AP gov unit 1

What was the Enlightenment?

The Enlightenment was a European intellectual movement in the 18th

Century that influenced the American framers of the Constitution.

Why was the Enlightenment

pivotal to the development of

American Democracy?

The framers of the Constitution borrowed the ideas of the Enlightenment and

used these principles of government to develop the American Constitution.

What are natural rights?

the idea that people are born with rights from their

Creator and therefore cannot be taken away by their ruler or government.

What is the state of nature?

a theoretical society before humans created governments

where humans were free and needed their rights protected

What is popular sovereignty?

the power of any government comes

from the people.

What is the social contract?

that individuals are willing to give up some power to the government in

order for the government to protect their rights.

According to the theory of social

contract, how should citizens

respond to a tyrannical government?

the people have a

duty to overthrow the government and start again.

What is republicanism?

a form of democracy that allows people to elect leaders to

represent them and to create laws and policies in the public interest.

How does separation of powers

keep a government from becoming

tyrannical?

Separation of powers ensures that power is separated into many parts, so

that not one person/body can get or use too much power.

Where do we see the concept of

separation of powers in the United

States government?

Separation of powers is seen in the 3 branches of government: the executive,

the legislative, and the judicial

How does the idea of limited

government prevent tyranny from

forming?

Limited government states effective government has power distributed

among many members, each with the ability to check the powers of the

others.

What type of Enlightenment ideas

are found in the Declaration of

Independence?

The Enlightenment ideas of popular sovereignty, social contract, and

natural rights are found in the Declaration of Independence.

In the Declaration of Independence

it states, "That to secure these rights,

Governments are instituted among

Men..." Explain which enlightenment

principle is this quote related to?

This quote connects to the concept of social contract meaning we establish

governments to protect our natural rights.

In the Declaration of Independence

it states, "...deriving their just powers

from the consent of the governed..."

Explain which enlightenment

principle is this related to?

This quote connects to the concept of popular sovereignty meaning that the

government gets its power from the people's consent.

What is Participatory democracy?

broad participation in the political

process by most, if not all, members of a society

What is Elite democracy?

A democratic model emphasizes more limited participation in policy

making on the assumption that government is complicated and therefore

the most educated people need to run it.

What are examples of Pluralist

democracy?

Pluralist democracy is present primarily when citizens join interest groups

like the NAACP or NRA.

What are examples of Elite

democracy?

Elite democracy is primarily seen in the electoral college where citizens

vote, but they are voting for electors who really vote for the president.

In which ways do our founding

documents support these different

models of democracy?

The Constitution can be an example of the elite as it has elected

representatives legislate on behalf of their people.

• The First Amendment's freedom of assembly is an example of pluralists as

it allows political parties and interest groups to grow.

• The First Amendment's freedom of speech and press is an example of

participatory as it allows people to express their opinions

What is brutus 1?

Brutus 1 is an Anti-Federalist essay arguing that the country was too large to be governed as a republic and that the constitution gave too much power to the national government

What is Federalist 10?

An essay in which Madison argues that the dangers of a faction can be mitigated by a large republic and republican government

Describe the main issues

between the Federalists

and Anti-Federalists.

the ratification of the Constitution by the states, especially on the issue of

majority rule versus minority rights.

In Federalist 10, how does James

Madison define factions and explain

their role in a large republic?

Madison defined factions as a group of people who believe their interests

are more important than any other interest. He stated that in a large

republic there would be many factions that would cancel out each other,

taking away their power.

In Brutus I, what are the author's

main concerns about a large and

diverse republic?

Brutus I fears the immense amount of power that is invested in the federal

government under the new Constitution because it took away many aspects

of local control and participatory government.

Why did the Anti-Federalist

dislike the necessary and proper

clause and the supremacy clause

specifically?

they felt that these clauses allowed too much power to flow

to the federal government.

What are the main hallmarks of the

United States government under the

Articles of Confederation and why

was it created that way?

Under the Article of Confederation the United States government was very

weak and the state governments were strong. This is in reaction to living

under the tyranny of a Monarchy for so long.

