Khan Academy A.P. Gov unit 1

The judicial branch has to power to:

- Declare laws unconstitutional - hear cases on federal law - Preside over impeachment trials - Declare presidential acts unconstitutional

The executive branch has to power to:

- Veto legislation - command armed forces - grant pardons - Appoint judges, ambassadors, department heads - Conduct foreign affairs and negotiate treaties

The legislative branch has to power to:

- pass laws - declare war - Impeach president and judges - Approve presidential appointments - Ratify treaties - Levy taxes - Establish number of Supreme Court justices - Regulate Supreme Court's jurisdiction

Electoral College

A body of representatives from every state in the United States who formally cast votes to elect the president and vice president.

direct democracy

A form of government in which citizens rule directly and not through representatives

stakeholder

A person with an interest or a concern in a political issue

access point

A point in the policymaking process where ordinary citizens can influence government.

limited government

A political system in which the government's power is restricted by laws or a written Constitution.

mandate

A requirement that states or local governments meet a specific condition in order to receive federal aid

minority

A smaller group with a differing opinion on any one issue.

Democracy

A system of government in which the power of the government is vested in the people, who rule directly or through elected representatives.

block grants

Federal grants issued to states or local governments to support broad programs

categorical grants

Federal grants restricted to specific purposes

Bill of Rights

First ten amendments to the Constitution; major source of civil liberties

John Adams

Massachusetts statesman and leader in the movement for American independence. aided Jefferson in drafting the Declaration of Independence.

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

Supreme Court case which guaranteed the supremacy of federal laws over state laws and declared that Congress has implied powers not listed in the Constitution in order to fulfill their enumerated powers.

US v. Lopez (1995)

Supreme Court case which stopped Congress from using the commerce clause to ban guns in schools

Amendment Process

The Constitution provides that an amendment may be proposed either by the Congress with a two-thirds majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate or by a constitutional convention called for by two-thirds of the State legislatures.

Impeachment

The bringing of formal charges against a government officer for alleged crimes or abuses of power.

state convention method

Two-thirds of states ask Congress to organize a convention. The amendment is proposed at this meeting. The proposed amendment then must be ratified by three-fourths of state conventions or state legislatures, as chosen by Congress.

Participatory democracy

a model of democracy in which citizens have the power to decide directly on policy and politicians are responsible for implementing those policy decisions.

Pluralist democracy

a model of democracy in which no one group dominates politics and organized groups compete with each other to influence policy.

initiative

a process that allows citizens to bypass their state legislature by placing proposed laws on the ballot.

democratic republic

a system of government in which the power to govern comes from the people, but elected officials represent their interests.

popular referendum

allows voters to approve or repeal an act of the state legislature

Shays's Rebellion,

an uprising of Revolutionary War veterans in Massachusetts that both the state and national governments struggled to address due to a lack of centralized military power, illustrated the need to create a stronger governing system.

The Articles of Confederation

comprised the United States' first constitution, lasting from 1776 until 1789...established a weak central government and placed most powers in the hands of the states.

Participatory democracy is sometimes called what?

direct democracy

Article IV

establishes that the states will give "full faith and credit" to the laws of other states.

The preamble

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution."

Great Compromise (Connecticut Compromise)

1787; created a two-house legislature, with the Senate having equal representation for all states and the House of Representatives having representation proportional to state populations.

Constitutional Convention

Also called the Philadelphia Convention. A meeting of delegates from 12 of the 13 states to revise or replace the Articles of Confederation with a new Constitution featuring a stronger central government.

Brutus No. 1

An Anti-Federalist essay which argued against a strong central government based on the belief that it would not be able to meet the needs of all US citizens. It states that a large republic can not accurately reflect the needs of the people because it is too far removed from people's daily lives.

Three-Fifths Compromise

An agreement added to the Constitution that would count each enslaved person as three-fifths of a white person for purposes of representation in the House of Representatives.

social contract

An agreement between people and government in which citizens consent to be governed so long as the government protects their natural rights.

Federalist No. 10

An essay written by James Madison, in which he argued that a strong representative government would be able to control the effects of factions. Factions would emerge in a republican government and that only a strong republic could control factions from becoming too strong.

