AP U.S. Government and Politics: Unit 1 - Foundations of Democracy

Vocabulary flashcards covering core concepts, seminal texts, constitutional compromises, structural principles, federalism, and landmark court cases from Unit 1.

Constitutionalism

The principle that the U.S. Constitution establishes a system of checks and balances among branches of government and allocates power between federal and state governments based on the rule of law.

Magna Charta (1215)

An English document tracing back the commitment to the rule of law when nobles rose up and challenged the king's absolute rule.

Thomas Hobbes

Political theorist who authored Leviathan (1651), asserting that man in his 'state of nature' was 'nasty and brutish' and that a just society required consent through a social contract.

John Locke

Author of Second Treatise on Government (1690), who argued that government is established to protect absolute natural rights and emphasized popular sovereignty as legitimizing authority.

Montesquieu

Author of Spirit of the Laws (1748), who argued that representative democracy requires diluting legitimate authority through the separation of legislative, executive, and judicial functions.

Declaration of Independence (1776)

A foundational document authored by Thomas Jefferson that asserts unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, deriving government power from the consent of the governed.

Participatory Democracy

A model of representative democracy emphasizing that civil society is maintained when the broadest selection of citizens actively engage in the political process.

Pluralist Democracy

A model of representative democracy emphasizing that rival groups form to compete against each other in their desire to influence public policy.

Elite Democracy

A model of representative democracy emphasizing that primary political decisions are made and enforced by a select group of advantaged citizens.

Federalist 10

An essay written by James Madison arguing for a large republic with competing groups to control the 'mischiefs of faction' and protect minority rights.

Brutus 1

An Anti-Federalist essay arguing that an extensive republic would place officers above popular control, concentrate power in a few elite, and compromise individual liberty.

Articles of Confederation (1777)

The first U.S. constitutional framework establishing a 'firm league of friendship' with a weak unicameral legislature, no executive, no power to tax, and sovereign power retained mostly by individual states.

Shays' Rebellion

An uprising in 1786-1787 led by Daniel Shays and 2,000 militiamen protesting debt collection in Massachusetts, which highlighted national security and government weaknesses under the Articles of Confederation.

Connecticut Compromise

Also known as the Great Compromise proposed by Roger Sherman; established a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the House of Representatives and equal representation in the Senate.

Article V

The constitutional provision establishing the amendment process requiring a two-thirds vote by Congress or national conventions to propose, and ratification by three-fourths of the states.

Federalist 51

An essay by James Madison arguing that checks and balances and separation of powers guard liberty by ensuring 'ambition must be made to counteract ambition.'

Impeachment

A constitutional check where the House of Representatives has sole power to charge officials for 'treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors,' and the Senate holds sole power to try the case.

Federal Tort Claims Act (1946)

A statute that allowed private parties to sue the United States in federal court for wrongful or negligent acts committed by federal employees, waiving sovereign immunity.

Delegated Powers

Powers specifically given exclusively to the national government, such as declaring war and conducting foreign policy.

Concurrent Powers

Powers shared simultaneously by national, state, and local governments, such as sharing healthcare costs.

Reserved Powers

Powers guaranteed exclusively to state governments under the Tenth Amendment, such as issuing licenses and overseeing public education.

Block Grants

Federal financial assistance granted to state and local governments that provides broad discretion on how the funds are spent.

Categorical Grants

Federal financial assistance allocated to state and local governments for specific targeted programs and projects.

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

A Supreme Court ruling that expanded national government power by affirming implied powers under the Necessary and Proper Clause to create a national bank and confirming federal supremacy.

Fourteenth Amendment

A constitutional amendment prohibiting states from denying due process, equal protection, or abridging privileges or immunities of U.S. citizens.

Devolution

Also known as New Federalism; a movement championed by conservatives to transfer power and responsibilities from the central federal government back to state governments.

U.S. v. Lopez (1995)

A Supreme Court case ruling that the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990 exceeded Congress's authority under the Commerce Clause, limiting the expansion of federal power.

Heart of Atlanta Motel, Inc. v. United States (1964)

A Supreme Court decision upholding Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by validating federal regulation of private discrimination under the U.S. Constitution's interstate Commerce Clause.

National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius (2012)

A Supreme Court ruling that upheld key individual tax provisions of the Affordable Care Act under Congress's power to lay and collect taxes.