AP Gov Documents required


Declaration of Independence

  • heavily influenced by the enlightenment

    • “We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” - natural rights /John Locke

    • “That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among men, deriving their powers from consent of the governed…” - popular sovereignty and social contract/ Rousso, John Locke

    • When a government becomes destructive its the right of the people to alter of abolish it for a new government that upholds the natural rights of the people

  • aimed to rally troops and gain foreign allies/support

  • made up of:

    • preamble

      • justification for why colonists are breaking off from British rule

    • list of grievances against king george III

    • resolution for independence


Federalist #10

  • James Madison answers: How will the new const. protect the liberty of citizens against the tyranny of the majority?

  • “Among the numerous advantages promised by a well construction Union, non deserves to be more accurately developed than its tendency to break and control the violence of a faction.”/ factions are a threat to liberty

    • Solutions to factions:

      • “There are two methods of curing the mischiefs of faction: the one, by removing its causes; the other, by controlling its effects.”/ stop factions from ever forming or limit effects (terrible- destroys liberty, worse than having factions in the first place)

        • having the same opinion is impossible

      • Republican Government

        • As nation grows in pop. greater variety in party and interests and less probable for minority of whole to want to invade rights of other citizens, or will make more difficult to do so

        • As more people are added to the nations more and more factions will form: powers diluted by large population, competition of factions results in compromise.


Brutus #1

  • Attempts to answer:

    • “…Whether a confederate government be best for the United States or not?”

    • “..whether the thirteen United States should be reduced to one great republic governed by one legislature, and under the direction of one legislature, one executive and judicial; or whether they should continue thirteen confederated republics, under the direction and control of a supreme federal head for certain defined national purposes only?”

  • main concern that with a central authority that can pass any law with the necessary and proper clause and strike down any laws with the supremacy clause state governments with essentially be diminished.

  • Any government that exists can only collect a small amount of taxes otherwise the citizens will grow weary and overthrow the government, so fed govt. is going to collect taxes there’s only a small amount the people will tolerate how will states also collect taxes, so their power is vastly reduced and creating a big powerful govt.

  • If federal courts trump state courts, state courts will be rendered unnecessary

  • the size of the nation makes a republic ill suited

    • “It is natural to a republic to have only a small territory, otherwise it cannot long subsist.” - Montesquieu

    • with a national as large as the US in territory and people elected representatives could not possibly address everyone

    • with a large republic confidence in rulers would be diminished as people wouldn’t be well acquainted with rulers and have little knowledge of their proceedings and limited (challenging) ability to change them.


Articles of Confederation

  • Confederation: form of govt. where several powers unite to create a central power

  • placed most powers in states at expense of federal govt.

  • “Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom and independence, and every power, jurisdiction and right, which is not by this confederation expressly delegated to the United States, in Congress assembled.”/ states are supreme

  • established singular legislative branch

  • one vote state + equal rep.

  • centralized govt. was necessary to do business with other nations

    • Article 6 “No state, without the consent of the United States

    • , in congress assembled, shall send any embassy to, or receive any embassy from, or enter into any conference or agreement, alliance, or treaty, with any king prince or state...”

    • central govt. cannot raise national army, when needed it comes from states

    • Article 9: congress can settle disputes between states, fix standard weights and measures, appoint committees to do its work, etc.

      • it can’t declare war unless 9 wars support (9/13 supermajority)

    • Article 13: required unanimous consent to change articles


U.S. Constitution

  • Established republican style government in contrast to confederacy

  • Article I: Legislative Branch

    • bicameral legislature with two senators per state and representatives apportioned by pop.

      • Combined NJ plan (all equal) and Virginia plan (proportionate) to create Great/Connecticut Compromise

    • section 8: enumerated powers:

      • lay and collect taxes, borrow money, coin money, declare war, raise and support armies, maintain navy, etc.

