AP GOV: Government

Basis, influences

Limited Government

A political principle that restricts governmental power to protect individual liberties and rights, ensuring that government authority is not absolute.

Natural Rights/Inalienable Rights

Fundamental rights inherent to all individuals, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, which cannot be surrendered or transferred.

Popular Sovereignty

The principle that the authority of a government is created and sustained by the consent of its people, who are the ultimate source of political power.

Republicanism

A system in which the people give authority to government and exercise their power by delegating it to representatives chosen by them through the election process.

Social Contract

An agreement among individuals to form a government that protects their natural rights in exchange for some of their freedoms, thus establishing the legitimacy of political authority.

Federalism

A system of government where power is divided between a central authority and smaller political units, such as states or provinces, allowing for shared governance.

Delegated Powers

Expressed or enumerated, powers given specifically to the national government (Articles I-V)

Implied Powers

Powers not explicitly stated in the Constitution but necessary to implement the expressed powers. These powers arise from the Necessary and Proper Clause.

Inherent Powers

Powers that exist for the national government because the government is sovereign

Concurrent Powers

Powers that belong to both the national and state governments and are exercised simultaneously, such as the power to tax and enforce laws.

Reserved Powers

Powers that are not delegated to the national government nor prohibited to the states, and are therefore reserved for the states, such as licensing and local law enforcement.