AP Government Full Test Review

Federalist #10

arguing for ratification and deals with factions

Federalist #51

government must have checks and balances and separation of powers

Federalist #70

Executive Branch must be created for a strong central government (Hamilton)

Federalist #78

judicial branch/judicial review

Declaration of Independence

formally announced the 13 original colonies were separating from Great Britain, listing grievances against King George III

signed in 1776

Articles of Confederation

the first U.S. Constitution which created a weak national government with most power in the states- lacked the ability to regulate tax/trade

Article 1 of the Constitution

legislative branch

Article 2 of the Constitution

executive branch

Article 3 of the Constitution

judicial branch

Article 4 of the Constitution

states rights and reserved powers

Article 5 of the Constitution

amending process

Article 6 of the Constitution

supremacy clause

Article 7 of the Constitution

ratification

Letters from Birmingham Jail

letter by MLK Jr. defending nonviolent protest and arguing that individuals have a moral duty to disobey unjust laws

Brutus #1

opposition to the U.S. Constitution

McCulloch v Maryland (1819)

confirmed implied powers and ruled states cannot tax the national bank

U.S. v Lopez (1995)

limited Congress’s Commerce Clause power; gun free school zones exceed federal authority

Engel v Vitale (1962)

school led prayer in public schools violates the Establishment Clause

Wisconsin v Yoder (1972)

Amish students can be exempt from schooling past 8th grade for religious reasons

Tinker v Des Moines (1969)

students have free speech rights in school if it does not disrupt learning

New York Times v U.S. (1971)

protected press freedom; government cannot block publication of Pentagon Papers

Schenck v U.S. (1919)

established “clear and present danger” limit on free speech

Gideon v Wainwright (1963)

guaranteed right to an attorney in criminal felony cases

Roe v Wade (1973)

womans right to privacy

Gitlow v New York (1925)

applied first amendment protections to states through incorporation doctrine

McDonald v Chicago (2010)

applied second amendment right to bear arms to states (due process)

Plessy v Ferguson (1896)

upheld “separate but equal”, legalizing segregation

Brown v Board of Education I (1954)

ruled segregation in public schools unconstitutional

Brown v Board of Education II (1955)

ordered desegregation to proceed with deliberate speed

Buckley v Valeo (1976)

upheld limits on campaign contributions but allowed unlimited personal spending

Citizens United v FEC (2010)

ruled corporations and unions can spend unlimited money on political speech

popular sovereignty

the idea that government gets its power from the people

federalism

a system of government where power is divided between a national government and state governments

separation of powers

a system that divides government into three branches (legislative, executive, and judicial) so no single branch has too much power

House Representation (how, term)

by people, 2 years

Senate Representation (how, term)

state legislation, 6 years

President Representation (how, term)

electoral college, 4 years

Courts Representation (how, term)

president/Senate, life

checks and balances

a system where each branch of government can limit the power of the other branches to prevent any one from becoming too powerful

judicial review

power of the Supreme Court to declare laws or acts as unconstitutional

limited government

a principle that government power is restricted by law and the Constitution so it cannot become too powerful and must respect individual rights

1st amendment

protects freedoms of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition

2nd amendment

the right to bear arms

3rd amendment

no mandatory quartering of soldiers

4th amendment

no unreasonable search and seizure

5th amendment

the right to remain silent- protection from self-incrimination and double Jeopardy, guarantees due process of law

6th amendment

Habeus Corpus- right to be informed of charges, right to a fair and speedy trial, right to an attorney

7th amendment

right to a trial by jury

8th amendment

no cruel and unusual punishment

9th amendment

protected rights not listed in the Constitution

10th amendment

states rights

11th amendment

suits against states

12 amendment

President and VP are elected through the Electoral College

13th amendment

abolishes slavery

14th amendment

equal protection

15th amendment

right to vote regardless of race

16th amendment

income tax

17th amendment

established direct elections of U.S. Senators by the people

18th amendment

prohibition of alcohol

19th amendment

right to vote regardless of sex

20th amendment

moves inauguration dates and says what happens if a president-elect dies or is unable to take office before being inaugurated

21st amendment

repeals prohibition of alcohol

22nd amendment

2 term limit for the president

23rd amendment

D.C. suffrage

24th amendment

no poll tax

25th amendment

replacing dead/disabled president

26th amendment

moves voting age to 18

27th amendment

congressional salaries

amending process

2/3 vote in both houses, ratified by ¾ of the states

Virginia Plan

proposed at the Constitutional Convention, called for a strong national government based and representation in Congress based population

*favored large states

New Jersey Plan

proposed at the Constitutional Convention, called for a strong central government and equal representation for all states in Congress

*protected small states

Connecticut Compromise (Great Compromise)

an agreement that created bicameral legislature- House of Representations based on population, Senate based on equal representation for each state

3/5’s Compromise

counted slaves as 3/5’s of a person for representation in Congress and tax purposes

slave trade

an agreement at the Constitutional Convention that allowed Congress to regulate trade but prevented it from banning the importation of enslaved people (for 20 years until 1808)

suffrage

the right to vote in elections

commerce and trade

the exchange of goods and services especially between states or countries

• Congress has the power to regulate economic activity under the Commerce Clause

Free Exercise Clause

protects people’s rights to practice religion freely without government interference

Establishment Clause

prevents the government from establishing an official religion or favoring on religion over another

Lemon Test

3-part test used by courts to decide if a law violates the Establishment Clause

• it must have a secular purpose

• it must not advance/inhibit religion

• it must not cause excessive government entanglement with religion

Clear and Present Danger

allows the government to limit speech if it creates a serious and immediate threat of harm or illegal action

*from Schenck v U.S.

Symbolic Speech

nonverbal actions that express ideas or opinions, most protected by the 1st Amendment

No Prior Restraint

government action that stops speech or publication before it happens, which generally is unconstitutional under the 1st Amendment

Assembly

the 1st Amendment right for people to gather peacefully in groups for protests, meetings, or demonstrations

due process

requires just and fair treatment of everyone, regardless of background, if their life, freedom, or property is at risk

Ex Post Facto

a law that imposes criminal liability or increases criminal punishment retroactively

double jeopardy

you cannot be tried twice for the same crime for the same offense

habeus corpus

there must be a valid legal reason for a person to be detained

bills of attainder

a law that punishes a specific person or group without a trial

exclusionary rule

if police get illegally find evidence it cannot be used in court (decided by Mapp v Ohio)

selective incorporation

process by which the Supreme Court applies the Bill of Rights to the States, on a case-by-case basis (based on 14th amendment)

Lemon v Kurtzman

created the Lemon test, used to decide if a government action involving religion is constitutional

Texas v Johnson

burning the American flag is a protected symbolic speech

Near v Minnesota

prior restraint is unconstitutional- the government cannot censor a newspaper before it publishes

Mapp v Ohio

evidence found illegally cannot be used in court

National Supremacy Clause

the Constitution is the supreme law of the land

enumerated (delegated) powers

powers specifically written in the Constitution

implied/expressed power

The phrase implied powers refers to the abilities and powers that a government branch has that are not explicitly stated in the U.S. Constitution but are suggested to be applicable in some or all cases

Reserved Powers

powers that belong only to the states

Concurrent Powers

powers shared by both the federal and state governments

Denied Powers

powers that one part of the government gets