AP GOV UNIT 1: foundations of american democracy

politics

the process of influencing the actions and policies of government

ex: citizens contacting their representatives to support or oppose a new law

government

the rules and institutions that make up the system of policymaking

ex: congress, the president, and the courts are all parts of the us government

democracy

a system of government where political power is held by the people

ex: citizens voting in elections to choose their leaders

direct democracy

a system where citizens vote directly on laws and policies instead of choosing representatives to make those decisions for them

note: this foundation is NOT adapted in the US due to the population size!!

ex: citizens voting directly on a ballot initiative

democratic republic

a system of government where people elect representatives to make decisions and govern on their behalf

ex: the united states is a democratic republic because voters elect members of congress to represent them

representative democracy

another term for democratic republic, where elected officials represent the people and make government decisions for them

ex: voters elect a senator to represent their state in congress

declaration of independence

the document that declared american independence from britain and expressed many of the ideals that influenced the american system of government

john locke

an enlightenment thinker whose ideas about natural rights and the social contract influenced the american system of government

natural rights

rights that people are born with and that cannot legitimately be taken away by the government

ex: life, liberty, and property are natural rights according to john locke

social contract

an agreement among people in society to give up some freedoms in exchange for government protection, order, and security

ex: citizens agree to follow laws and pay taxes while the government provides services and protects their rights

what is popular sovereignty

the principle that government authority comes from the people

ex: voters give elected officials power through elections

division of power

power in the government is divided between the branches; branches allowed to check one another to avoid one branch from being too powerful

what is limited government

government can not do whatever it wants, but rather is constrained by a set of laws

ex: separation of powers, checks & balances, federalism, republicanism

federalism

sharing of power between the national and state governments

republicism

form of goverment when the citizens elect representatives to make laws

inalienable rights

rights that cannot be taken away

name the committee of five

thomas jefferson

john adams

benjamin franklin

roger sherman

robert livingston

gettysburg address

a 3-minute address by Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War (November 19, 1963) at the dedication of a national cemetery on the site of the Battle of Gettysburg

participatory democracy

the theory that widespread political participation is essential for democratic government.

-they believed that civil involvement is important like joining civil society groups (an association outside of the government)

pluralist theory

the idea that government policy is shaped by competition among many different interest groups, with no single group always winning (government affiliated)

ex: environmental groups, oil companies, and local communities all lobby Congress over environmental regulations, and the government considers their competing interests

elitist theory

a theory of democracy that emphasizes the role of groups in the policy making process (government affiliated)

ex: wealthy corporations and major donors have more money and connections to influence lawmakers, so government policies may favor their interests

what were the articles of confederation

adopted by the second continental congress in 1777 and ratified in 1781, creating a weak government where states had most of the power

"league of friendship"

how was representation structured under the articles

each state had equal representation and one vote

what type of congress existed under the articles

a unicameral congress with one house

what branches of government existed under the articles

only a legislative branch with no executive or judicial branches

what did it mean that the states were sovereign

the states had most of the political power and controlled their own affairs

why was the federal government intentionally weak

the founders feared creating another powerful government like britain

what could the government not do under the articles

force laws, raise an army, or tax citizens

who controlled trade under the articles

the states

how many states had to approve an amendment to the articles

all 13 states

what was the annapolis convention & why was it unsuccessful

a 1786 meeting called to address trade problems between the states

unsuccessful bc only 5 states sent delegates

what did the annapolis convention call for

a larger convention in philadelphia to address the problems with the articles

why did some americans oppose changing the articles

they still feared giving the national government too much power

why did southern states fear a stronger government

they feared slavery could be restricted or outlawed

why did smaller states fear a stronger government

they feared larger states would overpower them

shays' rebellion

an uprising by struggling farmers in massachusetts led by daniel shays bc high taxes were used to help pay state debts & massachusetts did not lower taxes while farmers were struggling financially

what did shays' rebellion show about the articles

the national government was too weak to respond effectively to rebellion and could not easily bring states together to form a military

when and where did the constitutional convention take place

may 1787 with 55 delegates from 12 of 13 states

which state did not participate and why

rhode island because it was the smallest state

who was james madison and who led the convention

madison was first to arrive and is the father of the constitution, george washington was chosen president

what were the two major issues at the convention

representation and national government power while protecting individual freedom

which articles prohibits religious test as a condition for holding office

article vi

writ of habeas corpus

allows people detained by the government to know why they are being held "if you are being detained by the govt., you have the right to know why"

i. only for rebellion can they only suspend this right

bills of attainder

when the legislature declares someone guilty without a trial

ex post facto laws

punishing people for acts that were not crimes at the time they were committed

i. cannot hold a trial without jury

why was representation a major issue

small states feared losing representation while large states feared being underrepresented

what was the virginia plan

james madison's plan with 3 branches and a bicameral legislature, larger states had more representation, lower house elected by people, upper house nominated by state legislatures and chosen by lower house

