AP GOV Notes

Declaration of Independent

All people are created equal (Natural rights of life, liberty, and property)

Articles of Confederation

Unicameral with limited central government (No president, no army, needed 13/13 votese)

Consitution

Bicameral outlines the federal government structure, powers of the three branches legislative (congress), executive (potus), and judicial branch (scotus)

Federalist 10

A strong unified government is effective than each state at controlling factions

Brutus I

Antifederalists wanted to reject consitution that immense power would require people to sacrifice their liberties — created the Bill of Rights

Federalist 51

Proposed the three branches: Executive, Legislative, and Judicial — Seperation of powers

Federalist 70

Hamliton argued unity in the executive ebranch is the main intergredien for both energy and safety

Federalist 78

Hamilton says that all judges are appointed by the USA by good behavior (lifetime tenure), keep them independent, and learning must be done

Letter from Birmingham Jail

Martin Luther King argues for his duty to fight for justice

McCulloch v. Maryland

Necessary and proper clause: Did Congress have the authority under the Constitution to commission a national bank? Did the state of Maryland have the authority to tax a branch of the national bank operating within its borders? — Congress has the power to incorporate the bank and Maryland could not tax

US v. Lopez

Commerce clause: Did Congress have the power to pass the Gun-Free School Zones Act in means of after that guy was in federal trial — Scotus said gun possession is not an economic activity

Baker v. Carr

Equal Protection Clause: Tennessee voter, sued the Secretary of State, Joe Carr, arguing that Tennessee's legislative apportionment (redistricting) was unconstitutiona — Drawing lines around state electoral districts can be reviewed

Shaw v. Reno

Equal protection clause: Was drawing districts by race a violation of the 14th amendement in North Carolina — Court favored shaw saying it was unlawful to gerrymander

Malbury v. Madision

Supremacy Clause: Does Marbury have a right to his commission, and can he sue the federal government for it? — John Marshall established the principle of judicial review, an addition to the system of “checks and balances” created to prevent any one branch of the Federal Government from becoming too powerful

Wisconsin v. Yoder

Free Exercise Clause: Wisconsin's requirement that all parents send their children to school at least until age 16 violate the First Amendment for religious reasons — Outweighed States interest in compelling school attendance beyond the 8th grade

Tinker v. Des Mois

Freedom of Speech: Does a prohibition against the wearing of armbands in public school, as a form of symbolic protest violate first amendment — scotus established that public school students do not lose their 1st amendment rights in school as long as they do not disrupt school operations

Schenck v. US

Freedom of Speech: Charles Schenck, a Socialist Party leader, for violating the Espionage Act by distributing leaflets urging resistance to the military draft during World War I — scotus did not win his case and concluded it’s “clear" and present danger test”

Gideon v. Wainwright

Sixth amendment: A Florida resident, was charged with a felony and refused legal counsel because Florida law only provided appointed counsel for capital offenses. He represented himself at trial and was convicted — Gideon won that all defendants even in state court are entitled to legal counsel

McDonald V. Chicago

Due process clause: Chicago had a 1982 law that banned new registration of handguns, effectively prohibiting most residents from owning them — Second Amendment right to bear arms applies to state and local governments through the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause

Brown v. Board of Education

14th amendment: the plaintiffs, representing Black students and their families, won — overturning the "separate but equal" doctrine established in Plessy v. Ferguson

Citizens United v. Federal Election Comission

Free speech: A Texas District Court blocked the rule, finding it exceeded the FTC's authority and was arbitrary and capricious. — Political Spending by corporations, associations, and labor unions is a form of protected speech under the 1st Amendment

Types of democracies

Participatory (diret like referndas), pluralist (interest groups like NAACP), elite (electoral college)

Federalist vs. anti federalists

Strong national government (madison) vs. feared executive powers, wanted bill of rights

Checs and balances

Powers distributed and limited among 3 branches

Federalism

Power divided between national and state government

Supremacy clause

Federal law tramps state law

Full faith and credit clause

States must respect each other states laws and court rulings

Amendment Process

Proposal: 2/3 cngress or national convention Ratitification: ¾ state or conventions

Exclusive, reserved, and concurrent powers

Delegated by constituion, kept by state explained in 10th amendment, shared by both like income tax

Stakeholders

Individuals or groups with an interest in political decisions (e.g., voters, interest groups, political parties, media)

Advice and consent

Senate’s constitutional authority to approve or reject presidential appointments and treaties.

Judicial review

Courts design to declare laws or executive actions unconstitutions

Fiscal federalism

Categorical, block, funded mandate, unfunded mandates

Necessary and Proper Clause

Congress can make any laws that are able to establish power (E.g., how Hamilton created the national bank despite not needing power)

House of Representatives

Representative for all the people: 435 members, can impeach, hold two year terms, limited debates, and determined by census every 10 years

Senate

Represents the state: 2 per state, confirms presidential appointments, ratify treaties, impeach, have six year terms, and have limited debates and can fillibuster

Discharge Petition

Forces a bill out of committee in the house

Cloture

Ends a fillibuster with 60 senator votes

Holds

Senators request to delay floor consideration of a bill or nomination

Logrolling

Lawmakers trade votes to pass legislation

Pork barrel spending

Government funds used on localized projects for reelection gain

Models of representation

Trustee — Reps vote based on their own judgemment Delegate — Reps vote according to peoples preferences Politico — Reps act as both trustee and delegate

President of the United States

Commander in chief, has executive orders, privileges, and agreements. The president also has signing statements and is the bully pulpit

The cabinet

Adivers oversees departments; must be Senate-confirmemd

The Bureaucracy

Iron triangle, interpret and implement laws, merit based government employment system

Judicial Branch (SCOTUS)

Has stare desis; let the decision stand on precedent. Has judicial review (coonsitution vs not) actiism (overturn lows) and restraint (defer elected branches and prececdent) and has life tenure

Bill of rights

1. Freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition

2. Right to bare arms

3. Quartering soliders

4. No unreasonable search and seizure

5. Rights of the accusted (due process, miranda rights)

6. Rights to fair trial

7. Civil trial rights

8. No cruel and unusual punishment

9. Unenumerated rights (rights of citizens)

10. States rights (Powers not given to federal is reserved to the states)

14th amendment

No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States. The Citizenship Clause, the Due Process Clause, the Equal Protection Clause, and the Privileges and Immunities Clause.

19th amendment

Gavee women the rights to votee. The Feminine Mystique, Title IX, and Equal Rights Amendment (failed due to conserative opposition)

Types of Polls

Benchmark: Gather baseline data on public opinion

Tracking poll: Ongoing surveys as voters enter polling places

Exit Poll: Taken after voters have case their ballet

15th amendment

Black man cacn vote

17th amendment

Peopl can vote to senator

24th amendment

Abolished poll taxes to reduce voter suppression

26th amendment

Voting age went from 21 to 18

Voting models

Rational choice, retrospective, prospective, party line

Linkage Insitutions

Connects people to the government

Types of Journalism

Investigative and horse-race (focuses on who’s winning)

PACS

Connects pacs (Diret and has limited amounts to donate), non-connct (Formed around public interest. Limited amounts) Super paccs (Independent organizations that can spen unlimited funds but can’t directly contribute to canidates)