      • Necessary and proper clause

  • Article II: Executive Branch

    • electoral college

    • explicit powers of POTUS:

    • commander in chief of army & navy and military of several states

    • Section 3: President executes enforces laws, final step in lawmaking process

  • Article III: Judicial Branch

    • judicial power is vested in one Supreme court and inferior courts Congress many ordain and establish

    • OG. jurisdiction in cases including ambassadors, public ministers and consuls, and a state

    • Appellate jurisdiction in other cases (appeals from lower courts)

    • Federal judges are appointed by the POTUS

  • Article IV: State Relations

    • federal govt relationship to states and relationships of states themselves

  • Article V: Amendment process

    • proposal

      • 2/3 both Houses of Congress or 2/3 of state legislatures can propose

    • ratification

      • ¾ of states have to agree

  • Article VI: National Supremacy

    • Supremacy clause

  • Article VII: Ratification Process

  • Bill of Rights


Federalist #51

  • To create a government that is powerful but not too powerful— separation of powers/checks and balances.

  • Each branch needs as much independent power as possible, but must be equal between branches

  • to keep the legislature from having too much power its split into two

  • Power is further divided by the branches into national govt, and state govt. (federalism)

  • const. provides system of checks and balances as each branch can check the power of the other— double security of protection for liberties of people

  • the more factions the less able any branch to dominate the rest

  • “Ambition must be made to counteract ambition”

    • People in govt. always seek to preserve their own interests so the best expedient to liberty is to set all our ambitions between each other


Federalist #70

  • Alexander Hamilton justifies the need for a single executive or president

  • The executive must be defined by one quality energy

    • energetic executive: ability to act quickly and decisively

    • Benefits to energy:

      • unity: the more executives the less energy of the office, therefore ability to carry out demands of office diminished

        • references instances in history where bitter division arose, and effectiveness was hindered which would be a problem in the case of an emergency and create harmful factions

      • responsibility

        • multiple executives may prove impossible to determine which executive is at fault and who should be held responsible

        • a single executive will best discharge duties of office with energy and decisiveness

  • qualities beneficial to the legislative branch counteract executive qualities


Federalist #78

  • Alexander Hamilton argues how and for how long justices will be appointed and what kind of power the judicial branch should have

  • As long as federal judges behave, they will hold office for life

  • lifetime appointments are a necessity to keep branch of govt. as independent as possible

  • life tenure makes it possible for judges to rule with impartiality and not have to please the people/ based on popular will

  • practical function as there are numerous precedents to know and switching judges would require immense learning, prohibiting the office.

  • temporary office duration would lead to less qualified and able holders

  • argues for power of judicial review, it’s only a manner of checking the legislature

    • defends by saying this doesn’t provide judicial with more power as no unconstitutional law can be binding on the people anyways

    • “…The courts were designed to be an intermediate body between the people and the legislature, in order, among other things, to keep the [legislature] within the limits assigned to their authority.”

    • The power of the people trumps both, so when the will of the legislature stands in opposition to that of the people in the const. the judged should be governed by the later


Letter from a Birmingham Jail

  • Need to understand: illustration of how equal protection clause supported and motivated social movements

  • Context:

    • In 1963 King led a campaign to desegregate Birmingham’s downtown shopping district, many participants including King were arrested

    • group of white clergies published letter in newspaper saying such disruptive practices were not effective and black people in Birmingham needed to be patient for the white people to work through the courts and legislatures to get rights

    • Letter replies to white clergy men

  • King addresses why he was in Birmingham

    • “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny”

  • addresses criticism of non-violence tactics

    • non-direct action was meticulously planned and participants trained for possible brutality and violence

    • creation of tension purpose—meaningful negotiation will never occur unless a crisis raises the stakes

  • “We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.” — the notion of being patient from the clergy could never be a reality for them

    • urgency of action is justified as they’ve always been told to wait to no avail, and they had been waiting 334 years

    • the only way someone could rightly ask them to wait is if they’ve never been on the receiving end of humiliation, discrimination, and segregation

  • expresses disappointment in clergy for moderation as the greatest hindrance were white moderates more focused on order than justice

  • “We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the vitriolic words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people.”

    • their cause is a righteous one

  • King embraces the title of extremist by stating Jesus and Socrates were considered ones as well

  • ends letter stating that their destiny is tied with the destiny of America and yet despite all the humiliation and injustice they’ve endured, and they will continue to do so overcoming the opposition now for righteousness will prevail.