AP US Gov All

1st Amendment

Freedom of religion, petition, speech, press, and assembly

2nd Amendment

Right to bear arms (it's just the 2 of us in this world, me and my gun)

3rd Amendment

Permission needed to quarter troops in private homes (wife, husband, and soldier in a single house)

4th Amendment

Freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures (police are such squares trying to look for illegal items)

5th Amendment

(1) No Self-Incrimination

(2) No Double Jeopardy

(3) "due process of law" (fair treatment)

6th Amendment

1. right to a trial by impartial jury for criminal cases

2. right to an attorney

3. right to use witnesses

7th Amendment

1. right to a trial for civil disputes over $20

2. prevents the re-examination of facts decided by a jury

8th Amendment

cruel and unusual punishment

9th Amendment

ensures that the listing of specific rights in the Constitution does not mean that other, unlisted rights can be denied (9 is a square number, so the dot in the middle is being protected like unlisted rights are being protected)

10th Amendment

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people (50 states, 10 is a factor of 50)

14th Amendment

All persons born in the U.S. are citizens

15th Amendment

States cannot deny any person the right to vote because of race.

16th Amendment

Power of Congress to tax income

17th Amendment

Established the direct election of senators by state citizens (instead of being chosen by state legislatures)

22nd Amendment

Limits the president to two terms or 10 years (22, as in 2 terms and two years because a term is 4 years and there can be up to 10 years in office, meaning there is the possibility of another 2 years in office in addition to the 2 terms spanning 8 years)

24th Amendment

Abolishes poll taxes

26th Amendment

States cannot deny the right to vote based on age (18+) (18x2 = 36, which is kind of like 26)

expressed/delegated powers

power explicitly granted in the constitution

reserved powers

powers not explicitly granted to federal government passed to states

concurrent powers

powers federal and state governments share

"necessary and proper" clause (elastic)

Ability to make laws beyond constitution deemed necessary to protect other laws

"supremacy" clause

Federal law is more important than state/local law

"full faith and credit" clause

States must respect fellow state laws

inherent powers

powers not written but naturally granted as a sovereign nation

implied powers

unwritten powers related to written ones

forbidden powers

Powers specifically denied to the government by the constitution

nullification

States invalidating "unconstitutional" federal laws.

dual federalism

Doctrine holding that the national government is supreme in its sphere, the states are supreme in theirs, and the two spheres should be kept separate

cooperative federalism

Cooperation among federal, state, & local governments

vertical federalism

The hierarchical distribution of power between the national government and state governments.

horizontal federalism

Cooperative relationship between national and state governments.

Permissive federalism

although federalism is a share of power, the state's share of it rests upon the permission of the national government

fiscal federalism

Federal government using money (grants) to influence & control states.

New Federalism (Devolution)

The process of giving power back to the states

regulation

a rule or directive made and maintained by the government

initiative

A procedure by which voters can propose a law or a constitutional amendment on state ballots

referendum

second step of initiative, voters can approve or deny legislation/amendments on state ballot

recall

procedure whereby people vote to remove an elected official from office

grants-in-aid

money given by the national government to the states (umbrella term for categorical aid and block grants)

categorical aid

federal funding to states for specific programs

block grants

federal funding to states for general programs

mandate

an authoritative command to a lower government

9th amendment

protection of unwritten/implied rights

10th amendment

The powers not delegated to the federal government by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively

11th amendment

One State cannot be sued by another state

Marbury v. Madison background

William Marbury and others were commissioned as judges by Federalist president John Adams during his last days in office. This act angered the New Democratic-Republican president, Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson ordered his secretary of state, James Madison, not to deliver the commissions. Marbury took advantage of a section in the Judiciary Act of 1789 that allowed him to take his case directly to the Supreme Court. He sued Madison, demanding the commission and the judgeship.

Marbury v. Madison result

Marbury has a right to his commission but the court can't force him to be seated since that power is unconstitutional, established judicial review

McCulloch v. Maryland

Maryland was trying to tax the national bank and Supreme Court ruled that federal law was stronger than the state law

Chislom v. Georgia

states can sue each other, overwritten by 11th amendment

charter

Document of legitimacy for institution

Dillon's Rule

local governments can exercise only the powers granted to them by state government

judicial review

Allows the court to determine the constitutionality of laws

political culture

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

political efficacy

The belief that one's political participation makes a difference.

orthodox

adhering to the traditional and established, especially in religion

progressive

seeking reform and an escape from corruption, more concerned about social issues than religion

New York Times Co. v. US Background

The NYT leaked the Pentagon Papers and Nixon brought the issue to court to try and stop them and protect national security.

New York Times Co. v. US Result

The court decided, through freedom of press, that NYT could keep the Pentagon Papers public since it didn't actually pose any concrete danger for national security. Case set a precedent of putting a limit on the government's ability to use censorship.

Unitary Government

centralized single power over all

Confederation Government

weak central power, strong states

Federal Government

Powers are divided between a central government and several local governments

evolutionary origins of the state/nation theory

government based on traditional family structure

force origins of the state/nation theory

small group coerces to take power with force

divine right origins of the state/nation theory

ruler chosen by higher power

social contract origins of the state/nation theory

freedom exchanged for protection/order (ex. America because of representatives)

politics

the effort to control or influence the conduct and policies of government

authority

the right to use power

political agenda

a list of issues that need government attention

Popular Sovereignty

Rule by the people through voting

monarchy

single royal person holds all power

autocracy

single person holds all power

oligarchy

wealthy small group holds all power

anarchy

absence of government and chaos

democracy

people hold decision-making power

direct democracy

citizens rule directly and not through representatives

indirect democracy

gives citizens the opportunity to vote for representatives who work on their behalf

representative democracy (form of representative democracy)

will of people through representatives

participatory democracy (form of representative democracy)

representatives and people vote directly on issues

pluralist democracy (form of representative democracy)

multiple groups influence representatives

elite democracy (form of representative democracy)

privileged groups of people influence representatives

class theory of government influence view

power dominated by wealthy elites

power elite theory of government influence view

power dominated by government workers

bureaucratic theory of government influence view

power dominated through negotiations within government

pluralist theory of government influence view

multiple groups compete for power

creedal theory of government influence view

decisions made from morally passionate elites

bureaucrat

career government employee who enforces laws

plurality

the candidate who receives the most votes win, doesn't matter if they didn't get the majority vote (ex. some registered voters might have ignored the election)

John Locke

people have natural rights to life, liberty and property, and a social contract should be followed (representatives for the people)

Charles Montesquieu

governments should be divided into three separate branches

John Adams "Real Revolution"

colonists shifting their ideologies towards independence

Declaration of Independence

proclamation of the second Continental Congress (4 July 1776) asserting the independence of the 13 colonies from Great Britain

First and Second Continental Congress

First: Response to the Intolerable acts, agreed to an economic boycott of Great Britain, sent a petition to the king. Second: Met after the Revolutionary war had begun. Established the Continental Army, coordinated the war, issued the Declaration of Independence, and designed the Articles of Confederation.

Annapolis Convention

Only 5 states attended. Originally planning to discuss the promotion of interstate commerce, and ended up suggesting a convention to amend the weak Articles of Confederation

Weakness of Articles of Confederation

1. Lacked power to enforce laws 2. Lacked power to levy taxes 3. Lacked power to regulate trade among the states 4. Required all 13 states to approve changes to the Articles

U.S. "Critical Period"

time between the end of the Revolutionary War (1783) and the adoption of the Constitution (1789) in which government was unstable/weak under Articles of Confederation