Ap exam foundational documents and laws Flashcards
The declaration of independence
The Declaration of Independence, created by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776,
declares the British Colonies in North America to be a free and independent country. Authored
by Thomas Jefferson and others, the Declaration of Independence relies heavily on the
concepts of Natural Rights, Popular Sovereignty, and Social Contract Theory
what are natural rights?
Natural rights are inherent rights that are believed to be necessary for all humans and include life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These rights are protected by the U.S. Constitution, including the Bill of Rights, which enshrines individual freedoms such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press
what is popular sovereignty
Popular sovereignty is a concept that by nature the power to govern is in the hands of the people. The democratic government is BY THE PEOPLE AND FOR THE PEOPLE
what is the social contract theory
The social contract theory is the theory that people willingly give over to the state the power needed to maintain order, and the state, in turn, agrees to protect its citizens. (the state is the servant of the people and not the other way around)
what is republicism
Republicanism is a form of government in which the power is held by the people, either directly or through elected representatives.
What are the articles of confederation?
what powers did the AOC create
one branch government (congress), equal representation from each state in congress, all laws must be passed with a super majority 3/4, Congress has the power to create a national currency, borrow money in the name of the
United States, declare war, raise an army, and establish relations with foreign countries
what did the articles of confederation not have
an executive branch, a national judiciary, the power to tax, the power to compel states to obey national laws or contribute funding, any power that was not “expressly delegated” or specifically written in the articles
what was shays rebellion
Shays’ Rebellion was an uprising of farmers in western Massachusetts to protest economic conditions, high taxes, and abusive debt and tax collections.
what did shays rebellion reveal
Shays’s Rebellion exposed the weakness of the government under the Articles of Confederation and led many—including George Washington—to call for strengthening the federal government in order to put down future uprisings.
what was the Philadelphia convention also known as the constitutional convention of 1787
This convention was called to revise the AOC. However, the convention soon abandoned the articles, drafting a new constitution with a much stronger national government
what was the grand committee
a committee at the Constitutional Convention that worked out the compromise on representation (the issue of how to apportion representatives in the national legislature)
what was the Virginia plan
this was a plan proposed by the large states that created congress to have tow houses both based on population
what was the New jersey plan
this plan was proposed by the small states, and created Congress with one house based on equal representation from each state.
what was the Connecticut Compromise also known as the Great Compromise
this compromise created a bicameral, or two-house legislature, with the House of Representatives being based on population and the Senate being based on equal representation from each state.
what was the 3/4 compromise
when the constitution was created it was during a time of slavery so when determining representation of black people they came to the compromise that they would count as 3/4 of a person
what are the 3 different types of democracy
participatory democracy, elite democracy, and pluralist democracy
what is participatory democracy
this type of democracy emphasizes broad participation in politics and civil society (people vote on laws directly not through representatives)
what is an initiative
The initiative process allows citizens to collect signatures to place a new statute or constitutional amendment on the ballot.
what is a referendum
The referendum process, also called a veto referendum or citizen’s veto, allows citizens to collect signatures to ask voters whether to uphold or repeal an enacted law.
what is elite democracy
Elite democracy/elitism favors allowing the best educated and most qualified members of
society to govern in the best interests of the country. This system favors having a small group of the best-informed people to govern. (like the electoral college)
what is pluralist democracy
pluralist democracy is group-based activism by nongovernmental interest which work to impact political decision making (like interest groups)
The constitution and these forms of democracy
elite model - constitution provides for elected representatives that legislate on behalf of the people
pluralist model - in order to get a law passed various interests both states and otherwise have to compromise to get it done
participatory model - separation of power between the federal government and the state governments
what is the Madisonian model
1) prevent tyranny of the majority (prevent major control, only the people elect reps)
2)separation of powers and checks & balances (created 3 branches and a way for these to check on each other)
3)establishing a federal system (created national and state governments)
- this model was proposed by James Madison
what is the separation of powers
this separates the national government into 3 branches the judicial, legislative, and executive branches
what are checks and balances
these are created between each of the branches as a way to ensure not one of them is given enough power to take over
what are the checks on the judicial branch
Executive - the president nominates judges
Legislative - the senate confirms the presidents nominees, congress can impeach judges and remove the from office
what are the checks on the legislative branch
executive - the president can veto congressional legislation
judiciary - the court can declare laws unconstitutional
what are the checks on the executive branch
legislative - congress approves presidential nominees, control the budget, overide a veto with enough votes, and can impeach and remove a president from office
judicial - the court can declare presidential acts unconstitutional
what are enumerated powers
these are powers that are strictly stated in the constitution
what are implied powers
implied powers are not specifically stated in the Constitution but may be inferred from the Necessary and Proper clause
constitutional structure
The Constitution is divided into 7 articles
article 1
Article 1 gives Congress its powers and limits. Congress is the branch of the government who can make laws for the country. Article 1 also creates the two sections of Congress, the Senate and the House of Representatives.
what powers are given to congress
The powers of Congress are enumerated in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution. Among these
are the powers to:
* tax
* regulate commerce
* regulate immigration
* coin money and regulate the value thereof
* create the post office
* create patents
* create all courts below the Supreme Court
* declare war
* create the army
* create the navy
* directly govern Washington, DC
* make all laws necessary and proper to execute their enumerated powers
article 2
Article II created the executive branch and the presidency.
requirements of the president
To be president a person must be a natural born citizen of the United States and at least 35
years of age.
roles of the president
