AP Gov Unit 1: Foundations of American Democracy

• ^^Enlightenment^^: challenged traditional politics, justified opposition to British

%%Declaration of Independence US Constitution%%

• ^^Principles^^: natural rights, popular sovereignty, republicanism, separation of powers, social contract (Locke/Rousseau)
• Types of Democracy: participatory (ex. referendums), pluralist (ex. groups influence policy), elite (single group)
• Federalists vs. Anti Federalist: strong (fed) vs. weak (anti) federal government; anti-federalists wanted Bill of Rights government power vs. individual liberty

%%Federalist 10%%

• Articles of Confederation: an awful first Constitution (Shay’s Rebellion proved it) overpowered states, federal government weak, bad at taxes, single-branch (legislative) government

• Ratification and Compromises

  • Great Compromises (bicameral Congress: Senate + House): combo of VA (large states) and NJ (small states) compromises
  • Others: Electoral College, 3/5 Compromise, amendment process

• Separation of Powers/Other Parts of Constitution

  • Legislative (Article I), Executive (Article II), Judicial (Article III),
  • checks and balances %%Federalist 51%%
  • ^^expressed powers^^ are written, ^^implied powers^^ are indicated by the expressed powers

• Federalism: relationship between state and federal government

  • Dual/Layer cake: act on OWN SPHERES; SEPERATE of one another
  • Cooperative/Marble Cake: work TOGETHER to do stuff, blurred line
  • Fiscal: spending, taxing, providing grants (categorical: fed→ state for specific purpose, block: general, mandates (state MUST follow it)
  • %%Supremacy Clause%%: federal > state

  %%McCulloch v. Maryland%%

  • %%Commerce Clause%%: def. of interstate commerce widened; expends federal power BUT has been restricted in some cases

  %%US v. Lopez%%

  • Devolution: more power to the states

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