AP Government Unit 1 Study Guide with Heimler's Insights

Limited Government (Democratic Ideal)

government structure in which government actions are limited by law

Natural Rights (Democratic Ideal)

people are born with certain rights, life, liberty, and property that no government can take from you

Popular Sovereignty (Democratic Ideal)

A belief that ultimate power resides in the people.

Social Contract (Democratic Ideal)

An agreement between the people and their government signifying their consent to be governed (state is servant of the people)

Republicanism (Constitutional Principle)

A philosophy of limited government with elected representatives serving at the will of the people. The government is based on consent of the governed. To prevent tyranny, 3 branches: exectutive, legislative, and judicial.

Separation of Powers (Constitutional Principle)

the division of power among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government

Checks and Balances (Constitutional Principle)

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

participatory democracy

-emphasizes broad participation in politics and civil society

-wants as many people as possible to participate in democracy

-citizens vote on laws directly

-everyone votes on everything

Initiative

process that permits voters to put legislative measures directly on the ballot

Referendum

direct legislation that gives voters a chance to approve or disapprove proposed legislation or a proposed constitutional amendment.

Elite Democracy

emphasizes limited participation by few well-educated and informed statespeople who are qualified to direct lawmaking on behalf of the people

Elite Democracy Examples

-President selecting supreme court panel

-Electoral college

Pluralist Democracy

Group based activism by nongovernmental interests striving to impact political decision making

Pluralist Democracy in Constitution

for a law to be passed, various interests must compromise

Federalists

-Hamilton, Madison, James

-wanted more centralized power in fed gov

Anti-Federalists

-Patrick Henry, George Mason

_argued against constitution

Federalist 10

-main argument concerns the "mischief of factions"

-If majority always prevailed, minority never represented

-If too many minority protections, common good would never prevail

-Make republic with many factions so people must debate

Brutus 1

-It is impossible to have a Large republic and have a stable government.

-History had never seen a republic-style government govern something as big as the US

-Necessary and Proper + Supremacy clauses create a powerful national gov w/o state govs. necessary

-Constitution should not be ratified

Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation

-Federal government had one branch (congress)

-All 13 states must agree to ammend the article

-Lack of centralized military power (shay's rebellion)

-Lack of national court system

-Central gov. cannot tax

-No national currency

Great Compromise

Compromise made by Constitutional Convention in which states would have equal representation in one house of the legislature and representation based on population in the other house

Electoral College

system in which each state is given the same number of electors in congress, and these electores put the president in office

Three-Fifths Compromise

Agreement that each slave counted as three-fifths of a person in determining representation in the House for representation and taxation purposes (negated by the 13th amendment)

Slave Trade

Agreement between delegates that slave trade wouldn't be touched for 20 years, then it would be abolished

Article V

Amending the Constitution

1. Congress or state convention can propose (2/3 vote required to pass on)

2. Amendment must be ratified by 3/4 of the states (by legislature or state convention)

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the Constitution

Separation of Powers (again)

-no branch of government holds all the authority (3 branches)

Legislative Branch: House of Representatives

-2 year terms

-Power to propose and make laws

-based on population

Legislative Branch: Senate

-oversees president budget

-declares war

-Power to propose and make laws

Executive Branch

the branch of government that carries out laws

Judicial Branch

-Interprets the laws

-system of federal courts

Checks and Balances Examples

-Legislative branch can check executive branch w/ advice and consent

-Congress can impeach the president

-Executive branch can veto

--congress can overide veto with 2/3 vote

-Judicial review (declare laws unconstitutional)

Federalist 51

-Separation of powers & checks & balances protects against tyranny by controlling abuse of power

-each branch has to as independent as possible, but also posses checking powers

Stakeholder

Anyone with vested interest in the outcome of policymaking

"Speaking into the Law"

Federalism

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

Exclusive powers

powers that can be exercised by the national government alone (article 1)

Reserved powers

powers kept by the states (10th ammendment)

concurrent powers

Powers held jointly by the national and state governments. (ex. taxation)

Categorical grant

Money given by the federal government to the states to be used for a narrowly defined purpose

Block grant

Money given to states for general programs within a broad category

Unfunded mandate

a federal order mandating that states operate and pay for a program created at the national level

10th Ammendment

Powers not specifically given to congress (or forbidden from states) belong to states.

14th ammendment

Granted citizenship to all people born in the U.S. and declared that no state could deprive any person of life, liberty, and property without due process of law

Commerce Clause (Article 1, Section 8)

Congress can regulate trade between nations, between states, and among Indian tribes.

Elastic Clause (Necessary and Proper Clause)

The clause in Article I, Section 8, that grants Congress the power to do whatever is necessary to execute its specifically delegated powers. (ex. national bank)

Full Faith and 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.

Due process Clause

14th amendment clause stating that no state may deprive a person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law

Equal Protection Clause

Constitutional guarantee that everyone be treated equally-14th amendment

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.