AP Unit 1 Flashcards
Popular sovereignty
The people have power through voting.
Republicanism
We elect leaders to make decisions.
Social contract:
People agree to follow rules for protection.
Pluralist democracy
Groups (like interest groups) influence decisions.
Elite democracy
A small, powerful group makes decisions.
Weaknesses of the Articles:
No national military to stop uprisings (like Shays’ Rebellion).
No power to collect taxes.
Great (Connecticut) Compromise
Created two houses in Congress:
Senate = Equal reps for each state
House = Based on population
Three-Fifths Compromise:
Counted 3 out of every 5 enslaved people toward a state’s population for representation and taxes.
What are the 3 branches
Legislative (Congress) – Makes laws
Executive (President) – Enforces laws
Judicial (Courts) – Interprets laws
What were the articles of confederation
Written during the Revolutionary War.
Created a very weak central government (on purpose).
Most power was left to the states
what was the strucutre from the articles of confederation
One branch: Congress (no president or courts).
One vote per state (big or small).
No power to tax, regulate trade, or raise a national army.
All 13 states had to agree to make any changes
weaknessses of the articles of confederation
Couldn’t collect taxes → No money to run the country.
No military power → Couldn’t stop rebellions (like Shays’ Rebellion).
No national court system → Couldn’t resolve disputes between states.
No power to enforce laws → States could ignore Congress.
why does the articles of confederation matter
Showed the need for a stronger national government.
Led to the Constitutional Convention in 1787.
Influenced the creation of the U.S. Constitution we use today.
Federalism
Power is divided between national and state governments.
exclusive powers
Only federal government can do (e.g., declare war).
concurrent powers
Shared by federal and state (e.g., taxing, law enforcement).
federal revenue sharing
Fed gives states money with few rules.
Mandates
Fed requires states to do things (sometimes without money).
Categorical grants
Money for specific things (e.g., school lunches).
block grants
Money with fewer rules—states choose how to spend it.
constituionalism
The idea that government is limited by a written constitution.
Federalism + Separation of Powers =
slower decisions
Two levels
national and state
