AP GOV [UNIT 1]

Enlightenment

European intellectual movement that influenced the founders of the Constitution

Natural Rights

Rights possessed by natural law & government can’t take away

Popular Sovereignty

Power to govern is in the hands of the people

Social Contract

People give away some rights to the government to protect natural rights

• If government the takes away natural rights, people can overthrow the government

Republicanism

People elect leaders to represent them & these representatives create laws that favor the interests of the people

Checks & Balances

Meant to distribute power and authority and avoid abuse of power

Legislative-Creates laws (Congress)

• Senate approvals appointments from President

• Congress can override veto with ⅔ vote in both chambers

Executive-Enforces laws (President & Advisors)

• President appoints Supreme Court Justices & Cabinet members

• President can veto laws passed by Congress if he does not like it

Judicial-Interprets laws (Courts)

Judicial Review-Courts judge laws passed by Congress & see if constitutional

what are the 3 types of Democracy?

Participatory, pluralist, and elite

Participatory

broad participation in political process by most, or all society members

Pluralist

groups of people associated with interests compete to influence policy

Elite

more limited participation & people assume government is complicated, so most educated people run it

what is Federalism?

sharing of power between national and state governments

Exclusive Powers

federal government power stated in Constitution (treaties)

Reserved Powers

power kept by states (10th amendment)

Concurrent Powers

shared between state and federal government

• 14th Amendment applies the Bill of Rights to States, not just federal government

Commerce Clause

congress has the power to regulate all business activities that cross state lines or affect more than one state or other nations

Necessary and Proper Clause (Elastic)

Congress has the right to make all laws necessary and proper for carrying out all powers vested by the Constitution in the national government

what is Fiscal Federalism?

sharing power through money

Categorical Grants

federal government gives states money if they follow federal rules

Block Grants

given to states for broad purposes & states have more freedom on spending

Mandates

Congress sets rules & give states money to meet rules & mandates

Unfunded Mandates

Congress sets rules & states must meet rules on their own

what did Federalists / Anti-Federalists do?

Debated on weather states should accept Constitution on law, majority rule or minority rights

what is the importance of the Articles of Confederation?

• Weak federal government & Unproportionally strong state governments

• One branch of government (Congress), no president & court, Congress could not tax or raise an army, and all 13 states had to agree if they wanted change

• Shays Rebellion showed weakness of Articles of Confederation

What is the Grand Committee?

Forged compromises needed for a new government document

Great Compromise

(Connecticut Compromise): a bicameral legislature with a House of Representatives (population) and Senate (equal representation)

• how people represent in Congress

Virginia Plan

Representatives in state are based on population

New Jersey Plan

Each state has 1 vote

• Ended with Bicameral (2 senators & Rep. based on population)

Electoral College

People votes determine who gets all electoral votes in a state

Three-Fifths Compromise

One slave is ⅗ a person, or 5 slaves are 3 people

• Slaves can’t be touched for 20 years after Constitution is ratified

Article 5

• Amendment can be proposed by Congress or states by a special convention; ⅔ vote need to be official

• Then, amendment needs ¾ of states legislation votes to be law

Mcculloch v. Maryland

• Supreme Court ruled that Necessary and Proper Clause implied certain powers given to the federal government even if not explicitly mentioned in Constitution

• Supremacy clause-federal laws overpower state laws when conflicted

United States v. Lopez

Commerce Clause banned guns on school property & Supreme Court said guns are not related to interstate commerce (Congress overstepped its bounds) and state power wins