AP Gov Unit 1

Cooperative Federalism

Cooperative Federalism

A system of government in which powers and policy assignments are shared between states and the national government. They may also share costs, administration, and even blame for programs that work poorly.

SYSTEM SHIFT AFTER 1930s GREAT DEPRESSION

State of Nature

A world w/o government where the people are free with no laws

Limited Government

NO tyranny, checks and balances and distribution of power among many acting members,
A principle of constitutional government; a government whose powers are defined and limited by a constitution.

Democracy

A system of government that gives power to the people, whether directly or through elected representatives.

Interests and Issues to be settled

Interests: Large Vs small states, Commercial vs Agrarian states, Rich vs Poor states, Northern Vs Southern States.
Issues: Prevention of Tyranny, National power vs state power, Representation, Taxation, Slavery, Voting rights

Constitutional Compromises

The Great Compromise, Three Fifths Compromise, Slave Trade and Commerce Compromise, Electoral College Compromise

Three-Fifths Compromise

Article I, Section 2, Clause 3
- 3/5 of slaves counted towards representation and taxation
- 13th and 14th amendments override
- Must be male, white, Property owning and 21 to vote
- South wanted for representation, not taxation, and north wanted opposite

federalism

A system in which power is divided between the national and state governments

categorical grant

Funds provided for a specific and clearly defined purpose.

Cross cutting requirments (NOT ON TEST)

made to try and increase the uniformity across the states

Government

The formal vehicle through which policies are made and affairs of state are conducted.

Natural Rights

Can't be taken away by a monarch, not given from gov. born with them

Popular Sovereignty

By nature, the power to govern is in the hands of the people

Social Contract

In order to protect the ppl's natural rights, the ppl willingly give some of their power from popular sovereignty to the government

gov. CANNOT violate this contract, if they do, the people can revolt

What ideas are in the Declaration of Independence?

-Natural rights (Locke)
-Popular Sovereignty
-Social Contract (Locke)
-Republicanism (Locke)
-Limited Gov
ALL ARE ENGLIGHTENMENT IDEAS

Republic

A government rooted in the consent of the governed; AKA a representative or indirect democracy. (REPRESENTATIVES carry out decisions based on what the people want)
Has checks and balances + sep. of powers

Oligarchy

A form of government in which the right to participate is conditioned on the possession of wealth, social status, military position, or achievement.

Direct Democracy

Eligible citizens vote directly for the bills and laws

Indirect Democracy

The representatives vote on behalf of the people

Majority Rule

The political party in each house of Congress with the most members.

Elite Model of Representative Democracy

Wealthy, educated people participate in politics and vote on bills, etc.

Benefit: allows for the educated to make good decisions for everyone

Pluralist Democracy

Groups of people associate with interest groups who then compete to influence policy

Benefit: Represents chunks of people w/ similar ideas

Participatory Model of Representative Democracy

Citizens influence the politicians and the politicians carry out the decisions
Broad participation in politics

Benefit: allows for everyone to participate, avoids tyrant power of a king ex. town halls

Political Culture

Commonly shared attitudes, beliefs, and core values about how government should operate.

Mayflower Compact

Document written by the Pilgrims while at sea enumerating the scope of their government and its expectations of citizens.

Declaration of Independence

Document drafted by Thomas Jefferson in 1776 that proclaimed the right of the American colonies to separate from Great Britain.

Virtual Representation

The political theory that a class of persons is represented in a lawmaking body without direct vote. This is what the US did not like and a main reason for the declaration of independence.

Northwest Ordinance

Statehood is for all, each state gets power to make their own decisions (Like federalism where the federal gov, and states both have influence)

Shay's Rebellion

A 1786 rebellion in which an army of 1,500 disgruntled and angry farmers led by Daniel Shays marched to Springfield, Massachusetts, and forcibly restrained the state court from foreclosing mortgages on their farms. This was impotant because the inability of the state to deal with this shed light on the need for a stronger central governmernt.

Weaknesses of Articles

No power to collect taxes
No judicial/court system
No executive branch to enforce the laws
9/13 votes to enact laws, 13/13 to amend the Articles (impossible for all to agree)

Strengths of Articles

Northwest Ordinance (statehood, all states get power)
Establishes Republican gov., giving power to the people

Why they wanted a Republic

Fear of Mob Rule
Reinforcement of Federalism
Fear of the uneducated ruling
Size of the country (large)
Preexistence of states
Counter the influence of factions

The Demographics of the Signers of Constitution

Men, Wealthy, Educated, Lawyers

Constitutional Clauses

Necessary and Proper Clause (Art 1 Sect 8 Clause 18)
Full Faith and Credit Clause (Art 4 Sect 1)
Supremacy Clause (Art 5 Sect 1 Clause 2)
Commerce Clause (Art 1 Sect 8 Clause 3)

Great Compromise

- Combination of New jersey plan and virginia plan,
- 3 branched of government
- bicameral legislature(House of Rep and Senate), based on population and equal representation.
- Senate has 2 per state.
- Bills must pass out of both houses.

