation 

  • We started to get taxed to pay for the losses from war 

  • Parliament was responsible for initiating the shift 

  • this led to the American Revolution

How is mercantilism supposed to make a country wealthy? What is an example of mercantilistic policies, real or imagined?

• Only have one trading partner and have to only purchase goods from that one country so they make a lot of money 

Example:

• Navigation Act: all goods had to go through England to get taxed before going anywhere else

What policy changes did Britain make after the French and Indian War and what affect did this have on the colonies?

Britain imposed new taxes and stricter regulations on the colonies to recover war debts, leading to widespread discontent and resistance among colonists, ultimately fueling the desire for independence.

• England says we owe them a lot of money and don't get to trade with anyone with no representation 

  • They tax America in order to get the money

What was the Stamp Act Congress and what beliefs did the attendants believe in?

• There were stamps on everything and the money from purchasing that goes to England 

• Every time you used a piece of paper, you were taxed

  • Expanded to other products as well like tea 

• Stamp Act Congress was used to fight the taxes

  • They believed in free trade

  • Stop mercantilism and make money

What actions did the American colonists, particularly the Bostonians, take that brought the US and Britain closer to war?

• Boston Tea Party 

• Boston Massacare 

Who attended the First Continental Congress and what was decided?

• 56 delegates: Guys from each colony 

  • They send a letter to the King because they believe they haven’t been represented in parliament 

  • They are hoping that the King will fix it or end the taxation 

• They decided to boycott British goods and drafted a settlement of colonial rights

Who attended the Second Continental Congress and what was decided?

John Hancock and everyone else who attended the first continental congress

• form a unified military

• declare independence from Great Britain

• establish a national government

What was the theme of Common Sense and what affect did this pamphlet have on the colonists?

• Reasons why we should break from Britain

• This inspired other people

• Common Sense was a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine that challenged the authority of the British government to govern the colonies

What was the theme of the Declaration of Independence, how was it written, who wrote it, and describe the ideas the document is based on?

theme: freedom from England 

• Life, liberty, pursuit of happiness

• It was written based on what the King has done wrong and what we believe

• Mainly Thomas Jefferson wrote it but John Adams and Ben Franklin helped 

• Talks about how now we are going to be free and why and what we believe

• Ideas the document is based on: Locke, the Enlightenment, Russo Monteskew 

What characteristics made up the political culture of the colonists and what actions did they take to codify these terms?

• Equality of opportunity, not outcome 

• Individual responsibility 

• Mistrust of government & governmental power 

• Limited government 

• Religion and faith 

• Providence, abundance, and Manifest Destiny 

• Associationalism and civic duty 

• Greater inclusion of “out-groups”

Articles of Confederation

• The first attempt by Americans to organize a government

• the concept between the thirteen colonies that created a loose league of friendship, with the national government drawing its powers from the states 

Critical Period

• the chaotic period from 1781 to 1789 after the American Revolution during which the former colonies were governed under the Articles of Confederation

Shay’s Rebellion

• a rebellion in which an army of 1,500 disgruntled and angry farmers led by Daniel Shays marched to Springfield, MA and forcibly restrained the state court from foreclosing mortgages on their farms

What important powers did the national government have and not have under the Articles of

Confederation?

• Declare war and make peace

• Make treaties with foreign countries

• Establish an army and navy, but had to ask states to do so

• Appoint high-ranking military officials 

• Requisitition, print, and borrow money 

• Establish weights

Identify and describe 5 reasons the Articles of Confederation was not successful.

• The government was weak

• problem with currency

• there was no army

• no way to tax

• difficult to enforce laws

• no real way to regulate trade

Describe the circumstances that led to Shay’s Rebellion, how it was put down, and the larger affect the rebellion had on Americans and the government.

Farmers, revolutionary war veterans, Daniel Shay wasn’t able to pay his mortgage because it’s too expensive and he isn’t getting paid-he’s a farmer, since he served in the Revolutionary War he says the government said that those who served would be taken care of and given money but wasn’t given money because there were no taxes, the government owes them money so the collectively agree to riot, they said they weren't paying until they got their money

Constitutional Convention

was the meeting in Philadelphia from March to September 1787 that was first intended to revise the Articles of Confederation but produced an entirely new document, the US Constitution

• Start from scratch and make a new government 

  • Governed by the Constitution

Founding Fathers

the men who attended and created the Constitution

Constitution

the set of fundamental laws, establishing the framework of government, the separation of powers, and the rights of citizens.

