APUSG UNIT 1

Unit 1 - Foundations of American Democracy Review Guide

Vocabulary Terms

Democracy (Participatory, Pluralist, Elite)

Popular Sovereignty

Republicanism

Social Contract

Natural Rights

Federalism

Separation of Powers

Checks and Balances

Articles of Confederation

Shays’ Rebellion

Constitutional Convention

Great (Connecticut) Compromise

3/5 Compromise

Electoral College

Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists

Federalist Papers

Brutus No. 1

Federalist No. 10

Enumerated Powers

Implied Powers / Necessary and Proper Clause

Commerce Clause

Supremacy Clause

Block Grants vs. Categorical Grants

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

U.S. v. Lopez (1995)

Foundational Documents and SCOTUS Cases

Federalist Papers No. 10

Brutus 1

McCulloch v. Maryland

US v. Lopez

Review Questions

How do popular sovereignty, limited government, natural rights, social contract, and republicanism show up in the Declaration of Independence and Constitution?

Why were the Articles of Confederation considered weak? Give at least two examples.

How did Shays’ Rebellion influence the Constitutional Convention?

What was the Great Compromise and why was it necessary?

How did the 3/5 Compromise and Electoral College address conflicts between states?

What is the difference between enumerated, implied, and reserved powers?

Explain the difference between categorical grants and block grants.

How do mandates limit state authority? Give one modern example.

Compare the Court’s rulings in McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) and U.S. v. Lopez (1995). How do these cases illustrate shifts in federal vs. state power?

What were the main arguments of the Federalists vs. the Anti-Federalists?

How does Federalist 10 directly respond to the fears expressed in Brutus 1?

Why did Madison argue that a large republic is safer than a small one?

Give an example of a check and balance between branches in today’s government.

How does federalism create tensions between the national and state governments today (ex: education, healthcare, marijuana policy)?

If you were at the Constitutional Convention, which compromise would you have supported and why?