AP GOV unit 1 new

Natural Rights

Fundamental rights and liberties inherent to all humans that cannot be taken away.

Social Contract

Agreement where individuals in a society surrender some freedom to maintain social order and safeguard natural rights.

Popular Sovereignty

Concept that governmental power originates from the people.

Limited Government

Idea that the authority of the government is not unlimited.

Federalism

Division of power among federal, state, and local governments.

Republicanism

Form of government where representatives are elected by the people.

Rule of Law

Principle that no individual is above the law and ensures equality under the law.

Direct Democracy

System where people vote directly on policies.

Initiative

Process where citizens propose bills for state voting.

Referendum

Voting by residents on bills proposed by the state legislature.

Participatory Democracy

Involves broad participation and active citizen involvement.

Pluralist Democracy

Relies on group-based activism to influence policymaking.

Elite Democracy

System where a small group holds a disproportionate amount of power.

Anti-Federalist

Opposed the strong central government in the new constitution.

Brutus #1

Anti-Federalist paper advocating for small, decentralized republics.

Federalist 10

Paper arguing for a large republic to protect minority rights.

Articles of Confederation

First constitution of the United States with limited federal power.

Shay’s Rebellion

Event highlighting weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.

Virginia Plan

Proposed a strong central government with a bicameral legislature.

New Jersey Plan

Advocated for a unicameral legislature with equal state votes.

Great Compromise

Established a bicameral legislature with proportional and equal representation.

3/5th Compromise

Agreement on counting slaves for representation and taxation.

Impeachment

Process of charging and trying a government official for misconduct.

Dynamic Federalism

Changing balance of power between states and federal government.

Dual Federalism

Concept where states and federal government have distinct spheres of power.

Cooperative Federalism

System where states and federal government share responsibilities.

Grants-in-Aid

Federal funds provided to states to achieve specific goals.

Categorical Grants

Federal funds given to states for specific purposes.

Block Grants

Federal funds to states for broader policy areas.

Enumerated Powers

Powers specifically listed in the Constitution.

Implied Powers

Powers not explicitly stated but inferred from the Constitution.

Necessary and Proper Clause

Allows Congress to make laws essential for executing its enumerated powers.

Supremacy Clause

Establishes federal law as superior to state laws in case of conflict.

Commerce Clause

Grants Congress the power to regulate interstate commerce.

Laboratories of Democracy

States serve as experimental grounds for policy ideas.

Devolution

Process of returning power from the federal government to the states.