AP U.S. Government Foundations: Democracy, Locke, and Declaration Listen as a podcast Add to calendar

UNIT 1

Natural rights

Fundamental rights possessed by individuals independent of government, such as life, liberty, and property.

Social contract

An agreement in which people establish a government to protect their rights in exchange for accepting governing authority.

Popular sovereignty

The principle that ultimate political power and authority reside with the people.

Consent of the governed

The principle that government legitimacy relies on authorization from the citizens.

Limited government

A political system where governmental powers are restricted by constitutional boundaries and laws.

Rule of law

The principle that all individuals and political institutions are subject to equal legal enforcement.

Thomas Hobbes

Political philosopher who argued that a strong centralized sovereign is necessary to maintain order and prevent chaos.

John Locke

Philosopher who advocated natural rights, consent of the governed, and the right to replace destructive rulers.

Montesquieu

Enlightenment thinker who advocated dividing power among government branches to prevent tyranny.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Philosopher who argued that political authority rests on the general will of the people.

Participatory democracy

A democratic model emphasizing broad, direct citizen involvement in political decisions.

Pluralist democracy

A democratic model where organized interest groups compete to influence public policy.

Elite democracy

A democratic model where a small, affluent group holds predominant influence over policy decisions.

Magna Carta

1215 English charter establishing legal limits on royal power and foundational principles of rule of law.

English Bill of Rights

1689 statute limiting monarchical authority while constitutionalizing rights of Parliament and citizens.

Colonial assemblies

Representative legislative bodies in early America that developed traditions of local self-governance.

Adam Smith

Philosopher and economist who explained how self-interest and competition organize market activity in The Wealth of Nations.

Self-interest

The primary economic drive of individuals seeking personal goals such as profits, wages, or useful goods.

Competition

Market rivalry among sellers that encourages lower prices and higher product quality.

Invisible hand

The concept that decentralized market interactions can generate broad economic benefits without central planning.

Division of labor

The separation of a production process into specialized tasks to increase output and efficiency.

Role of government (Smith)

Adam Smith's view that government should focus on defense, justice, and public infrastructure while allowing free markets.

Declaration of Independence

1776 founding document asserting American political sovereignty and detailing grievances against the British monarchy.

State of nature

John Locke's concept of human existence prior to formal government, governed by natural law and equality.

Right of revolution

The Lockean doctrine that citizens may alter or abolish a government that consistently violates their natural rights.

Two Treatises of Government

1689 text by John Locke presenting foundational arguments for natural rights and constitutional rule.

Laissez-faire

An economic policy advocating minimal state interference or regulation in market exchanges.

The Theory of Moral Sentiments

1759 book by Adam Smith analyzing human sympathy, ethics, and moral judgment.

Jefferson's Rough Draught

The initial draft of the Declaration of Independence, which included an explicit condemnation of the slave trade.

Congressional Revision

The final edited text of the Declaration approved July 4, 1776, after Continental Congress removed roughly 25 percent of the original draft.

Dunlap Broadside

The initial printed version of the Declaration produced on July 4–5, 1776, for public distribution across the colonies.

Engrossed Copy

The official handwritten parchment version of the Declaration signed by delegates beginning August 2, 1776.

Tabula rasa

John Locke's concept that human minds start as a blank slate and gain knowledge through sensory experience.

Free market

An economic environment governed primarily by voluntary exchange and supply and demand.

Property rights

John Locke's principle that individuals acquire ownership over resources by combining their labor with natural goods.