AP Government - Unit 1

Articles of Confederation

1st Constitution of the U.S. 1781-1788 (weaknesses-no executive, no judicial, no power to tax, no power to regulate trade)

Monarchy

A government ruled by a king or queen

Natural Law

A doctrine that society should be governed by certain ethical principals that are part of nature and as such can be understood by reason

Separation of Powers

A way of dividing the power of government among the legislative, executive, and judicial branch

Shay's Rebellion

Rebellion led by Daniel Shays of farmers in western Massachusetts in 1786-1787, protesting mortgage foreclosures. It highlighted the need for a strong national government just as the call for the Constitutional Convention went out.

Ideology

A system of ideas or ideals, especially one that forms the basis of economic or political theory and policy

Anti-Federalist

Those who favored strong state governments and a weaker national government

Bicameral

A legislature consisting of two parts, or houses

Connecticut Compromise (Great Compromise)

Compromise agreement by states at the Constitutional Convention for a bicameral legislature with a lower house in which representation would be based on population and an upper house in which each state would have two senators.

Constitutional Convention

A meeting in Philadelphia in 1787 that produced a new constitution

Direct Democracy

A form of government in which citizens rule directly and not through representatives

Federalism

The system of government in the United States in which power is shared between the national and state governments.

Federalists

Those who favored a stronger national government and weaker state governments

Federalist Papers

A collection of 85 articles written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison under the name "Publius" to defend the Constitution in detail.

Indirect Democracy

a system of government that gives citizens the opportunity to vote for representatives who work on their behalf

New Jersey Plan

Proposal at the Constitutional Convention made by William Paterson of New Jersey for a central government with a single-house legislature in which each state would be represented equally.

Virginia Plan

Initial proposal at the Constitutional Convention made by the Virginia delegation for a strong central government with a bicameral legislature dominated by the big states.

Republic

A form of government in which citizens choose their leaders by voting; indirect/Representative democracy

Three-Fifths Clause

slave counted as 3/5 of a person for population in congress.

Unicameral

One-house legislature

Oligarchy

A form of government in which the power to rule is held by a small, usually self-appointed elite.

Checks and Balances

A system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power

Elastic Clause

Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution, which allows Congress to make all laws that are "necessary and proper" to carry out the powers of the Constitution.

Cooperative Federalism

A system of government in which powers and policy assignments are shared between states and the national government.

Majority Rule

Governance according to the expressed preferences of the majority.

Plurality

Candidate or party with the most votes cast in an election, not necessarily more than half.

Popular Sovereignty

A government in which the people rule by their own consent.

Supremacy Clause

Article VI of the Constitution, which makes the Constitution, national laws, and treaties supreme over state laws when the national government is acting within its constitutional limits.

(ex. McCulloch v. Maryland)

Amendment

A change in, or addition to, a constitution or law

Bill of Rights

A formal statement of the fundamental rights of the people of the United States, incorporated in the Constitution as Amendments 1-10, and in all state constitutions.

Informal Amendments

the process by which over time many changes have been made in the Constitution which have not involved any changes in its written words

Ratification

the official way to confirm or approve something, usually by vote

Incorporation Doctrine

The legal concept under which the Supreme Court has nationalized the Bill of Rights by making most of its provisions applicable to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment.

Concurrent Powers

Powers held jointly by the national and state governments.

Confederation

(also known as confederacy or league) is a union of political units for common action in relation to other units.

Dual Federalism

A system of government in which both the states and the national government remain supreme within their own spheres, each responsible for some policies.

Expressed Powers

Powers the Constitution specifically grants to one of the branches of the national government.

Implied Powers

Powers not specifically mentioned in the constitution;

Powers inferred from the express powers that allow Congress to carry out its functions.

Inherent Powers

powers that exist for the national government because the government is sovereign

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

The court ruled that the states did not have the power to tax the national bank with the backing of the supremacy clause

Reserved Powers

belong to the states and the people;

Powers not specifically granted to the federal government or denied to the states

Unitary System

A government that gives all key powers to the national or central government

Block Grants

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

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

Devolution

The transfer of power from a high level political office to a lower level; central government to regional, state, or local governments

Gibbons v. Ogden

Commerce clause case (1824). Decision greatly enlarged Congress' interstate commerce clause power by broadly defining the meaning of "commerce" to include virtually all types of economic activity.

Marbury v. Maddison

1803, supreme court case that established the principle of judicial review. the idea that the supreme court had the final authority to determine constitutionality.

Natural Rights

the idea that all people have certain rights that cannot be taken away

Social Contract

A voluntary agreement among individuals to secure their rights and welfare by creating a government and abiding by its rules.

Limited Government

A principle of constitutional government; a government whose powers are defined and limited by a constitution.

Republicanism

A form of government in which people elect representatives to create and enforce laws

Declaration of Independence

Signed in 1776 by US revolutionaries; it declared the United States as a free state.

United States Constitution

Document creating the United States government. Based on Enlightenment ideas. Ratified in 1788.

Grand Committee

a committee at the Constitutional Convention that worked out the compromise on representation

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

Brutus 1

Before the constitution was ratified; too much power in national government; won't be able to survive bc it's too big

Federalist 10

An essay composed by James Madison which argues that liberty is safest in a large republic because many interests (factions) exist. Such diversity makes tyranny by the majority more difficult since ruling coalitions will always be unstable.

Exclusive Powers

Those powers that can be exercised by the National Government alone

Electoral College

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

by congressional vote

Federalist 51

explains how constitutional provisions of separation of powers and checks and balances control potential abuses by majorities.

Impeachment

The House formally charges an official with abuse of power or misconduct and removal (if the official is convicted in a Senate trial).

Revenue Sharing

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

Mandate

requirements by the national government of the states

Due Process Clause

14th amendment clause stating that no state may deprive a person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law

Equal Protection Clause

Clause in the Fourteenth Amendment that forbids any state to deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

Commerce Clause

gives the national government the power to regulate interstate commerce

Necessary and Proper Clause

gives Congress the power to make laws related

to carrying out its enumerated powers

Government

The institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies

The Gettysburg Address

(1863) a speech given by Abraham Lincoln after the Battle of Gettysburg, in which he reaffirmed equality and popular sovereignty as defining foundations of democracy

Federalist No. 39

James Madison - constitution is neither strictly federal nor strictly national which limits the concentration of power in any one part of the government while also allowing multiple access points for political participation