ap gov unit 1

• popular sovereignty: government is created by and subject to the will of the people

  • government is an institution in which a society makes and enforces public policies (laws)
  • government gets its powers from the people
  • they participate by voting and majority wins
• republicanism: theory of government that emphasizes the participation of citizens

  • chosen through free elections
  • supports individual liberty and God-given rights
• limited government: government only has the powers delegated to it by the law

  • everyone has to follow the same laws, even government members (rule of law)
• individual rights: personal liberties and privileges people are born with and can not be taken away

  • defined in the Bill of Rights
• separation of power: divides roles of government into three branches (executive, judicial, legislative)

  • ensures that one person or one group of people does not control everything and become too powerful
• checks and balances: each government branch has a little control, or check, on the other two 

  • balances power between the three, ensuring that none of the branches gets out of control
• confederation: an alliance of independent states; decisions are made by an external member-state legislation
• presidential government: a government with separate executive and legislative branches
• federal government: government where power is divided between a central and state governments
• unitary government: government in which all power belongs to one central agency (legislative body)
• parliamentary government: the executive branch is part of legislative branch and subject to its control 
• participatory democracy: (direct or pure) all eligible citizens participate in government; people pass laws by discussing and voting; works in small communities (no representatives)

  • ballot measures 
  • town halls + school boards
  • referendums and initiatives
• pluralist democracy: (indirect) interest groups interact with government officials in the hope of shaping policy and public opinion

  • people with common interests form organized groups to promote their causes and influence the political agenda
  • no single group dominates politics
  • healthy competition in the development of policy agenda and selection of policymakers
• elite democracy: (indirect) elected representatives act as trustees for the people who elected them (constituents)

  • inequality of power that exists -- people with resources and influence dominate
  • weakened during the Progressive Era (1890-1920) but still prevails
  • maintains the majority of political power and influence held by a small number of individuals, groups, and industries
  • argue government policies favor the elite over everyone
• Thomas Hobbes

  • wrote Leviathon
  • main ideas
  • social chaos
  • men are selfish and competitive
  • without gov, life is = “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short”
  • give all power to the absolute government to control evil behavior
  • citizens enter a social contract with the government
  • government’s purpose is to impose law and order to prevent the state of war
• social contract: citizens sacrifice some freedoms in exchange for protection from the government
• John Locke

  • wrote Two Treatises on Government
  • main ideas
  • every man has three natural rights: life, liberty, and property
  • government exists to preserve natural rights
  • people give up some rights to preserve society (social contract)
  • republic is the best form of government
  • citizens have the right to revolt if their rights are not protected
  • government’s purpose is to secure natural rights (man’s property and liberty)
• Charles de Montesquieu

  • wrote Spirit of the Laws
  • main ideas
  • must be a separation of powers to ensure freedom + liberty
  • checks and balances to limit them
  • three main types of government: monarchy, republicanism, and despotism
• Jean-Jacques Rousseau

  • wrote The Social Contract
  • main ideas
  • government is a social contract between the people and ruler(s)
  • invest all rights into society (“general will”) -- act in the interests of the greater good
  • government preserves “virtue” and “liberty”
  • humans are naturally good but are but are corrupted by society
  • government needs to be formed with consent of the people
  • representative government is not enough - direct democracy is preferable
• Voltaire

  • wrote Candide -- aversion to Christian power regimes and nobility
  • proponent of rationality
  • fierce advocate of freedom of thought, speech, religion, and politics
• Denis Diderot

  • producer and editor of first encyclopedia
  • intended to change the ways individuals think
  • advocated for freedom of expression and educational access for all
  • criticized the theory of divine right and traditional values and religion
• the United States is a constitution-based federal republic

  • President and Congress is chosen by the people
  • the President is the Chief of State and Head of Government
• autocracy: government in which one person has all power
• monarchy: king or queen rules the country

  • king/queen known as “monarch”
  • come to power through family line (oldest child = heir)
  • share power with other parts of government and subject to the Constitution
• dictatorship: one leader has absolute control over citizens' lives

  • dictator has control over the constitution
  • other branches do what the leader wants
  • no citizen representation
• democracy: citizens hold political power
• representative democracy: citizens elect leaders to represent rights and interests

  • elected leaders govern the country but citizens hold ultimate power (can vote in new people if they dislike current leaders)
• salutary neglect: British policy of avoiding strict enforcement of their laws in the colonies (reduced intervention in colonial affairs)
• First Continental Congress

  • met in Philadelphia in 1774 in response to the Intolerable Acts
  • included delegates from every colony but Georgia (12/13) = John Adams, George Washington, John Jay
  • sent the Declaration of Rights to King George protesting Britain’s policies
  • urged colonists to boycott trade until hated laws were repealed
  • gained the support of all 13 colonial legislatures
• Second Continental Congress

  • met in Philadelphia in 1775
  • every colony sent delegates (13/13) and John Hancock was chosen President of Congress
  • battles of Lexington and Concord fought and the Revolutionary War began
  • sent an Olive Branch (the last attempt to prevent war) to King George
  • a continental army was created and George Washington was made commander-in-chief
  • Congress became America’s first national government
  • legislative and executive powers
  • raised a military, printed and borrowed money, and made foreign treaties
  • Benjamin Franklin was the leading member
• Congress resolved to break away from Britain in 1776

  • Committee of Five = Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston, and Thomas Jefferson were named to write a proclamation of independence 
  • adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 but declared it two days earlier
• Declaration of Independence

  • ratified on August 2, 1776
  • severed ties with Great Britain and created a unique nation
  • framed on the principles of equality, human rights, and representative government that derived its authority from the will of the people
  • outlines the various injustices the king imposed
  • formal declaration of war
• initiative: citizens can propose a bill that gets voted on by the state’s residents
• referendum: residents can vote on a bill proposed by the state legislature
• Anti-Federalist: opposing ratification of the US Constitution (Patrick Henry, Sam Adams, and Jefferson)

  • feared the government having too much power
  • preferred states keep the power to make their own decisions
  • their fear was addressed in the Bill of Rights
  • argued Constitution would threaten personal liberties and make the president a king
• Articles of Confederation -- Powers of Congress

  1. to pass laws and make decisions (9/13 votes)
  2. change the Articles of Confederation (13/13 votes)
  3. declare war
  4. cannot tax
  5. can allow new states (9/13 votes)
• Articles of Confederation -- Powers of States

  1. one vote in Congress
  2. can tax citizens
  3. can create taxes on trade with other states
  4. do not have to follow the orders of Congress
  5. can give money and troops to Congress
  6. cannot wage war without the agreement of Congress
• the electoral college protects state rights, encourages independence of executive branch, and avoided popular election

  • two senators + number of representatives = number of votes
  • balanced population with equal representation
  • 12th Amendment refined the process
  • established by the Constitutional Convention
• Expressed Powers

  • print money
  • regulate interstate and international trade
  • making treaties and conduct foreign policy
  • declare war
  • establish post offices
  • establish lower courts
  • establish rules of naturalization
  • establish copyright and patent laws
  • raise and support armed forces
  • make all laws "necessary and proper" to carry out functions
• Concurrent Powers

  • levy and collect taxes
  • building roads
  • operating and establishing courts
  • chartering banks and corporations
  • eminent domian -- private property for public use
  • pay debts and borrow money