AP GOV Unit 1

Thomas Hobbes

Enlightenment philosopher - The Leviathan (1651). He argued humans cannot simply live in a state of nature because the result is anarchy and war. Individuals should give up some of their rights and allow a sovereign leader to uphold order. He referred to this concept as the Social Contract.

Limited Government

A government kept under control by the use of laws, checks and balances, and separation of powers. The government respects people's individual liberties and only steps in to resolve conflicts when these liberties collide with an opposing force.

John Locke

Enlightenment philosopher - The Second Treatise of Government (1690). He argued that all people are born free and equal (natural law). If individuals give up some of their rights to the gov., it should be with their consent. If a gov. does not respect the consent of the governed, individuals are obligated to rebel.

Baron de Montesquieu

Enlightenment philosopher - The Spirit of the Laws (1748). He argued for a republican government that would have defined and limited powers. It would grant political liberty to its citizens and would have separated powers (legislative, executive, and judicial branches).

Natural Rights

Theory proposed by philosopher John Locke that people in a state of nature people are inherently born equal and that no one can be subjected to the political power of another without his own consent. Natural rights include life, liberty, and property.

Popular Sovereignty

A concept envisioned by Rousseau where the people are the ultimate ruling authority, and a government of officials carry out the laws

Representative Republic

A government where elected officials govern based on the will of the people regarding national interests, national needs, and national defense.

Republicanism

A form of government in which the citizens elect leaders for a limited period of time, and the leader's job is to make and execute laws in the public interest.

Jean-Jaques Rousseau

Enlightenment philosopher - The Social Contract (1762). He argued people should abandon certain natural rights in order to find secure protections for society. He introduced the concept of popular sovereignty - people rule - and a government of elected officials to carry out the laws of the people.

John Adams

One of the five delegates who was commissioned to help draft the Declaration of Independence, an official statement of the colonists' views of Britain.

Declaration of Independence

drew from Locke and other Enlightenment philosophers, upholding popular sovereignty. It explained how abuses by the British Crown violated natural rights/self rule, justifying the colonists' separation from Britain.

Benjamin Franklin

participated in the drafting of the Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, and the Treaty of Paris. He held distinction in discovery, invention and civic endeavors, embodying Enlightenment ideals.

Alexander Hamilton

Founding Father, instrumental in the drafting of the Constitution due to his intellect, drive and his personal quest to elevate the nation.

Thomas Jefferson

Appointed by the Second Continental Congress to assist in drafting a more complete and official version of the colonies' views of Britain. He later served as the United States' ambassador to France, where he sent his friend James Madison books about successful and unsuccessful versions of government.

James Madison

Highly educated on enlightenment ideas and government systems. Incredibly influential in drafting the Constitution ("Father") and Bill of Rights.

US Constitution

Drafted as a result of the failure of the first system of government (The Articles of Confederation). The Constitution established a strong national government with a system of checks & balances to strictly define and limit federal power. Divided power into the executive, judicial, and legislative branches

George Washington

Elected by state delegates as the president of the Constitutional Convention. He presided as a calming force during the heated debate over the new system of government. His presence and participation in writing the new government elevated the validity of the endeavor.

Elite Democracy

Wealthy, well-educated, and influential individuals act as trustees for the people who elected or appointed them. They exert their influence on political decision-making (often reflects their own interests). This system recognizes an inequity in the spread of power among the general pop. and the wealthy.

Participatory Democracy

A system of democracy that emphasizes broad involvement of citizens in politics. Most importantly, citizens vote directly for laws and other matters that affect them instead of voting for people to represent their interests.

Pluralist Democracy

People find others who share their interests and organize/unite into nongovernmental interest groups to exert influence on political decision making.

Interest Groups

Organizations that compete in the "marketplace of ideas" regarding lawmaking. They look for access points at the local, state and federal levels to persuade policymakers (i.e. coal executives pressuring the government to reduce environmental regulations)

Representative Democracy

A government in which the people vote to elect officials. The official with the majority of votes is entrusted to represent the concerns of the people

Anti-Federalists

A group of political leaders opposed to the Constitution's large republic that consolidated the states under a strong national government.

Federalists

A group of political leaders who supported the proposed constitutional structure with a strong, supreme national government.

Initiative

If an individual has an idea for policy, they can follow the process to request a direct measure on the ballot. Citizens can then vote directly on that policy.

