AP Gov Unit 1 Review Sheet

1st Amendment

Protects freedom of religion, speech, the press, peaceful assembly, and the right to petition the government

2nd Amendment

Protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms

3rd Amendment

Restricts the government from forcing homeowners to quarter (house) soldiers during peacetime without consent

4th Amendment

Protects people against unreasonable searches and seizures and requires warrants to be backed by probable cause

5th Amendment

Guarantees rights in criminal cases, including grand jury indictments, protection against double jeopardy and self-incrimination, due process of law, and fair compensation for property taken by eminent domain

6th Amendment

Guarantees the right to a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury, the right to confront witnesses, and the right to legal counsel in criminal cases

7th Amendment

Guarantees the right to a jury trial in federal civil court cases involving property or money

8th Amendment

Prohibits excessive bail, excessive fines, and cruel and unusual punishments

9th Amendment

Clarifies that the listing of specific rights in the Constitution does not mean people do not retain other unwritten personal rights

10th Amendment

States that any powers not explicitly granted to the federal government by the Constitution are reserved for the states or the people

14th Amendment

Whatever a state a person is born in, is considered a citizen of that stare and is given equal protection from the deprivation of their natural rights

15th Amendment

Every citizen in the US is guaranteed full suffrage regardless of their skin color, race, or servitude

17th Amendment

Citizens of each state shall elect two senators for a term of six years. States shall fill any vacancies and each senator is given 1 vote

19th Amendment

Suffrage shall never be prohibited on the account of male or female

22nd Amendment

Citizens are limited to a maximum of two terms as President

24th Amendment

Prohibited taxes being put on polls, allowing citizens to vote for free

26th Amendment

Citizens over the age of 18 are given the right to vote

Expressed powers (enumerated/executive)

powers specifically granted to the federal government by the Constitution, explicitly listed in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution, ensuring a clear delineation of the government's roles and responsibilities in governance.

Implied powers

powers not explicitly stated in the Constitution but assumed to be necessary to fulfill the government's written duties, as outlined in the Necessary and Proper Clause.

Inherent powers

powers that are not explicitly stated in the Constitution but are understood to be necessary for the government to function, often associated with the presidency.

Reserved powers

powers that are not given to the national government by a constitution, nor forbidden to the regional or state governments, meaning they stay with the states or the people

Concurrent powers

powers that are shared by both the federal and state government, including those established by the Supremacy Clause which states that the Constitution and federal laws take precedence over state laws.

Popular Sovereignty

The idea that political authority comes from the people

Declaration of Independence: view of government

Government is created by the people to protect natural rights

Weakness of the Articles of Confederation

National government was too weak, gave too much power to the states, no taxes on states

Federalism

Power is divided between the national government and state governments, more than one level of government each with its own source of power

Unitary government

Power all in one central government

Federalists’ view on the Constitution

Supported the Constitution and a stronger national government

Anti-Federalists’ view on the Constitution

Feared a powerful central government and wanted stronger protections for individual liberties

Separation of Powers

Government power is divided among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches

Checks and Balances

Each branch of government checks the other branches

Divided government

One party holds one branch of government and the other party holds the other branch of government

Elite Democracy

Political power is concentrated among a small group of people, limited participation

Pluralist Democracy

Political power is influenced by competing interest groups

Participatory Democracy

Political power is influenced by broad citizen participation

Direct Democracy

Citizens vote directly on laws and policies

Great Compromise

1787 agreement during the US Constitutional Convention that created a bicameral Congress: House based on population and Senate with equal representation

Senate term length

6 years

House term length

2 years

Formal qualifications to be president

35 years old, natural-born U.S. citizen, U.S. resident for 14 years

Informal qualifications to be president

Male, white, Christian, rich, married, family, straight, charisma, no anti-military, no major scandals

American’s first political party

The Federalist party

Oldest current major political party

The Democratic party

Political Socialization

The complex process by which individuals acquire their political ideologies

Stronger predictor of political party affiliation

Parents/family political affiliation

Gender gap

the tendency for women to support Democratic candidates at higher rates and men to support Republic candidates at higher rates

What liberals generally support

More government involvement, greater government regulation, collective good

What conservatives generally support

Less government intervention, lower taxes, individual responsibility

Typical Democratic supporters

Urban, younger, minorities, educated

Typical Republican supporters

Rural, older, white

Before national nominating conventions, who chose presidential candidates?

Congressional party caucuses, “King Caucus” system

What happens at national political conventions?

Formally nominate the presidential candidate, vice presidential candidate, and launch the general election campaign

What replaced caucuses as the main method for selecting delegates?

Primary elections

Why do presidential candidates focus on large competitive states?

Winner-take-all system and electoral college

Amount of electoral votes needed to win

270 electoral votes

Most common form of political participation in the US

voting in elections

Who originally decided voting qualifications?

state governments

Poll taxes and literacy tests

methods used to disenfranchise African American voters

Grandfather clause

Exempted citizens from voting barriers if their ancestors voted before 1867

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Banned literacy tests, poll taxes, and prohibits racial discrimination

Shelby County v. Holder (2013)

The Supreme Court struck down the Voting Rights Act's coverage formula for federal preclearance, weakening federal oversight of changes to voting laws

Linkage Institutions

Organizations and groups that connect citizens to the government and policymakers; eg. political parties, interest groups, elections, and the media

How can the Constitution be formally changed?

Proposed by 2/3 of Congress, ratified by ¾ of the states

How can the Constitution be informally changed?

Supreme Court interpretations, congressional legislation, presidential actions, political practices and customs