Unit 1 AP Gov Vocab
Principles of Government
Democracy – A system of government where power is vested in the people.
Popular Sovereignty – The idea that the authority of government comes from the people.
Republicanism – A system in which citizens elect representatives to govern on their behalf.
Limited Government – The idea that government is restricted by law to protect individual rights.
Natural Rights – Fundamental rights (life, liberty, property) that cannot be taken away.
Social Contract – The agreement between the people and government where people give up some freedom in exchange for protection.
Foundational Documents
Declaration of Independence (1776) – A document asserting American independence from Britain, emphasizing natural rights and popular sovereignty.
U.S. Constitution – The supreme law of the United States, establishing the framework for government.
Federalist Papers – A series of essays written to promote the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.
Federalist No. 10 – Written by James Madison, arguing that a large republic helps control factions.
Federalist No. 51 – Discusses separation of powers and checks and balances.
Brutus No. 1 – Anti-Federalist paper arguing that a large republic would weaken state power and threaten individual liberties.
Constitutional Principles
Separation of Powers – The division of government into three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial.
Checks and Balances – A system where each branch has powers that can prevent the others from becoming too powerful.
Federalism – A system where power is divided between the national and state governments.
Enumerated Powers – Powers explicitly granted to Congress in the Constitution (Article I, Section 8).
Reserved Powers – Powers not given to the federal government, reserved for the states (10th Amendment).
Concurrent Powers – Powers shared by both the federal and state governments.
Implied Powers – Powers not explicitly stated in the Constitution but derived from the Necessary and Proper Clause.
Constitutional Clauses
Necessary and Proper Clause (Elastic Clause) – Allows Congress to make laws essential to carrying out its enumerated powers (Article I, Section 8).
Supremacy Clause – Establishes that the Constitution and federal laws are the supreme law of the land (Article VI).
Commerce Clause – Grants Congress the power to regulate interstate and international trade (Article I, Section 8).
Full Faith and Credit Clause – Requires states to recognize the legal proceedings and laws of other states (Article IV, Section 1).
Privileges and Immunities Clause – Prohibits states from discriminating against citizens of other states (Article IV, Section 2).
Theories of Government
Pluralist Democracy – A theory that multiple interest groups influence policymaking, preventing domination by a single group.
Elite Democracy – A theory that a small, powerful elite controls government decisions.
Participatory Democracy – A theory that emphasizes broad, direct participation by citizens in politics.
The Debate over Federalism
Dual Federalism (Layer Cake Federalism) – A system where national and state governments have distinct and separate powers.
Cooperative Federalism (Marble Cake Federalism) – A system where national and state governments work together on issues.
Fiscal Federalism – The use of federal funds to influence state policies.
Categorical Grants – Federal funds provided to states for a specific purpose (e.g., education, highways).
Block Grants – Federal funds given to states with more flexibility on how to spend them.
Mandates (Funded & Unfunded) – Federal requirements that states must follow, sometimes without financial aid.
Devolution – The process of returning power from the federal government to the states.
Key Supreme Court Cases
McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) – Established the supremacy of the federal government and upheld the use of implied powers.
United States v. Lopez (1995) – Limited Congress’s power under the Commerce Clause, ruling that the Gun-Free School Zones Act exceeded federal authority.