Virginia Plan

System where all the votes are tallied up based on population

• Favored by large states

• Two houses of Congress 

• Representations based on population 

• Created a stronger national government

New Jersey Plan

Based on the Articles of Confederation, even amount of votes per state (since their population is lower they want it to be fair among all states

• Favored by small states 

• One house of congress 

• Each state would have equal representation

• Similar to the Articles of Confederation

Great Compromise

• Two house legislature 

• In one house (later called the House of Representatives), the people would directly elect a number of representatives based on each state’s population

  • The house would have the power to originate all bills for raising and spending money 

• In the second house of the legislature (later called the Senate), each state would have an equal vote, and state legislatures would select the representatives 

• In dividing power between the national and state governments, national power would be supreme

• The smaller states were pleased because they received equal representation in the Senate

• The larger states were satisfied with the proportional representation in the House of Representatives

  • The small states would then dominate the Senate, while the large states would control the house

• But because both houses had to pass any legislation, neither body could dominate the other

• combined stuff from each plan into one

Three-Fifths Compromise

An agreement reached during the Constitutional Convention that counted each enslaved person as three-fifths of a person for the purposes of taxation and representation in Congress.

• an agreement reached at the Constitutional Convention stipulating that three-fifths of the total slave population of each state was to be for purposes of determining population for representation in the US House of Representatives and taxation 

Electoral College

• the system established by the Constitution through which the president is chosen by electors from each state, which has as many electoral votes as it has members of Congress

When the Constitutional Convention was convened, why did Virginia’s delegates stand out from the rest early on?

they arrived first and proposed the Virginia Plan, advocating for a strong national government with three branches and a bicameral legislature based on population, which significantly influenced the debates.

Identify and describe the various motives of the delegates to the Constitutional Convention.

• To fix the problems of the Articles of Confederation 

• Each state is going to have its own motivation 

  • Example: New York isn’t going to care about cotton prices

• Slavery 

  • Northerners want to abolish 

  • Southerners want to keep it

• Equality of  voting among the states 

  • Virginia is big but Massachusetts is smaller with a smaller population 

    • Massachusetts has a lot of war debt and owes a lot of money

    • Virginia is very wealthy and has paid all the war debt off and don’t want to pay for Massachusetts war debt

What was the issue regarding slavery and describe the compromise reached to settle this debate?

• People in the south heavily rely on slavery and the northerners don’t 

• The Three Fifths Compromise was an agreement reached at the Constitutional Convention stipulating that three-fifths of the total slave population of each state was to be for purposes of determining population for representation in the US House of Representatives and taxation

Federalism

distribution of authority between the state governments and the national government, with different powers and functions exercised by both

Separation of Powers

is a political doctrine that divides the responsibilities and powers of government into separate branches, typically the executive, legislative, and judicial, to prevent any one branch from gaining too much power.

Checks and Balances

the system that ensures no branch of government becomes too powerful by providing each branch with specific authority to limit the powers of the others. This structure is crucial for maintaining a balance within the federal government.

• Montesquieu believed the branches would maintain their power and independence through a system of checks and balances. This idea is a constitutionally mandated structure that gives each of the three branches of government some degree of oversight and control over the actions of the others 

  • Example: if the executive tries to become too powerful the other branches will step in

Enumerated Powers

• the expressed powers of Congress because they are expressly stated in the Constitution 

powers specifically granted to the federal government by the Constitution, primarily found in Article I, Section 8. These powers include the ability to tax, regulate commerce, and declare war.

Necessary and Proper Clause

contained in Article 1, section 8 also it gives Congress the authority to pass all laws “necessary and proper” to carry out the enumerated powers specified in the Constitution, it is also called the elastic clause

Implied Powers

the powers of the national government derived from the enumerated powers and the necessary and proper clause

Inherent Powers

powers that are not explicitly stated in the Constitution but are essential for the national government to effectively govern and conduct its affairs, typically associated with its sovereignty.

