AP Government Unit One: Foundations of American Democracy

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to the foundations of American democracy and the United States Constitution as discussed in AP Government Unit One.

Enlightenment

An 18th-century European intellectual movement that greatly influenced the framers of the Constitution.

Natural Rights

The idea that people are born with certain rights given by their creator, which cannot be taken away by a monarch.

State of Nature

A theoretical condition before any form of government where humans are free.

Popular Sovereignty

The principle that the power to govern belongs to the people.

Social Contract

The theory that people give some of their power to a government to protect their natural rights.

Republicanism

A form of government where people elect representatives to create laws.

Separation of Powers

The division of government responsibilities into distinct branches to limit any one branch from exercising the core functions of another.

Checks and Balances

A system that ensures that no one branch of government becomes too powerful.

Declaration of Independence

A foundational document that expresses the principles of natural rights and the social contract.

United States Constitution

The governing document of the United States that outlines the structure of government and its powers.

Participatory Democracy

A model of democracy emphasizing broad participation in the political process.

Pluralist Democracy

A model where groups compete to influence public policy, allowing voices to be heard collectively.

Elite Democracy

A model emphasizing limited participation in policymaking, relying on the educated elite to govern.

Federalist 10

An essay by James Madison arguing against the dangers of factions in a large republic.

Brutus 1

An anti-federalist essay arguing against a strong centralized government and advocating for participatory democracy.

Articles of Confederation

The first constitution of the United States that established a weak federal government.

Shays' Rebellion

A 1786 revolt by farmers in Massachusetts that demonstrated the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.

Great Compromise

An agreement to establish a bicameral Congress with representation based on population in the House and equal representation in the Senate.

Electoral College

A system established for the indirect election of the president through electors from each state.

Three-Fifths Compromise

An agreement counting three-fifths of enslaved individuals for representation purposes in Congress.

Fiscal Federalism

The concept of sharing power between national and state governments through financial means.

Categorical Grants

Federal funds provided to states with specific conditions on their use.

Block Grants

Federal funds given to states with fewer restrictions on how the money is spent.

Unfunded Mandates

Federal requirements that states must follow without federal funding to support compliance.

10th Amendment

The constitutional amendment stating that powers not granted to the federal government are reserved for the states.

14th Amendment

An amendment that extends protections of the Bill of Rights to the states.

Necessary and Proper Clause

A clause granting Congress the power to pass any laws deemed necessary and proper for carrying out its duties.

Supremacy Clause

A provision stating that federal law takes precedence over state law.

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

A Supreme Court case that affirmed the supremacy of federal laws over state laws.

United States v. Lopez (1995)

A Supreme Court case ruling that Congress exceeded its authority under the commerce clause.

Laboratories of Democracy

The concept that individual states can test and implement their own policies, which can be adopted by others.

Participatory Democracy

Democracy model emphasizing broad participation by citizens in political decision-making.