ap gov unit 1 cram

Natural Rights

Rights people are born with (life, liberty, property/pursuit of happiness), influencing the Declaration of Independence.

Popular Sovereignty

The principle that the government's power comes from the consent of the governed.

Social Contract

An agreement where people give up some freedom in exchange for government protection.

Participatory Democracy

A system where citizens are broadly involved in political decisions, like town hall meetings.

Pluralist Democracy

A system where many diverse interest groups compete for influence in the government.

Elite Democracy

A theory that a small group of wealthy or educated individuals holds most political power, as seen in the Electoral College.

Articles of Confederation

The first weak U.S. government, unable to tax, with no executive or judicial branch, revealing its inadequacies through events like Shays's Rebellion.

Great Compromise

Established a bicameral legislature with representation based on population in the House and equal representation for states in the Senate.

Three-Fifths Compromise

Agreement to count enslaved individuals as three-fifths of a person for both representation and taxation.

Separation of Powers

The division of governmental responsibilities into distinct branches: legislative, executive, and judicial.

Checks & Balances

A system where each branch of government can limit the powers of the others to prevent any single branch from becoming too powerful.

Federalism

A system of government where power is divided and shared between a national government and state governments.

Implied Powers

Powers not explicitly stated in the Constitution but are inferred as necessary to carry out expressed powers, often derived from the Elastic Clause.

Elastic Clause (Necessary and Proper Clause)

Grants Congress the power to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution its enumerated powers.

Supremacy Clause

Establishes that the U.S. Constitution, federal laws, and treaties are the supreme law of the land.

Federalist No. 10

Argued by James Madison that a large republic with many factions best controls the dangers of factionalism and prevents tyranny of the majority.

Brutus No. 1

An Anti-Federalist paper arguing against the Constitution, fearing a large republic would lead to a tyrannical national government that abuses power and diminishes local control.

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

Supreme Court case that established the principle of judicial review, allowing the judiciary to declare laws unconstitutional.

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

Supreme Court case affirming the supremacy of federal law over state law and reinforcing the doctrine of implied powers through the Necessary & Proper Clause.

U.S. v. Lopez (1995)

Supreme Court case that limited Congress's power under the Commerce Clause, signaling a shift of power back to the states.

10th Amendment

Reserves powers not delegated to the federal government, nor prohibited to the states, to the states respectively, or to the people.

14th Amendment

Grants citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S. and guarantees equal protection and due process of law to all citizens.

republicanism

people elect leaders to govern/represent them and create laws in public interest

Federalists

Supported Constitution, strong central gov (Hamilton, Madison).

Declaration of Independence (1776)

Jefferson; announced separation from Britain; justified with natural rights, social contract.

Philadelphia/CONSTITUTIONAL Convention (1787)

Delegates met to revise Articles of Confederation → drafted new Constitution.

Shays’s Rebellion (1786–87)

Farmer uprising against debt/taxes in MA → exposed weaknesses of Articles, spurred call for stronger federal gov.

Direct Democracy

Citizens vote directly on laws.

Representative Democracy

Citizens elect reps (U.S. system).

Virginia Plan

Large states; bicameral legislature, representation based on population.

New Jersey Plan

Small states; unicameral legislature, equal votes per state.

Electoral College

Indirect presidential election, compromise between Congress & direct vote

Separation of Powers

Legislative, executive, judicial branches (Articles I–III)

Factions

Groups of citizens united by a common cause (Madison in Fed. 10 worried about them).

Tyranny of the Majority

Fear majority could suppress minority rights.

Article V

Amendment process (proposal by 2/3 Congress or convention, ratification by 3/4 states).

Anti-Federalists

Wanted state power, feared tyranny, demanded Bill of Rights.

Federalist Papers

Essays defending Constitution

Fed. 10

Large republic controls factions

Fed. 51

Checks & balances, separation of powers.

Judicial Review

Power of courts to strike down laws as unconstitutional (Marbury v. Madison).

Dual Federalism

Clear division of fed vs. state powers (founding–1930s).

Cooperative Federalism

Fed & state govs share responsibilities (New Deal onward).

Exclusive Powers

Only fed gov (ex: declare war, coin money).

Concurrent Powers

Shared (taxing, enforcing laws).

Devolution

Transfer of power back to states (ex: welfare reform 1990s).

Commerce Clause

Fed can regulate interstate commerce (basis for expanded power).

U.S. Constitution

seperation of powers, checks and balances, stronger fed govt

15th amendment

No denial of vote based on race.

16th amendment

Federal income tax.

17th amendment

Direct election of senators.

18th amendment

Prohibition of alcohol.

19th amendment

womens suffrage → anyone is allowed to vote

21st amendment

repealed prohibition

26th amendment

voting age lowered to 18