AP GoPo Unit 1

Vocab

1

It is the process of influencing the actions and policies of government.

What is politics?

2

A system of government where power is held by the people.

What is democracy?

3

According to Jefferson, they are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

What are natural rights?

4

An agreement where people allow a government to rule over them to ensure an orderly and functioning society. In exchange there are certain rights they must give up.

What is a social contract?

5

The principle that a government's right to rule comes from the people.

What is popular sovereignty?

More Vocab

1

Democratic system with elected representatives in which the Constitution is the supreme law.

What is a constitutional republic?

2

Theory that requires widespread political activity from the people for a democracy to exist.

What is participatory democracy?

3

A theory of democracy that emphasizes the role of groups in policymaking.

What is Pluralist theory/democracy?

4

Theory that states the elites (wealthy) have a large amount of influence in policymaking.

What is Elitist theory?

5

It is a government ruled by representatives of the people.

What is a republic?

Articles of Confederation

1

The confederated system of government that existed under the AoC left the majority of power with them.

Who are the states?

2

Under the Articles of Confederation, approval from 9 of the 13 colonies was required to do this.

What is pass a law?

3

The AoC required that all 13 of the colonies' delegates vote unanimously in order do this.

What is amend or change the Articles?

4

It was this event that brought major attention to the ineffectiveness of the Articles of Confederation.

What is Shays' Rebellion?

5

The federal government, under the articles, was basically ineffectual do to their inability to do this.

What is collect taxes?

Constitutional Convention

1

In planning for the Legislature, this plan suggested a bicameral house where the amount of representatives would be based on population.

What is the Virginia Plan?

2

This state proposed a unicameral (one house) legislature in which each state would elect its delegation and have a singular vote on issues.

What is New Jersey?

3

This agreement led to a two house (bicameral) legislature where the house would be based on a state's population, and the senate would be equal with each state receiving two representatives.

What was the Great Compromise?

4

Because many states had a large number of slaves, some delegates believed that slaves should count toward the population count. This compromise was settled upon.

What is 3/5 Compromise?

5

Slavery was a tough topic during the convention. Framers believed that the slave trade would need to end, but did not want to make it happen immediately as many delegates were, themselves, slaveholders. They decided to not allow the restriction of the trade until this later year.

What is 1808?

The Constitution

1

The framers borrowed this idea to limit government from the Baron de Montesquieu when structuring our government.

What is separation of power (and Checks and Balances)?

2

You would find the establishment of the Executive branch in this article of the Constitution.

What is Article II?

3

It is in this article of the Constitution that our 2 house legislature was laid out.

What is Article I?

4

Article V of the Constitution lays out the amendment process. According to that article, this fraction of Congress and this fraction of states are required to propose and ratify an amendment.

What is 2/3 and 3/4?

5

Article III of the Constitution establishes this branch.

What is the Judiciary?

Federalism

1

Under the new Constitution, the national government's powers were explicitly listed or expressed. They are known as this kind of power.

What is enumerated?

2

This clause within the constitution allows the national government to create laws that will help carry out those expressly listed powers. These are known as implied powers.

What is the necessary and proper clause?

3

In an attempt to correct issues with the AoC, this clause gives the national government the power to regulate trade among the states, with foreign nations, and the various Indian tribes.

What is the commerce clause?

4

Under the 10th amendment, this is the name of the powers to be held by the states. (Education, health services, elections, etc.)

What are Reserved Powers?

5

This type of grant-in-aid provides few to no stipulations to the states on how to disburse federal funds within the state. Very different from categorical grants.

What are block grants?

Required Docs and Cases

1

This document established early American political ideals and values for the US. It included democratic values and ideas of natural rights.

What is the Declaration of Independence?

2

In this Federalist Paper Madison argues that a separation of powers will help prevent the rise of tyranny within our new government. Separation of the branches, of the legislature, and of the powers between the national and state governments.

What is Federalist 51?

3

This case, ruling against the national government, stated that they could not regulate guns on school property and that the broad use of the commerce clause would allow Congress to control almost all individual activities.

What is U.S. v Lopez?

4

In this paper, Madison expresses his view that a representative democracy will allow for the will of the people to be heard, while preventing smaller angry factions from imposing their will. Brutus 1 refutes these points.

What is Federalist 10?

5

Using the necessary and proper clause, Chief Justice John Marshall ruled that the federal government had the right and power to create a national bank and that states could not tax it. This paved the way for the use of "Implied" powers.

What is McCulloch v. Maryland?