AP Gov (Unit 1)

Alexander Hamilton

1789-1795; First Secretary of the Treasury. He advocated creation of a national bank, assumption of state debts by the federal government, and a tariff system to pay off the national debt.

Ben Franklin

American patriot, writer, printer, and inventor. During the Revolutionary War he persuaded the French to help the colonists.

George Washington

1st President of the United States; commander-in-chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolution (1732-1799)

James Madison

"Father of the Constitution," Federalist leader, and fourth President of the United States.

John Adams

America's first Vice-President and second President. Sponsor of the American Revolution in Massachusetts, and wrote the Massachusetts guarantee that freedom of press "ought not to be restrained."

Thomas Hobbes

English materialist and political philosopher who advocated absolute sovereignty as the only kind of government that could resolve problems caused by the selfishness of human beings (1588-1679)

John Locke

English philosopher who advocated the idea of a "social contract" in which government powers are derived from the consent of the governed and in which the government serves the people; also said people have natural rights to life, liberty and property.

Thomas Jefferson

Wrote the Declaration of Independence

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.

Federalist #51

Argues that separation of powers within the national government is the best way to prevent the concentration of power in the hands of one person or a single group.

Brutus #1

To argue against a strong central government. The country would be too large for one central government and the government would have too much power.

social contract

An agreement between the people and their government signifying their consent to be governed

unalienable rights

basic rights of the people that may not be taken away

Confederation

an organization that consists of a number of parties or groups united in an alliance or league.

Unicameral legislature

a legislature with only one house, like the Confederation Congress or the legislature proposed by the New Jersey Plan

bicameral legislature

A law making body made of two houses (bi means 2). Example: Congress (our legislature) is made of two house - The House of Representatives and The Senate.

ex post facto law

a law that makes an act criminal although the act was legal when it was committed

democracy

A political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them

elite democracy

A political system in which the privileged classes acquire the power to decide by a competition for the people's votes and have substantial freedom between elections to rule as they see fit.

Direct Democracy

Government in which citizens vote on laws and select officials directly.

indirect democracy

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

participatory democracy

a system of democracy in which all members of a group or community participate collectively in making major decisions

pluralist democracy

a model of democracy that stresses vigorous competition among various interests in a free society

Committee of Five

Chosen to create a document that gave reasons for separation from England (Declaration of Independence); Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston

Philadelphia convention

This was a 1787 meeting called by Congress to amend the Articles of the Confederation.

Grand Committee

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

Three-Fifths Compromise

Agreement that each slave counted as three-fifths of a person in determining representation in the House for representation and taxation purposes (negated by the 13th amendment)

necessary and proper clause

Constitutional clause that gives congress the power to make all laws "necessary and proper" for executing its powers

Ratify

sign or give formal consent to (a treaty, contract, or agreement), making it officially valid.

electoral college

a body of people representing the states of the US, who formally cast votes for the election of the president and vice president.

Impeachment

An action by the House of Representatives to accuse the president, vice president, or other civil officers of the United States of committing "Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors."

amend

to change in a formal way; to change for the better

informal amendment

a change in the meaning, but not the wording, of the Constitution, e.g., through a court decisions such as Brown v. Board.

formal amendment

change or addition that becomes part of the written language of the Constitution itself through one of four methods set forth in the Constitution

inherent power

A power of the president derived from the statements in the Constitution that "the executive Power shall be vested in a President" and that the president should "take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed"; defined through practice rather than through law.

reserved powers

Powers not specifically granted to the federal government or denied to the states belong to the states and the people

veto

a constitutional right to reject a decision or proposal made by a law-making body.

majority rule

the principle that the greater number should exercise greater power.

super majority

Required majorities that are greater than a simple majority.

popular sovereignty

A belief that ultimate power resides in the people.

republicanism

A philosophy of limited government with elected representatives serving at the will of the people. The government is based on consent of the governed.

bill of attainder

a law that declares a person, without a trial, to be guilty of a crime