Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Ap Gov Unit 1 > Unit 1: Foundations of American Democracy > Flashcards

Unit 1: Foundations of American Democracy Flashcards

1
Q

Democracy

A

power held by the people

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Natural/inalienable rights

A

the right to life, liberty, and property which government cannot take away

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Social Contract

A

people allow their governments to rule over them to ensure orderly and functioning society

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Popular Sovereignty

A

the idea that the government’s right to rule comes from the people

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Republicanism

A

the authority of the government comes from the people

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Participatory Democracy

A

a theory that widespread political participation is essential for democracy

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Pluralist Democracy

A

A theory of democracy that emphasizes the role of groups in the policy making process

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Elitist Democracy

A

Theory of democracy that the elites have a disproportionate amount of influence in the policymaking process

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Political Institutions

A

the structure of government, including the executive, legislature, and judiciary

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Constitutional Republic

A

a democratic system with elect representatives in which the Constitution is the supreme law

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Republic

A

a government ruled by representatives of the people

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Unicameral legislature

A

a government with only one legislative house or chamber

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Annapolis Convention

A

a convention that addressed trade and navigating disputes among the states, but participation was weak

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Shay’s Rebellion

A

a popular uprising against the government of Massachusetts which illustrated the weakness of the Articles of Confederation, led many skeptics to agree to replace the Articles

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What were the problems with the Articles of Confederation?

A

1) National government could not regulate commerce among states or levy taxes
2) National governments had to ask states for money

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Constitutional Convention

A

May 1787- 12 of the 13 states met in Philadelphia to amend the Articles

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Writ of habeas corpus

A

the right of people detained by the government to know the charges against the,

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Bills of attainder

A

when the legislature declares someone guilty without a trail

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Ex post facto laws

A

laws punishing people for acts that were not crimes at the time they were committed

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What was the Virginia Plan?

A

proposed a 3 branch government with bicameral legislature
lower house –> elected directly
Upper house –> nominated by state legislatures and chosen by lower house

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What was the New Jersey Plan?

A

TA 3 branch government with a unicameral legislature where each state has equal representation regardless of population.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Great (Connecticut) Compromise

A

Bicameral legislature
Lower House (House of Representatives) –> elected by the people
Upper House (Senate) –> selected by state legislature, 2 per state

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Three-Fifths Compromise

A

an agreement to count slaves as 3/5s of a person in calculating a state’s representation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Separation of Powers

A

a design of government that distributes powers across institutions in order to avoid making one branch too powerful on its own

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

Checks and Balances

A

a design of government in which each branch has powers that can prevent the other branches from making policy

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

Federalism

A

the sharing of power between the national government and the states

27
Q

Enumerated/Expressed Powers

A

authority specifically granted to the national government (more specifically Congress) in the Constitution

28
Q

Necessary and Proper Clause

A

granting Congress necessary powers to carry out enumerated powers

29
Q

Implied Powers

A

the authority of the federal government that goes beyond its expressed powers (powers not stated in the Constitution, but rather implied)

30
Q

Supremacy Clause

A

the constitution and all national treaties and laws shall be supreme law of the land

31
Q

Amendment

A

process by which changes may be made to the Constitution

32
Q

What are the 2 stages of amending the Constitution?

A

1) An amendment is proposed by a 2/3 vote from the House and Senate OR constitutional convention called by 2/3 of states
2) An amendment is ratified by 3/4 vote of the 50 state legislatures OR 3/4 of state constitutional conventions

33
Q

Federalists

A

supporters of the proposed Constitution, they called for a strong national government

34
Q

Antifederalists

A

opposed the proposed Constitution, called for stronger state governments

35
Q

Federalist 10

A

Advocated for a large constitutional republic, feared danger of factions.

36
Q

What are Factions?

A

group of self-interested individuals who use the government to get what they want, trampling the rights of others in the process

37
Q

Federalist 51

A

states that separation of powers and checks and balances are keys to preventing tyranny

38
Q

Brutus 1

A

argued that the country is too large to be governed as a republic and that the Constitution gave too much power to the national government

39
Q

Bill of Rights

A

a list of rights and liberties that governments can’t take away (10 amendments of the Constitution)

40
Q

Federalism

A

a system that divides power between a national (central) government and several regional (state) governments

41
Q

Unitary System

A

concentrated power, where the national government rules over a group of state governments

42
Q

Federal system

A

divided power between national government and state governments

43
Q

Confederation System

A

decentralized power, where weak state governments agree to follow a powerful central government

44
Q

Commerce Clause

A

grants Congress the power to regulate commerce among states and foreign nations

45
Q

Concurrent Powers

A

granted in the Constitution, allowed national and state authority to overlap in areas of public policy

46
Q

Full Faith and Credit Clause

A

requires states to recognize the public acts, records, and civil court proceedings from another state

47
Q

Extradition

A

the requirement that officials in one state return a defendant to another state where a crime is allegedly committed

48
Q

Privileges and Immunities Clause

A

prevents states from discriminating against people from out of state

49
Q

McCulloch v Maryland

A

Background: 2nd Bank of the US had a branch in Maryland, the state passed a law taxing the bank but bank officials refused to pay the tax
Decision: This was seen as Constitutional under the implied powers of Congress (Necessary and Proper Clause and Supremacy Clause)

50
Q

13th Amendment

A

outlaws slavery

51
Q

14th Amendment

A

provides that persons born in the US are citizens and prohibits states from denying persons due process or equal protection under the law

52
Q

15th Amendment

A

cannot deny the right to vote based on race

53
Q

Dual Federalism

A

states and nation operated independently in their own areas of public policy

54
Q

Cooperative Federalism

A

both levels of government work together in the same area of public policy

55
Q

Grants-in-aid

A

tool used by the federal government to achieve policy objectives within states

56
Q

Categorical grants

A

provided to states with specific provisions on their use (limited in how states can spend funding)

57
Q

Fiscal Federalism

A

federal government’s use of grant-in-aid to influence policies in states

58
Q

Unfunded mandates

A

national government requiring states to pay for programs without providing funds

59
Q

Block grants

A

a form of grant-in-aid that gives the state more control over how to disperse federal funds

60
Q

Revenue Sharing

A

when the federal government apportions tax money to states with no strings attached

61
Q

United States v Lopez

A

Background: Alfonso Lopez brought a gun to school and was charged with violating the Gun-Free School Zone Act of 1990
Decision: decision against Lopez, belief that Commerce clause had nothing to do with the case because “a gun in a local school is in no sense an economic activity”

62
Q

Declaration of Independence

A

the founding document of the U that announced the separation of the 13 colonies from Great Britian

63
Q

Articles of Confederation

A

The first constitution, declaring that the 13 colonies would be called “The United States of America”, gave powers to a national government which was led by Congress

64
Q

The US Constitution

A

defines the fundamental law of the US federal government, setting forth 3 branches of the federal government and their jurisdiction. Its purpose was to create a government with enough power to act on a national level

Ap Gov Unit 1 (2 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions