AP Gov Unit 1 Study Guide

Natural rights

Rights inherent to all humans (life, liberty, property)

State of nature

Hypothetical condition before governments existed

Social contract

Agreement: people give up some freedoms in return for protection of rights

Popular sovereignty

Power of government comes from the people

Republicanism / Representative democracy

Citizens elect representatives to make laws/policy

Limited government

Government power is restricted by law / constitution

Separation of powers

Division of government into branches (legislative, executive, judicial)

Checks and balances

Each branch can limit powers of the others

Majoritarian democracy

Government by majority rule

Elite democracy / Elitism

Power held by a small, elite group

Pluralist theory

Policy results from many interest groups competing

Hyperpluralism

Too many groups crippling policy making or causing gridlock

Policy agenda

Issues that government and public consider important

Policymaking institutions

Branches/agencies that create public policy (Congress, presidency, courts, bureaucracy)

Public policy

Decisions / laws made by government

Linkage institutions

Ways people connect to government (elections, parties, media, interest groups)

Legitimacy

Belief that a government's rule is valid and rightful

Sovereignty

Ultimate authority in a political community

Articles of Confederation

First U.S. constitution; weak central government

Shay's Rebellion

Rebellion by MA farmers; highlighted weaknesses in Articles

Constitutional Convention

1787 meeting where Constitution was drafted

Great Compromise

Bicameral legislature: House by population, Senate equal among states

Three‑Fifths Compromise

Each slave counted as 3/5 person for representation & taxation

Electoral College

System for electing president via state electors

Federalists

Supported strong central government & Constitution

Anti‑Federalists

Opposed strong central government; wanted protections of individual/state rights

Amendment process

Proposal (2/3 Congress or convention) + ratification (¾ states)

Federalist No. 10

Madison's essay arguing factions are inevitable but controllable

Brutus 1

Anti‑Federalist essay warning of dangers of centralized power

Enumerated / Delegated powers

Powers explicitly granted to national government

Reserved powers

Powers reserved for the states (10th Amendment)

Concurrent powers

Powers shared by national and state governments

Supremacy Clause

Constitution / federal laws are supreme over state laws

Necessary and Proper Clause (Elastic Clause)

Congress can make laws needed to carry out its powers

Commerce Clause

Congress's power to regulate interstate commerce

10th Amendment

Powers not given to U.S. are reserved to states or people

Fiscal federalism

Patterns of taxation, spending, grants in federal system

Categorical grant

Federal grant with specific provisions & conditions

Block grant

Federal grant with broad, general purposes

Mandate (funded / unfunded)

Requirement imposed by national government (with or without funding)

McCulloch v. Maryland

Court case upholding implied powers & federal supremacy

United States v. Lopez

Court case limiting the scope of the commerce clause