AP Gov Ch.1 (Topics 1.1-1.3)

Democratic Philosophers (1.1)

Hobbes (The Leviathan)

  • believed that an absolute sovereign would hold society together while honoring a social contract as long as the sovereign ruled %%based on the people’s well being%%

Locke (Second Treatise of Civil Government)

  • believed that %%natural law%% %%allowed the people to rebel%% when kings did not rule with the consent of the people (modern-day impeachment)

Rousseau (The Social Contract)

  • believed the %%people were the ultimate ruling authority%%, with %%government officials carrying out laws%%

Montesquieu

  • believed in a government w/ %%defined and limited power where citizens had political liberty%%, argued that %%political power should be separated between the 3 branches of government%%

Democratic Ideals (1.1)

  • Natural Law: acknowledged through human sense and reason, %%no one can be subjected to the political power of someone else non-consensually,%% in a state of nature %%under natural laws everyone is equal and free%%
  • Popular Sovereignty: the %%people have absolute power,%% and the %%government carried out laws%% for them
  • Republicanism: %%entitled to life, liberty, and property (natural rights)%%, which c%%annot be taken away unless there are laws credited under the consent of the governed%%
    • %%citizens elect leaders for a limited period of time,%% and the %%leader makes & executes laws%% in the %%public interest%%
  • Limited Government: a government kept under %%control by laws, checks, and balances, and the separation of powers%%
  • Representative Republic: a collection of %%sovereign states gathered for the national interest, national needs, & national defense%%

Founders (1.1)

  • Thomas Jefferson: %%drafted the Declaration of Independence%%, r%%eferred to Locke & other enlightenment philosophers%% while writing it
  • James Madison: %%partook in the revision of the Articles of Confederation%%, well prepared for the deliberations, knowledgeable about how to create a successful government
  • George Washington: %%president of the Convention, general, and 1st POTUS%%
  • Alexander Hamilton: i%%nstrumental in shaping the design of the new nation%%

Foundational Documents (1.1)

  • Declaration of Independence: upholds %%popular sovereignty%% & explains how when a %%sovereign%% (or a person in a position of power) %%violates natural rights%% and self-rule, the %%people had the power to remove that person from office (impeachment)%%
  • US Constitution: establishes a %%system of checks and balances%% among %%branches of government%% and allocates %%power between federal & state governments%%

Types of Representative Democracy (1.2)

  • Representative Democracy: a government in which the %%people entrust elected officials to represent their concerns%%
  • Participatory Democracy: depends on the participation of many if not most people in a society, %%emphasizes broad involvement of citizens in politics,%%
    • ex. cities, school districts, state & local level governments, town hall meetings
  • Pluralist Democracy: people with widely varying interests find others who share their interests and o%%rganize and unite into non-governmental groups to exert influence on political decision making%%
    • Factions/ Interest Groups: compete in the “marketplace of ideas” and %%look for access points at the local, state, and federal levels to persuade policy-makers%%
    • ex. house & senate, electoral college
  • Elite Democracy: %%elected representatives%% make decisions and act as %%trustees%% for the people who elected them, often government officials are %%wealthy and well-educated%%
    • ex. house & senate, cabinet officials, judges

Tension Between Models of Democracy (1.2)

  • Federalists: people who %%supported the proposed constitutional structure,%% a s%%trong federal government,%% and %%full ratification%%
  • Anti-Federalists: those who %%opposed the states under a federal government%%

Representative Democracies Today (1.2)

  • Initiatives: %%give the people the power to place a measure on the ballot for a popular vote%%
  • Referendum: %%allows citizens to contest the work of the legislature%%

Arguments for Federal Power (1.3)

  • Federalists: argued that a %%strong national government%% and the %%diversity of America’s large population would protect the rights of all citizens%% from the elite, & would %%protect the units of states from the collective whole%%
  • Federalists’ views on central government: believed that the g%%overnment allowed for a representative and pluralist government%% that considered the %%interests of varied people%%
  • Federalist No.10: talks about why %%factions%% %%are a good idea%% because %%factions can be controlled so they don’t dominate the government and influence policy-makers on their beliefs%%, and the %%officials create policies based on the good of the people & the systems can limit those effects%%
  • Factions: an %%interest group filled with people united by a common passion%% or belief

Arguments for States’ Power (1.3)

  • Anti-Federalists: wanted a %%government more like the Confederation under the Articles%%, afraid that a %%single executive mirrors a sovereign%% similar to Britain’s King
  • Anti-Federalists’ views on central government: believed that %%certain factions could impose their beliefs onto others and grow too powerful,%% potential putting a %%tyrant on a throne%%
  • Brutus No.1: commentary on the %%dangers of too large & too consolidated a government%%, %%counters the Federalists’ view that a large government and country can prevent the rise of controlling factions%%