Full Faith and Credit Clause

• ensures judicial decrees and contracts made in one state will be binding and enforceable in any other state

Supremacy Clause

mandates that national law is supreme over all other laws passed by the states or by any other subdivision of government

Describe the concept of federalism and how it is reflected in the Constitution.

The Framers of the Constitution also created a system of government known as federalism

distribution of authority between the state governments and the national government, with different powers and functions exercised by both

Describe what the Framers borrowed from Montesquieu

the idea of a separation of powers among different branches of government to prevent tyranny.

Describe the key features of the separation of powers.

a fundamental principle of the Constitution, the separation of powers divides government responsibilities into distinct branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial, ensuring that no single branch gains too much power.

How does the system of checks and balances work in the US system, providing examples for each branch of government?

it’s to prevent any one branch of government from becoming too powerful by allowing each branch to limit the powers of the others. For example, the legislative branch can make laws, but the executive branch has the power to veto legislation, while the judicial branch can declare laws unconstitutional.

Look at Table 2.1, what are 3 ways the Articles of Confederation and US Constitution are similar and 5 ways they are different.

Articles of Confederation 

• All states had to agree to amend the document 

• Each state got one vote

• Full sovereignty

• Congress was dependent of states to contribute forces 

• Complicated arbitration system 

US Constitution

• Federal court system Congress can regulate trade

• Senate gets 2 votes per state 

• Congress can raise an army 

• Federal court handles problems 

• Constitution is supreme law

Both 

• Required taxes

• States could vote 

• Military power

How is the Constitution organized, in general and specifically?

the Constitution is organized into a preamble followed by seven articles that outline the framework of government

• Preamble: states the purpose of the Constitution and government 

• Article 1: legislative branch (congress)

• Article 2: executive branch (presidency)

• Article 3: judicial branch (supreme court)

• Article 4: relations among the states 

• Article 5: amending the Constitution 

• Article 6: national debts, supremacy of national law, and oaths of office

• Article 7: ratifying the Constitution

As the Constitution was being considered by the states, what issues were the early Americans most concerned with in the document?

they were primarily concerned with issues such as the balance of power between the federal and state governments, the protection of individual rights, and how to ensure fair representation in the legislative process.

Ratify

approve

Federalists

those who favored a stronger national government and supported the proposed US Constitution

Anti-Federalists

those who favored strong state governments and a weak national government, opposed ratification of the Constitution, they did not become a political party because they were not united

The Federalist Papers

a series of 85 political essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay in support of the ratification of the US Constitution and they were published specifically for New York and Virginia as they were printed in newspapers for these states

Bill of Rights

the first ten amendments to the US Constitution, which largely guarantee specific rights and liberties

How did two political parties emerge from ratification and what issues did they believe in?

Two political parties emerged in the ratification fight as the Federalists were those who favored a stronger national government and supported the proposed US Constitution, later becoming the first political party, and the Anti-Federalists, those who favored strong state governments and a weak national government, opposed ratification of the Constitution, they did not become a political party because they were not united, they liked the Articles of Confederation

What are The Federalist Papers, who wrote them, what is their function (then and now), and what was the main argument of these documents?

• collection of political essay

• written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Day

• this was in support of the ratification of the US Constitution

• addressed concerns about the balance of power in government

Describe the main issues against ratification, as represented by the Anti-Federalists.

• Don't want the president to turn into a King

• They wanted the states to have power 

• Congress could abuse its tax power 

What was the first act of the First Congress and why was this the case?

propose the Bill of Rights

Amend

to make changes or improvements, often referring to legal documents or statutes such as the Constitution.

Describe how the Constitution can be amended formally.

The Constitution can be amended formally through a two-step process:

1. a proposed amendment must be approved by a two-thirds majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, then goes to the state →

2. it must be ratified by three-fourths of the state legislatures or by conventions in three-fourths of the states.

Describe how the Constitution can be amended informally.

• passing basic legislation

• actions of the president

• decisions made by the supreme court

• activities of political parties

Describe the ways the Constitution has been informally amended, providing as example of each.

informal amendments to the Constitution occur through judicial interpretation, such as court decisions that redefine constitutional rights; through changes in political practices, like the evolution of political parties; and through societal changes, such as shifts in public opinion that influence policy.

look over Jefferson and Locke packet

review!!!