AP GOV FOUNDATIONAL DOCUMENTS

FOUNDATIONAL DOCUMENTS

The phrase "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" is a clear articulation of what philosophical concept?

Natural Rights (Declaration of Independence)

The document asserts that governments get their authority from the "consent of the governed," which is the core principle of what?

Popular Sovereignty (Declaration of Independence)

The statement that the people have the right to "alter or abolish" a destructive government is based on the idea that the government has broken what agreement?

Social Contract (Declaration of Independence)

James Madison defined groups of citizens united by a common interest that is adverse to the rights of others as what?

Factions (Federalist No. 10)

Madison argued that the new Constitution's creation of a government where elected representatives govern, rather than direct popular rule, would provide the best control for the negative effects of minority groups. What is this form of government?

Republic (Federalist No. 10)

What characteristic of the new nation did Madison argue would make it less probable for a tyrannical majority to form and dominate?

Extended Republic (Federalist No. 10)

What two clauses in the Constitution were criticized for potentially giving the federal government absolute power over the states and annihilating state authority?

Necessary and Proper Clause & Supremacy Clause (Brutus No. 1)

The author argued that a nation as large as the U.S. could not be truly represented and governed effectively, expressing concern over the size of the what?

Extended Republic (Brutus No. 1)

Brutus advocated for a system where the states retained most of the authority and were only loosely tied to a weak central authority, similar to what form of government?

Confederacy (Brutus No. 1)

What term describes the form of government established by this document, where the individual states held the majority of the power?

Confederacy (Articles of Confederation)

What specific voting requirement for passing an amendment made changing or fixing the governing document virtually impossible?

Unanimity (Articles of Confederation)

What principle defined the representation of the states in the national legislature, regardless of size or population?

Equal Representation (Articles of Confederation)

What clause in Article I, Section 8 grants Congress the authority to make laws that are "necessary and proper" to carry out its enumerated powers?

Necessary and Proper Clause (The U.S. Constitution)

What clause in Article VI establishes that federal laws and treaties supersede state laws when there is a conflict?

Supremacy Clause (The U.S. Constitution)

What fundamental principle is established by separating the powers of the federal government among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches?

Separation of Powers (The U.S. Constitution)

What principle dictates that the government's power must be divided among three distinct branches (legislative, executive, and judicial)?

Separation of Powers (Federalist No. 51)

What mechanism gives each branch of government the ability to restrain the power of the other two branches (e.g., veto, impeachment, judicial review)?

Checks and Balances (Federalist No. 51)

What term describes the division of power between the national government and the state governments, which Madison argued provided a "double security" for the people?

Federalism (Federalist No. 51)

What quality does Alexander Hamilton argue in Federalist No. 70 is the "leading character in the definition of good government" and is essential for the executive branch?

Energy in the Executive (Federalist No. 70)

What two core benefits does Hamilton argue in Federalist No. 70 are provided by a single executive that are diminished by a plural executive?

Unity and Responsibility (Federalist No. 70)

In Federalist No. 70, what did Hamilton argue would be the inevitable result of having multiple executives in a crisis?

Division or Faction (Federalist No. 70)

What power, which allows the Supreme Court to declare laws unconstitutional and void, is justified and explained in Federalist No. 78?

Judicial Review (Federalist No. 78)

Why does Alexander Hamilton argue in Federalist No. 78 that federal judges must have permanent tenure ("offices during good behavior")?

Judicial Independence (Federalist No. 78)

What is the term Hamilton uses in Federalist No. 78 to describe the condition under which federal judges hold their offices for life?

Good Behavior (Federalist No. 78)

What is the term for the method of protest that MLK Jr. defended in the Letter from a Birmingham Jail as a necessary way to create tension and force reluctant communities to negotiate?

Nonviolent Direct Action (Letter from a Birmingham Jail)

What phrase, found in the Letter from a Birmingham Jail, did MLK Jr. use to refute the advice that black Americans should "wait" for their rights?

Justice Denied (Letter from a Birmingham Jail)

Who did MLK Jr. criticize most sharply in the Letter from a Birmingham Jail for being "more devoted to order than to justice"?

White Moderate (Letter from a Birmingham Jail)