what was the new jersey plan

william patterson's plan with a unicameral legislature and one vote per state

what was the great compromise

bicameral legislature with lower house representation based on population and upper house with equal representation for each state

what were the slavery compromise

3/5 compromise counted slaves as 3/5 of a person for representation, compromise on importation prevented restricting the slave trade until 1808

what does the preamble explain and what is separation of powers

the preamble explains why the country is building a government and separation of powers divides government into three branches

what does article i establish

the legislative branch or congress which makes laws and was made more powerful than the unicameral legislature under the articles of confederation

why is article i so detailed

congress was made more powerful and both houses must work together to pass laws

what are enumerated or expressed powers

powers specifically granted to a branch of government in the constitution

what are congress's enumerated powers

congress can borrow money, tax, regulate interstate commerce, declare war, and override vetoes

what is the necessary and proper clause

it gives congress the power to make laws necessary to carry out its enumerated powers such as making laws that help it levy taxes

what are implied powers

authority of the federal government that goes beyond its expressed powers

ex: Congress creating a national bank

what does article ii establish

the executive branch with a single executive who serves a four year term

what is the president's main job

to carry out laws passed by congress

what are the president's powers

the president can veto laws serve as commander in chief oversee execution of laws through the bureaucracy and make treaties

how is the president selected and why are powers shared with congress

the president is indirectly elected by the people through the electoral college and many powers are shared with congress to prevent tyranny

what does article iii establish

the judicial branch and federal court system including the supreme court which is the highest court in the land

who determines the lower federal court structure

congress

what disputes can federal courts handle

disputes between states and the national government between two or more states and between citizens of different states

what does article iv cover

federalism and the relationship between the states

what does article v cover

the amendment process which was intentionally made slow and difficult so the constitution could not be easily changed

how can an amendment be proposed

congress can propose and pass one or a constitutional convention can be called by two thirds of the states

how is an amendment ratified and how many have there been

three fourths of the states must approve it and the constitution has been amended 27 times

what do articles vi and vii establish

article vi says the constitution is the supreme law of the land and article vii covers ratification which required 9 of 13 states

what was the uncertain future of the constitution

there would be debate and difficulty getting 9 states to ratify the constitution

what was required for ratification

9 of 13 states

who were the federalists

supporters of the constitution as written who pointed out problems with the articles of confederation

who were the anti-federalists

people who wanted changes to the constitution because they feared the government would not protect people's rights

what were the federalist papers

85 essays written under the name publius and published only in new york

who wrote the federalist papers

james madison, john jay, and alexander hamilton

why are the federalist papers important

they are one of the most important collections of papers in us history

what were the central disputes over ratification

large republics, state vs national power, and the absence of a bill of rights

why did anti-federalists oppose increased national power

they believed states were losing powers they had under the articles of confederation

who wrote federalist no 10

james madison

what is a faction

a group with a common interest that is against citizens' rights

what did federalist no 10 argue about factions

factions are inevitable, harmful to democracy, can tear the country apart, and majority factions can abuse minority rights

why can't factions be eliminated

eliminating them would destroy liberty, and people cannot be convinced to put common interests above individual interests

what should the government do about factions

control them instead of eliminating them

why is a large republic best for controlling factions

it creates a larger pool of qualified candidates who focus on public goods over petty local interests

what were antifederalist fears about national power

national consolidation, expanding government power, taxation, and military power

why did antifederalists fear distant representation

representatives would be too far away and disconnected from their constituents

why did antifederalists fear the necessary and proper claus

it could let congress create laws to carry out its powers, expanding national power

who wrote brutus no 1 and what did it express

robert yates of new york, expressing antifederalist opinions

what did madison believe about people and officials

people are self interested, so government officials will also be self interested

how can self interest prevent tyranny

power must be used to check power

how does government divide power to protect liberty

branches check each other and federal and state governments divide authority

how does federalist no 51 protect liberty

divided power gives liberty multiple protections

what is federalism and how does it divide government power

federalism is the division of power between the national government and the states, with the constitution dividing authority between the two levels

what are the three systems of government based on how power is divided

unitary, confederal, and federal systems

unitary systems

a system where the central government exercises authority over subnational governments, such as the united kingdom and china

ex. UK and China

confederal systems

a system where subnational governments have more power than the national government

ex. articles of confederation

federal system

a system where power is divided between state and national governments, with each level retaining some exclusive powers and having some powers denied to it

ex. mexico and us

what are enumerated powers and where are they found

powers specifically listed and described in the constitution, mainly in article i, section 8, including coining money, declaring war, raising and supporting an army and navy, making treaties, providing for naturalization of citizens, and regulating interstate and foreign commerce

what are implied powers and what clause gives congress these powers

powers not specifically granted to the federal government but considered necessary to carry out its responsibilities, provided through the necessary and proper clause, also called the elastic clause

what powers are denied to the national government

the national government cannot pass bills of attainder, pass ex post facto laws, suspend the writ of habeas corpus, admit new states without the consent of the territory's residents, or impose taxes on goods and services between the states