Slave Trade and Commerce Compromise

Article 1 Section 8
- Government allowed to regulate commerce
- fed gov will tax imports not exports(Encouraged local buying)
- Eliminated importation of slaves after 1808, but did not end slavery and escaped slaves had to be returned

Electoral College Compromise

Article 2 section 1
- electors for states based on representation(# Sen + #Reps = #Electors)
- electors vote for president
- Combination of Congressional Selection and popular vote
- scared a democratically elected president could become tyrannical

Amendment Process

Formal:
Proposed by ⅔ vote in both houses or National Convention by ⅔ of state legislatures
Approved by state legislatures is ¾ of states or ratified by conventions in ¾ of states

Informal: Congress, President, State and Federal Courts, Political Parties, Technology

Virginia Plan

Rep based on population, bicameral legislature, 3 branches of gov

New Jersey Plan

3 branches of Gov, unicameral with equal rep. for each state

House of Representatives

the lower house of Congress, consisting of a different number of representatives from each state, depending on population

Senate

The upper house of Congress that has equal representation for each state

Congress

the bicameral legislature of the United States government

The president

the head of the executive branch of the federal government, responsible for the execution and the enforcement of the law

U.S. Supreme Court

The highest court in the federal governments, the judicial power of the US, the final arbiter of the Constitution and federal law

Seperation of Powers

A way of divifding the power of government among the 3 branches, with equality and independence between the 3 branches

Checks and Balances

The structure of the government that allows each of the branches to exert some power over another branch.

federalists

Those who wanted a stronger central gov and supported the proposed US constiution; later became first US political party

Anti-Federalists

people who favored strong state governments and a weak national government; opposed constituion

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.

Brutus 1 - Anti-federalists

-Central gov was too powerful under the central gov, and the states would be irrelevant
-Cited Necessary and Proper, Supremacy, and Commerce clause
- Smaller Republics were better, large republics would be corrupt and inefficient
- Represented interests of small poorer farmerrs and merchants in US

Bill of Rights

the first 10 amendments to the Constitution, outlining the basic rights of the people of the US; Promise of addition of this is what allowed the people to ratify the constitution
1-8 >>>> Liberties and rights of individuals
9-10 >>>>> Reserved power for individuals and states

Fed 10

- factions are inevitable and necessary, but needed to be controlled
- Cannot control their causes because liberty would need to be eliminated
- large republic limits the effects of factions
- Large republic prevents corruption in government
- represented the interests of the wealthy elite

Delegated/Expressed/Enumerated powers

Powers of the federal government that are listed explicitly in the constitution.
- Declare war
- Coin money
- Regulate interstate commerce
- Conduct foreign policy
- Establish Post office
- Admit new states

Concurrent Powers

Powers held jointly by the national and state governments.
-Levy taxes
- Establish Court systems
- Build roads
- Borrow Money
- Establish banks
- maintain law and order
- private land for public use

Reserved Powers

Powers given to the state government alone(anything not in Constitution)
- Regulate licenses
- Interstate commerce
- establish local governments
- Create schools
- Pay for federal elections
- Ratify Amendments

Dual Federalism

A system of government in which both the states and the national government remain supreme within their own spheres, act independently of one another

Principles of the Constitution

popular sovereignty, limited government, separation of powers, checks and balances, judicial review, federalism

regulated federalism

a form of federalism in which Congress imposes legislation on states and localities, requiring them to meet national standards

- Federal programs and unfunded mandates
- grant in aid
- State and local officials

Shift in the 1960s

New Federalism

system in which the national government restores greater authority back to the states
- State programs and policies
- Federal block grants
- State and local officials

shift in 1970s to 90s with Nixon and Reagan

Devolution

the transfer of powers and responsibilities from the federal government to the states

10th Amendment

Powers Reserved to the States

McCulloch v. Maryland

Maryland was trying to tax the national bank and Supreme Court ruled that federal law was stronger than the state law. Strengthened the power of federal gov by using the supremacy clause.

US vs Lopez

The Court held that Congress had exceeded its commerce clause power by prohibiting guns in school.
Restricted the power of the federal gov because it limited what was allowed under the commerce clause

Marbury v. Madison

This case establishes the Supreme Court's power of Judicial Review

mandate

an official order or commission to do something.

Block grant

a large grant given to a state by the federal government with only general spending guidelines

Nullification Doctrine

the idea that a state can nullify or cancel a federal law that they dont like

Grant-in-aid system

funds given by the federal government to state and local governments

unfunded mandates

Programs that the Federal government requires States to implement without Federal funding.

Direct order mandate (NOT ON TEST)

Have to do it and they cannot ignore it

Preemption (NOT ON TEST)

Tells the states what they cant do rather than what they can do

Crossover sanctions (NOT ON TEST)

tells the states if they dont do something in a mandate, they lose funding somewhere else