AP Gov Unit 1

Unit 1 AP Gov review

Natural Rights

People are born with rights granted by a creator.

Popular Sovereignty

The power to govern is in the hands of the governed.

Republicanism

People elect leaders to represent them.

Participatory Democracy

Emphasizes broad participation in politics and civil society.

Elite Democracy

Emphasizes limited participation by a few, well-educated and informed statespeople who are qualified to direct the nation through law making on behalf of the people.

Pluralist Democracy

Describes group-based activism by nongovernmental interests which work to impact political decision making.

Federalist 10

James Madison’s attempt to answer how the new Constitution will protect the liberty of citizens against the tyranny of the majority.

Factions

A number of citizens united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest, adverse to the rights of other citizens, or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community.

Brutus 1 Question

Whether a confederate government is the best for the United States or not?

Confederate Government

The type of government the US had under the articles of confederation.

Majority Rule vs. Minority Rights

If the majority always prevail, then the minority would never be represented.

Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation

The federal government had only one branch: Congress; No executive or judicial branch existed.

Articles of Confederation

First constitution of the United States.

Constitutional Convention Purpose

Draft a new constitution and eliminate the weakness of the articles of confederation.

House of Representatives

Representatives apportioned by population

Senate

Representatives would be apportioned equally with each state.

Three-Fifths Compromise

Count three-fifths of the enslaved population for purposes of representation and taxation.

Article 1

All legislative powers are granted in the Congress (House and Senate).

Three Branches of Government

Legislative, Executive, and Judicial

Separation of Powers

No one branch of government holds all authority

Checks and Balances

The Legislative can check the executive branch.

Stakeholders

Anyone with a vested interest in the outcome of policymaking.

Federalism

Sharing of power between federal and state governments

Exclusive Powers

The power delegated by the Constitution to the federal government alone.

Reserved Powers

The power kept by the states and people.

Concurrent Powers

The power that both federal and state governments share.

Categorical Grant

Gives federal money to the states as long as they comply with specific federal standards.

Block Grant

Gives federal money to be spent in a broad category, and the states determine exactly how that money is spent within those boundaries.

Mandate

The federal government requires states to follow federal directives and gives money toward the carrying out of the mandate.

Unfunded Mandate

Mandate without funding.

McCulloch v. Maryland Decision

Establishes supremacy of national law over state laws

Constitutional Principle of United States v. Lopez

Gun legislation is a state issue

Tenth Amendment

Any power that the Constitution does not explicitly give to the federal government is reserved for the states (Reserved powers).

Fourteenth Amendment

Applied the Bill of Rights to the states

Full Faith and Credit Clause

Each state must respect other’s laws.

Laboratory of Democracy

States pass experimental laws first for the federal government to see how well it would work nationally.