When drafting the Constitution, the Framers detailed an amendment process in ________ _ that gave citizens avenues to change the Constitution.

Article V

Under the ____________, the US economy faltered, since the central government lacked the power to enforce tax laws or regulate commerce.

Articles

separation of powers

Aspects of the Constitution that ascribe different elements of power to different branches of the government, which act independently. This keeps one branch of government from controlling the others.

checks and balances

Aspects of the Constitution that require each branch of the federal government to gain the consent of the other two in order to act.

Why did the Framers decide to include Article V of the Constitution, detailing an amendment process?

Concerns about protecting self-government

____________ has the power to pass laws, declare war, ratify treaties, and levy taxes.

Congress

Fourteenth Amendment

Constitutional amendment that grants citizenship, equal protection, and due process under the law to all people born in the United States.

Tenth Amendment

Constitutional amendment that stipulates that all powers not given to the federal government are reserved to the states or the people.

Declaration of Independence (1776)

Explains the reasons why the Thirteen Colonies in North America desired independence from Great Britain. The ideals for government expressed in this document, including popular sovereignty and social contract, serve as the inspiration for American democratic values.

Alexander Hamilton

New York statesman who promoted replacing the Articles of Confederation with a stronger central government. He coauthored the Federalist Papers, which argued in favor of ratifying the Constitution.

necessary and proper clause

Part of Article I of the Constitution that gives Congress the power to create laws that they find "necessary and proper" for performing their constitutional responsibilities.

commerce clause

Part of Article I of the Constitution that gives Congress the power to regulate interstate commerce (buying and selling of goods across state lines).

Ben Franklin

Pennsylvania statesman and leader in the movement for American independence. Aided Jefferson in drafting the Declaration of Independence.

Federalism

Political system that organizes government into two or more levels with independent powers; in the United States this consists of local, state, and national governments

exclusive powers

Powers reserved either to the federal government or state governments

concurrent powers

Powers shared by the federal government and state governments, e.g. lawmaking and taxation

Thomas Jefferson

Principal author of the Declaration of Independence.

removal

Removing a government officer from office after impeachment proceedings resulted in a conviction.

George Washington

Revolutionary War general who presided over the Constitutional Convention.

Confederation Congress

The central government under the Articles of Confederation, composed of delegates chosen by state governments. Each state had one vote in the Congress, regardless of its population. The Congress had difficulty legislating as the Articles required nine of the thirteen states to vote to approve any measure, and a unanimous vote in order to amend the Articles themselves.

__________________ conducts foreign affairs and commands the armed forces.

The executive branch

US Constitution (1787)

The fundamental laws and principles that govern the United States. The document was the result of several compromises between Federalists and Anti-Federalists surrounding the ratification of the Constitution.

____________________ interprets the laws of Congress and the actions of the president to determine whether they are constitutional.

The judicial branch

majority

The largest group that shares an opinion on any one issue, for example, whether to declare war or support a tax.

federal revenue sharing

The practice of sharing federal income tax revenue with state and local governments

republicanism

The principle of governing through elected representatives.

natural rights

The right to life, liberty, and property, which no government may take away.

Article V

The section of the Constitution that details how to amend the Constitution, either through a congressional proposal or a convention of the states, with final ratification from three-fourths of the states.

Complex policymaking processes

The structure of US government established in the Constitution purposely makes policymaking complicated, requiring various branches, institutions, and individuals to work together to accomplish goals.

congressional proposal method

Two-thirds of both chambers of Congress must propose an amendment. The proposed amendment must then be ratified by three-fourths of state conventions or state legislatures, as chosen by Congress.

James Madison

Virginia statesman and major contributor to the US Constitution. He coauthored the Federalist Papers and wrote the Bill of Rights.

amendment

a change or addition to the Constitution

faction

a group united by a common cause

Elite democracy

a model of democracy in which a small number of people, usually those who are wealthy and well-educated, influence political decision making.

Interest groups

organizations of people who attempt to influence policymakers to support their position on a particular common interest or concern

Exclusive powers

powers reserved to the federal government or the states.

Concurrent powers

powers shared by the federal government and the states.

"We hold these truths to be __________, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain ____________ Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the ________________________________."

self-evident, unalienable, pursuit of Happiness