APGOV U1

What does Government do for us

• maintain social order

• provide national security

• provide public services

• make economic decisions

force theory

• one person or group comes into an area and takes it over by force or intimidation

• people obey the government out of fear

evolutionary theory

• government evolved from the primitive family

• families grew to clans and then tribes

• elders served as the government

divine right theory

• belief that god gave certain people/families the divine right to rule

• kings, queens, emperors, dynasties

• people the obey the government b/c they want to obey God

Social Contract theory

• the people decide to create a govt. because life without rules is brutal

• people willingly submit to the govt

• the people agree to obey in exchange for protection

participatory democracy

the driving force of American democracy is widespread participation by the citizens

pluralist theory

interest groups are the driving force of government policies. This theory encourages citizens to join groups of people who share similar interest. These groups lobby govt officials and make campaign donations

elitist theory

believe that our democracy is controlled by wealthy elites. Some believe that the govt should be run by the most educated and informed "elites" of society, but others oppose this

constitution

written rules of government

US Rep qualification

• 25 yrs old

• 7 yrs citizenship

• resident of the state they represent

US senator qualifications

• 30 yrs old

• 9 yrs citizenship

• resident of the state they represent

US president qualifications

-35 yrs old

• natural born citizen

• resident of the US for 14 yrs

federal judge qualifications

-none

Method of selection

US rep: direct election by the people

US Senator: Direct election by the people

President: chosen by the electoral college

Federal judge: nominated by the president, approved by the senate

Term of office

US Rep: 2 yrs

US senator: 6 yrs

President: 4 yrs

Federal judge: life

separation of powers

the powers of government are divided among three separate branches of govt

checks and balances

each branch of govt has powers that allow them to check or slow or block decisions by other branches

federalism

a system in which the power is divided between the national govt and state govt

bill of rights

a list of rights in the first 10 amendments that are protected from government interference

judicial interpretation

judges decide what the vague words of the constitutions mean though their rulings

Marbury v. Madison

This case establishes the Supreme Court's power of Judicial Review

Federalist No. 10

an essay in which Madison argues that the dangers of faction can be mitigated by a large republic and republican government

Federalist No. 51

Argues that separation of powers within the national government is the best way to prevent the concentration of power in the hands of one person or a single group.

Federalist No 70

Hamilton argues that a strong executive is essential in the new government.

Federalist No 78

argument by Alexander Hamilton that the federal judiciary would be unlikely to infringe upon rights and liberties but would serve as a check on the other two branches

Authoritarian

A government in which one leader or group of people holds absolute power.

Totalitarian

A form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator (not restricted by a constitution or laws or opposition etc.)

Autocracy

a system of government by one person with absolute power.

Oligarchy

A government ruled by a few powerful people

Theocracy

A government controlled by religious leaders

Confederacy

A loose union of independent states

Republics

governments ruled by representatives of the people

Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union

Adopted by the Second Continental Congress in 1777 and formally ratified in 1781, the articles created a union of sovereign states in which the states, not the national government, were supreme.

Writ of Habeas Corpus

the right of people detained by the government to know the charges against them

Bills of attainder

when the legislature declares someone guilty without a trial

Ex post facto laws

laws punishing people for acts that were not crimes at the time they were committed

Necessary and proper or elastic clause

language in Article 1, Section B, granting Congress the powers necessary to carry out its enumerated powers

Implied powers

authority of the federal government that goes beyond its expressed powers

Supremacy clause

constitutional provision declaring that the Constitution and all national laws and treaties are the supreme law of the land

Federalist papers

a series of 85 essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay and published between 1787 and 1788 that lay out the theory behind the constitution

Federalists

supporters of the Constitution

antifederalists

people who opposed the Constitution

Brutus No. 1

an Antifederalist paper arguing that the country was too large to be governed as a republic and that the Constitution gave too much power to the national government

Unitary System

a system where the central government has all of the power over the subnational governments

Confederal system

• a system where the subnational governments have most of the power

Federal system

a system where power is divided between the national and state governments

Enumerated or expressed powers

powers explicitly granted to the national government through the Constitution; also called expressed powers

Exclusive powers

powers only the national govt may exercise

Commerce clause

grants congress the authority to regulate interstate business and commercial activity

Reserved powers

powers not given to the national government, which are retained by the states and the people

Concurrent powers

powers granted to both states and the federal government in the Constitution

Full faith and credit clause

constitutional clause requiring states to recognize the public acts, records, and civil court proceedings from another state

Extradition

the requirement that officials in one state return a defendant to another state where a crime was committed

Privileges and immunities clause

constitutional clause that prevents states from discriminating against people from out of state

Dual federalism

a form of American federalism in which the states and the national government operate independently in their own areas of public policy

Cooperative federalism

a form of American federalism in which the states and the national government work together to shape public policy

Grants in aid

federal money provided to states to implement public policy objectives

Fiscal federalism

the federal government's use of grants in aid to influence policies in the states

Categorical grants

grants in aid provided to states with specific provisions on their use

Unfunded mandate

federal requirements that states must follow without being provided with funding

Block grant

a type of grant in aid that gives state officials more authority in the disbursement of federal funds

Revenue sharing

when the federal government apportions tax money to the states with no strings attached

Devolution

returning more authority to state or local governments