Referendum

Allows citizens to have a direct vote on a ballot measure. Majority rules and determines whether the policy becomes law. This is an example of pop. sov.

Factions

Groups united by a common goal; often that goal opposes the rights of others or is damaging to the general welfare.

Federalist No. 10

Essay written by Madisonto address the concern over special interests and offers ways to mitigate the "mischiefs of faction" and interest groups

Brutus No. 1

Essay that criticized the Constitution and issued a warning that the new government's large republic would destroy liberty

Articles of Confederation

The document that laid out the first form of government for the United States. It redefined the former colonies as states and loosely united them as a confederation under one governing authority.

Shays' Rebellion

A farmer in Massachusetts led a band of violent insurgents to the federal arsenal in Springfield. The event proved that there was a need for a centralized military power.

Bicameral

Two-chambers, specifically in regards to the legislature. One chamber would be reflective of the population of each state, while the other chamber would be equally proportioned for each state.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the Constitution that outline Americans' civil liberties (freedom of religion, right to an attorney, etc.)

Constitutional Convention

A series of meetings by 55 delegates from different states to create an improved governing system from the failing Articles of Confederation.

Electoral College

The formal method for electing the President. The total number of electors a state has is its number of Representatives in the House plus its two Senators. States determine how electors are chosen. Most states use the winner-take-all system in allocating its votes.

The Great Compromise

With larger populated states wanting a stronger voice and smaller states wanting an equal voice, Roger Sherman came up with an agreement that created a bicameral (two-chamber) Congress made up of a House of Representatives and Senate.

New Jersey Plan

Proposal for a unicameral legislature with limited authority that promoted the sovereignty of states. The proposal had no national court system and suggested each state should have one vote in the national legislative body.

Ratification

Formal consent; to approve for a document to go into effect.

Three-Fifths Compromise

60% of each enslaved person in a state would be counted toward that state's total population. This agreement was a way to encourage southern states to sign the Constitution by giving them more representation in the House of Representatives.

Virginia Plan

A proposal for three branches of the national government, a bicameral legislature, supremacy of national government, and separation of powers.

Article V

The part of the Constitution that outlines the Amendment process. The Framers established high standards for amendments so that changes to the framework of government couldn't be passed lightly. A two-thirds vote or proposal of the states in both houses of Congress and ratification from three-fourths of the states became the process of Article V.

Every Student Succeeds Act

Passed in 2015, this law states that every state is free to determine their own standards for educational achievement, while still upholding protections for disadvantaged students. The Federal Department of Education must still approve each state's plan.

No Child Left Behind Act

Passed in 2002, this law called for improvements in teaching methods, testing to measure progress, and sanctions for underperforming schools.

Race to the Top

Obama's initiative that offered incentives, rather than sanctions, for states to adopt new national standards for education. It also gave states the option to develop their own standards to ensure students were college and career ready at graduation.

USA PATRIOT Act (2001)

Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terriorism. Created in response to September 11th, 2001. The law promoted intelligence gathering and sharing among executive agencies. It also strengthened border protection and widened authority on tapping terrorism suspects' phones.

Checks and Balances

Constitutional powers granted to each of the three branches to curb the authority of the other branches. This system helps keep any one branch from becoming too powerful.

Federalist No. 51

Madison's essay that argued the Constitution's system of checks and balances would be adequate in preventing an autocracy. He also argued that governing authority should be separated into three distinct branches in order for power not to be consolidated.

Separation of Powers

Distinct, well-defined, and unique authority designated to each branch of the national government

Stakeholders

People or groups who will be affected by policy and thus work to influence it

Advice and Consent

Major power of the Senate regarding presidential nominations and treaties. A simple majority of Senators must formally confirm presidential appointments. The Senate holds confirmation hearings prior to voting on nominations to determine whether an individual is qualified.

Impeachment

An action of the House that brings formal charges against the president or high government official (judges, cabinet secretaries, etc.). The Senate then holds a trial to determine guilt or innocence.

Pocket Veto

The president has ten days to either sign or veto a bill. If the bill is sent to the president and Congress goes out of session during that ten days, the president can choose not to sign it and the bill dies.

Two-Thirds Override

An action taken by Congress to cancel out a president's veto on a bill. Must be a ⅔ majority vote in each chamber.

Veto

A power granted to the President to deny the approval of a bill into a law.