ap gov unit 1

based on heimler's unit 1 review

popular sovereignty

authority of a government is sustained by the consent and supreme power of the people

social contract

unwritten agreement that people give up some freedoms and liberties in exchange for public benefits, safety, and order from a government

the people have a right to abolish it in the case it becomes tyrannical

natural rights

inalienable rights that people are entitled to

3 main ideas of enlightenment

natural rights, popular sovereignty, and social contract

4 ways to create a limited government

separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, and republicanism

separation of powers

split the government into 3 co-equal branches that operate independantly

checks and balances

tools for the branches to check each other and restrain the concentration of power of the others

federalism

sharing power between national government and state government

republicanism

form of democratic government in which the work of policymaking is done by elected respresentatives of the people

Declaration of Independence

• “unalienable rights” = natural rights

• “consent of the governed” = popular sovereignty

• the power of the government is derived from the people, so the people have a right to abolish it in the case it becomes tyrannical = social contract

• primary author: Thomas Jefferson

U.S. Constitution

• preamble, “We the People” = social contract/popular sovereignty

• rest of document = blueprint for republicanism and separation of powers

• primary author = James Madison

flaws of the Articles of Confederation

states were too strong, national government was too weak in order to prevent total control by the central government

• they got a whole lot of nothing done which was why it failed so bad and they had to create THE Constitution

1. single-branched government → unicameral legislature (single-housed Congress) made it difficult to pass laws because it required a supermajority 9/13 states to agree

2. lacked power to coin money/regulate interstate commerce → no thriving national economy

3. no power to tax states → weak, BROKE government

4. no power to raise military → highlighted by Shay’s Rebellion which led to the Consitutional Convention

Federalists

powerful central government, supported ratification

Anti-Federalists

weak central government, in favor of stronger states, opposed ratification until further revisions were made

Great Compromise (Conneticut Compromise)

created the bicameral legislature

• House of Reps. → apportioned by population

• Senate → states get equal representation, 2 votes

Electoral College

president is chosen by a certain number of electors chosen from each state

Bill of Rights

list of rights that the people are entitled to and that the federal government cannot infringe upon → became the first 10 Amendments of the Constitution

Article V

• how 2 amend Constitution

• split into 2 stages: proposal and ratification

1. Proposal = 2/3 of both houses in Congress or 2/3 of state legislature

2. Ratification = ¾ of state legislature

made amending the Consitution much more attainable compared to the previous unanimity of the AoC

First 3 Articles of the Consitution

I. Legislative (Let’s)

II. Executive (Eat)

III. Judicial (Jello)

The rest of the articles

IV. State’s rights, duties and how they should interact with one another

V. How 2 amend Constitution

VI. Consitution is the supreme law of the land

VII. Ratification of the Consitution (9/13 states)

separation of powers

• too many powers overlap = tyranny

• protects against power-hungry ruler and tyranny of the majority

checks and balances

Art. I gives Congress the power to impeach (accuse of wrongdoing) federal officials like the president

Art. II gives the president the power to veto legislation passed by Congress, which they can override with a 2/3 vote in both chambers

Art. III gives SCOTUS the power of judicial review → interpret whether executive actions are consitutional or not

participatory democracy

broad participation in politics

example = 10th Amendment, any powers not delegated to fed. government is reserved to states (preservation of state’s rights)

pluralist democracy

group-based activism aimed to influence political decision-making

example = houses of Congress

elite democracy

limited participation in politics, typically reserved for wealthy and educatde people (small group)

example = Electoral College

Fed 10

• argued for ratification

• aimed to demonstrate ability to handle issues regarding factions (a group that assumes their issue is superior to competing groups)

• emphasized pluralist democratic model

• solution to the question of factions overtaking the government → the size and diversity of the country would create too many competing groups that no single faction would gain enough power to overtake others

Brutus 1

• large and diverse country would create too many factions

• size of the U.S. keeps representatives from effectively governing the people

• solution = keep state governments strong

Fed 39

• Constitution would balance national and state power, not eliminating one or the other

• complex mixture of power-sharing

• avoids concentration of power and tyranny

Fed 51

exclusive powers

powers granted solely to the national government

1. enumerated powers = explicitly written out (Art. 1 Section 😎 ex. Congress’s authority to coin money and declare war

2. implied powers = not explicitly written, implied from enumerated powers

reserved powers

any authority not granted to fed. government, reserved to states

concurrent powers

powers that both the fed and state government have at the same time

ex. power to tax citizens, borrow money, enforce laws, build roads

4 BIG Constitutional Clauses

1. Necessary and Proper Clause (Elastic Clause) = allows Congress to stretch the bounds of its enumerated powers to meet the moment's’needs → McCulloch v. Maryland

2. Supremacy Clause (Art. VI) = when federal and state laws contradict each other, federal laws overrule state laws → McCulloch v. Maryland

3. Commerce Clause (Art. 1 Sec. 8) = power to regulate commerce with foreign nations, among states, and with Native tribes → United States v. Lopez

4. Due Process & Equal Protection Clauses (14th Amendment) = government cannot deprive a person of their natural rights without fair legal procedures and established rules

fiscal federalism

sharing power through the distribution of money

revenue sharing

fed government sends money with no strings attached (almost)

• essentially ended after the Cold War

block grants

come with few strings attached, most preferred by the states

• broader in terms and gives states more freedom to decide how to spend the money

categorical grants

money given for specific federal policy objectives, many strings attached, states must agree to terms set by the fed. government to receive those funds

• preferred by fed. government b/c it allows them to implement national policy at the state level

mandates

federal government passes laws that require states to take action, often invoking the supremacy clause

• in some cases, money is provided

but in unfunded mandates, Congress does not provide money to carry out mandate’s requirements (ex. American with Disabilities Act mandated states to create disability access and had no money provided by the fed. government)