What were some of the problems

with the Article of Confederation?

Only one branch of government (Legislative), No President (Executive), No

federal court system, No power to tax, No way to enforce state participation

No power to raise and army, No money to pay an army

How did the colonies realize

that the Articles of Confederation

needed revision?

the inability of Congress to pay its bills and secondly the inability to

put down a local insurrection, Shays's Rebellion.

What was the connection between

the Articles of Confederation and

the Constitutional Convention?

The Constitutional Convention was originally called to revise the Articles of

Confederation, but ultimately an entirely new Constitution was drafted.

Where in the Constitution

describes the process for

amending the document?

The process for amending the Constitution can be found in Article V.

For what is the legislative branch

responsible in government?

The responsibility of the legislative branch is to propose and make laws,

which no other branch is able to do.

Who are stakeholders?

Stakeholders are people who speak to the law by writing letters, sending

emails, or engaging with their representatives

What is an example of the legislative

branch's power to check another

branch of government?

is advice and consent, which allows Congress the power of approval of

presidential appointments to the cabinet or the Supreme Court.

For what is the executive branch

responsible in government?

The responsibility of the executive branch is to execute and enforce the laws

passed by Congress, which no other branch is able to do.

Explain an example of the executive

branch's power to check another

branch of government?

An example of the executive branches power to check another branch is the

veto, which allows the president to reject a law passed by Congress, unless

the Congress has a ⅔ vote to override the veto.

For what is the judicial branch

responsible in government?

The responsibility of the judicial branch is to determine the constitutionality

of laws, which no other branch is able to do.

Explain an example of the judicial

branch's power to check another

branch of government?

An example of the judicial branches power to check another branch is the

power of judicial review, which allows the Court to judge the laws passed by

Congress and the President against the Constitution.

What is federalism?

Federalism is the sharing of power between national and state governments.

What are exclusive powers?

Exclusive powers are those that are specifically given to the federal

government and found in the Constitution.

What are reserved powers?

Reserved powers are those powers that are kept by the states as stated in the

10th Amendment

What are concurrent powers?

Concurrent powers are those that are shared by both the federal and state

governments.

What is fiscal federalism?

Fiscal federalism is power shared primarily through money, which is the

most common example of federalism in action.

What is devolution?

returning power to the states and away from

the federal government.

How did the USA Patriot Act,

passed after September 11th, shift

the balance of federalism?

The USA Patriot Act increased the power of the federal government in the

area of public safety by allowing federal agencies to gather intelligence by

phone tapping and monitoring emails

How did the No Child Left Behind

Act of 2001 shift the balance of

federalism?

The No Child Left Behind Act increased the power of the federal

government in the area of education by tying federal funding to

achievement criteria.

What are the four parts of the

Constitution that work to balance

power between the federal and state

government?

10th Amendment, the 14th

Amendment, the commerce clause, and the necessary and proper clause.

How does the 14th Amendment

impact federalism?

The 14th Amendment empowers the federal government to make sure

citizens' liberties are also being upheld and protected by the states.

How does the commerce clause

impact federalism?

The commerce clause impacts federalism because it allows the federal

government to regulate commerce that flows between the states, and has

been widely used to justify federal actions.

How does the necessary and

proper clause (elastic clause)

impact federalism?

The necessary and proper clause allows Congress to make any other law

that is necessary and proper to complete their jobs listed as exclusive

powers in the Constitution.

How is McCullouch v Maryland an

example of federalism?

McCullouch v. Maryland is an example of federalism with power shifting

towards the federal government. This strengthened the understanding

of the necessary and proper clause because the Court ruled that the

government had powers that were not directly stated in the Constitution

What is the supremacy clause and

how does it impact federalism?

when the state

and the federal government conflicted, federal law will always trump state law.

How is United States v. Lopez an

example of federalism?

United States v. Lopez is an example of federalism with power shifting

towards the state government. The Court decided that Congress had

overstepped in its use of the commerce clause as justification to banning

guns and therefore the law was found unconstitutional.

What are examples of

federalism in action?

the Paris Agreement on Climate and

the legalization of marijuana by the states.