AP U.S. Government & Politics — Unit 1 Study Guide Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards for AP U.S. Government & Politics Unit 1: Foundations of American Democracy, covering Big Ideas, foundational documents, Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists, Federalist Papers, and Brutus No. 1.

Limited Government

A principle of government where restrictions are placed on what leaders/government can do.

Natural Rights

Ideas associated with John Locke in the Second Treatise of Civil Government (1690), stating that all men are born free and equal, should not harm one another in life, health, liberty, or possessions, and cannot be subjected to political power without consent.

Popular Sovereignty

The principle that political power belongs to the people and that government depends on the consent of the governed.

Republicanism

A form of government in which the people elect representatives who are responsible for making and carrying out laws.

Social Contract

A concept based on Jean-Jacques Rousseau's The Social Contract (1762), in which free individuals give up certain rights in return for collective security within the community, resulting in greater freedom for all.

Declaration of Independence

A foundational document for popular sovereignty influenced by John Locke's ideas on natural law, which justified the people's right to rebel against rulers who did not respect the rights of the governed.

Federalists

A political faction associated with Alexander Hamilton and wealthy merchants who supported a strong national government led by the elite and considered a Bill of Rights necessary.

Anti-Federalists

A political faction associated with Thomas Jefferson that favored small farmers and a Democratic-Republic approach, supporting state governments, common people, and protection for individual liberties.

The Federalist Papers

A collection of 85 essays written from the fall of 1787 to the spring of 1788 by Publius (James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay) intended for the people of the State of New York to encourage ratification of the Constitution.

Federalist No. 10

An essay by James Madison claiming that the Constitution created a representative republic to control the effects of factions, arguing that majority factions are best controlled by representative government and a large country size encouraging pluralism.

Brutus No. 1

An Anti-Federalist paper claiming that the Constitution dismantled the confederated system for a federal system leaving states powerless, and arguing the country is too large to be united under a republic.

Second Treatise of Civil Government (1690)

Work by John Locke establishing that all men are born free and equal and that government power requires the consent of the governed.

The Social Contract (1762)

Work by Jean-Jacques Rousseau describing how free individuals trade certain rights for community security to achieve greater overall freedom.