AP Government Unit 1: Foundations of American Democracy

Social Contract

Agreement between the people and the government. People surrender a small portion of their rights in order to protect the rights as a whole, through the creation of government.

Natural (Inalienable) Rights

Rights which are given to us by God and predate the creation of government. Examples are life, liberty, property, and the pursuit of happiness.

Declaration of Independence

1776 document that explained why the colonies were splitting with England (A Breakup Letter). Explains our founding principles, such as natural rights and the social contract.

Limited Government

A principle of constitutional government. Our government is kept small, with powers defined and limited by a constitution.

Popular Sovereignty

A principle of constitutional government. The belief that ultimate power resides in the people.

Republicanism

A form of government in which people elect representatives to create and enforce laws.

Articles of Confederation

1st Constitution of the U.S. 1781-1788. Very weak, no executive, no judiciary, no power to tax, no power to regulate trade.

Elite Democracy (Elitism)

A theory of American democracy contending that an upper-class elite holds the power and makes policy, regardless of the formal governmental organization.

Participatory Democracy

a theory of democracy that holds that citizens should directly influence the policy making process.

Pluralist Democracy

a theory of democracy that holds that citizen membership in interest groups is the key to political power

Hyper-pluralism

A theory of government and politics contending that groups are so strong that government is weakened

Bureaucratic Democracy

A theory of government that suggests that public policy is really determined by bureaucrats/government officials, regardless of the formal structure of the government.

Federalist 10

Madison - Argues that political factions/parties will exist, minority rights must be protected, the federal system is the best way to protect all

Federalist 51

Madison - Argues that this system of checks and balances is the best way to control power and create stability

Brutus 1

Robert Yates? - Argues that large governments can abuse regions, lose touch with the needs of the people, and tend to increase central powers at the expense of regions

Shays' Rebellion

A 1787 rebellion in which ex-Revolutionary War soldiers attempted to prevent foreclosures of farms as a result of high interest rates and taxes. Highlighted weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.

The Great (Connecticut) Compromise

Combined elements of the Virginia and the New Jersey Plans. Decided to have a popularly elected House based on state population and a state-selected Senate, with two members for each state.

Virginia Plan

Madison's plan for the government. Legislature would be bicameral and based on population.

New Jersey Plan

Patterson's plan for the government. Legislature would be unicameral and equal representation.

Philadelphia (Constitutional) Convention

The meeting of state delegates in 1787 in Philadelphia called to revise the Articles of Confederation. It instead designed a new plan of government, the US Constitution.

Three-Fifths Compromise

Agreement that slave states would count only three-fifths of their slave populations for the purpose of determining representation in the House and taxation purposes (negated by the 13th amendment).

Commerce & Slave Trade Compromise

An agreement during the Constitutional Convention protecting slave holders; denied Congress the power to tax the export of goods from any State, and, for 20 years, the power to act on the slave trade.

Amendments

Changes to the Constitution (We have 27)

Checks & Balances (Definition)

A system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power.

Checks & Balances (Examples)

Presidential veto, Congress confirms or rejects the president's nominees to the Supreme Court or to the executive branch, the President appoints members to the Supreme Court, the Supreme Court may use Judicial Review to declare a law unconstitutional, Congress must approve treaties created by the president, Congress declares war and funds the military, but the president is Commander and Chief of the military.

Bill of Rights

First 10 Amendments (1791)

Anti-Federalists

Opponents of the American Constitution at the time when the states were contemplating its ratification.

The Federalist Papers

A collection of 85 articles written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison under the name "Publius" to defend the Constitution in detail.

Federalists

A term used to describe supporters of the Constitution during ratification debates in state legislatures.

Judicial Review

Allows the court to determine the constitutionality of laws.

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

Court case that established judicial review

US v. Lopez (1995)

Court case that struck down a national "Gun Free School Zone law" and curtailed Congress' authority under the Commerce Clause.

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

Court case that upheld the power of the national government and denied the right of a state to tax the federal bank using the Constitution's supremacy clause. Expanded the understanding of the necessary and proper clause.

Federalism

A system in which power is divided between the national and state governments

Dual Federalism (Layer Cake)

Original understanding of federalism. A clear division of governing authority between national and state governments.

Cooperative Federalism (Marble Cake)

Model of federalism which grew out of the Great Depression. The state and federal governments work together often on the same things.

New Federalism

Policy started by Nixon of "devolving" powers back to the states.

Devolution

Returning power from the national government to the states.

Fiscal Federalism

The pattern of spending, taxing, and providing grants in the federal system; it is the cornerstone of the national government's relations with state and local governments.

Grants in-aid

A financial aid awarded by the national government to a sate (or even to a person) to fund a specific project or program.

Categorical Grants

Type of Grant in-aid. Money granted by the federal government to state and local governments, with strict limitations on how it is to be spent.

Block Grants

Type of Grant in-aid. Money given by the federal government to state and local government for a specific industry (education for example), but with very little limitations on how it is to be spent.

Revenue Sharing

A law providing for the distribution of a fixed amount or share of federal tax revenues to the states for spending on almost any government purpose.

Delegated/Enumerated Powers

The powers of the Congress listed in the Constitution. (See Article 1, Sec. 8)

Implied Powers

Powers not specifically mentioned in the constitution, but implied. See the Necessary and Proper Clause.

Inherent Powers

The powers of the national government in foreign affairs that the Supreme Court has declared do not depend on constitutional grants but rather grow out of the very existence of the national government. Basically the US government has a right to manage its borders.

The Necessary & Proper (Elastic) Clause

The authority granted Congress in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution "to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper" for the implementation of its enumerated powers.

Concurrent Powers

Powers held jointly by the national and state governments.

Reserved Powers

Powers given to the state government alone. See the 10th Amendment.

The 10th Amendment

The amendment that reserves powers to the States

Article I

Article which describes how the legislative branch works.

Article II

Article which describes how the executive branch works.

Article III

Article which describes how the judicial branch works.

Article IV

Article that explains inter-state and governmental relationships.

Article V

Article that describes the Constitutional Amendment process

Commerce Clause

The clause in the Constitution (Article I, Section 8, Clause 1) that gives Congress the power to regulate all business activities that cross state lines or affect more than one state or other nations.

Full Faith & Credit Clause

Section of Article IV of the Constitution that ensures judicial decrees and contracts made in one state will be binding and enforceable in any other state. States must recognize the laws (give full faith and credit) of other states.

Privileges & Immunities Clause

Part of Article IV of the Constitution guaranteeing that the citizens of each state are afforded the same rights as citizens of all other states.

Extradition

A legal process whereby an alleged criminal offender is surrendered by the officials of one state to officials of the state in which the crime is alleged to have been committed.

Interstate Compacts

Agreements between states to work together on common issues

Supremacy Clause

Article VI of the Constitution, which makes the Constitution, national laws, and treaties supreme over state laws when the national government is acting within its constitutional limits.