AP Government

What key functions of government exist, according to the authors?

1. Maintain a national defense. Protects its national sovereignty, usually by maintaining defense. 2. Provide public goods and services schools, libraries, hospitals, highways, and many other things two types of goods and services collective goods - cannot be denied to anyone and therefore must be share by everyone Ex. Clean air or clean water or access to highways Other public goods and services such as college or medical care, can be provided to some individuals without being provided to all. These are widely provided by the private sector as well as by government 3. Preserve order ex. Preserve order at a large protest 4. Socialize the young. Instill in children knowledge of and pride in the nation and its political system and values. 5. collect taxes - pays for the public goods and services

elitism

A theory of American democracy contending that an upper-class elite holds the power and makes policy, regardless of the formal governmental organization

Explain Madison's major arguments in Federalist 10 and 51

Antifederalists worried about big government James Madison responded in #10 that political factions, power groups within government, could be limited by new, federal form of government. In #51 he argued government's separation of powers would keep any one branch from dominating Still, anti-federalists wanted their rights guaranteed in writing.

supremacy clause

Article VI, Section 2, of the U.S. Constitution is known as the Supremacy Clause because it provides that the "Constitution, and the Laws of the United States ... shall be the supreme Law of the Land." It means that the federal government, in exercising any of the powers enumerated in the Constitution, must prevail over any conflicting or inconsistent state exercise of power.

Locke

Belief in natural rights - rights inherent in human beings, not dependent on government. Before government arose, Locke held, people existed in a state of nature, in which they were governed not by formal laws but by the laws of nature - laws determined by people's innate moral sense. Government, Locke argued, must be built on the consent of the governed, in other words, the people must agree on who their rulers will be. It should also be a limited government, that is there must be clear restrictions on what rulers can do. He believed that the sole purpose of government was to protect natural rights. He believed that government must provide standing laws so that people know in advance whether their acts will be acceptable. Second, he believed that supreme power can't take from any man any part of his property without his consent. He argued that in an extreme case people have a right to revolt against a government that no longer has their consent.

concurrent powers

Concurrent Powers are powers shared by the federal and stategovernments. These powers include the ability to make laws, roads,defense, parks and.

Articles of Confederation

Created a loose "league of friendship" among 13 colonies Derived all power from the states, which are independent nation-states. One vote per state, must be unanimous

Direct democracy

Direct democracy, sometimes called "pure democracy," is a form of democracy in which all laws and policies imposed by governments are determined by the people themselves, rather than by representatives who are elected by the people. In a true direct democracy, all laws, bills and even court decisions are voted on by all citizens.

What are examples of various public policies?

Examples of various public policies see Table 1.1 p. 11

How did the Federalists and Anti-Federalists disagree on their idea of governmental power?

FEDERALISTS Wanted a balance of power between states and central government The Federalist Papers told why there should be a central gov. Idea of Elitism: Educated rule over the masses Madison, Hamilton, & Jay ANTI-FEDERALISTS Opposed strong, central government, so they opposed the constitution Common man will make best choices Protect freedom of press, religion, other rights PUT IT IN WRITING!!

Federalist paper #51

Federalist No. 51, titled: The Structure of the Government Must Furnish the Proper Checks and Balances Between the Different Departments, is an essay by James Madison, the fifty-first of The Federalist Papers.One of the most famous of The Federalist papers, No. 51 addresses means by which appropriate checks and balances can be created in government and also advocates a separation of powers within the national government. One of its most important ideas is the often quoted phrase, "Ambition must be made to counteract ambition" and its "if men were angels" argument is famous.

The Federalist Paper #10

Federalist Number 10 was written by James Madison and published in November 1789. Federalist No. 10 addresses the issue of political 'factions'. Madison defines a faction as ''a number of citizens, whether amounting to a minority or majority of the whole, who are united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest, adverse to the rights of other citizens, or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community.'' In Federalist No. 10 Madison identifies direct democracy as a threat to the United States, because under a direct democracy there the potential for 'mob rule,' whereby the largest faction controls the whole. To safeguard against factionalism, Madison argues for a representative democracy, or a republican form of government, in which the people elect a leader to represent them. This form of government, as opposed to a direct democracy, provides stability because it keeps important government decisions from being made by the changing tide of public opinion.

Name and Explain the two formal ways the constitution can be amended

Formal Amendments Changing the actual document 2/3 vote in both houses then ratified by ¾ of states. 2/3 votes in both houses the convention of ¾ states.

Montesquieu

French aristocrat who advocated separate branches of government, each of which had distrinct powers and the ability to check the other branches.

What are the 5 components of the policymaking system?

Go to Figure 4 p. 10 for the 5 components of policymaking systems

factions

Groups such as interest groups that, according to James Madison, arise from the unequal distribution of property or wealth and have the potential to cause instability in government. p. 34

What is the danger of political ignorance?

Inadequate voter knowledge has two major negative implications for democracy. First, it prevents democratic government from reflecting the will of the people in any meaningful sense, undercutting the "intrinsicist" defense of democracy as a government that reflects the voluntary decisions of the populace. Likewise, voter ignorance imperils the instrumental case for democracy as a regime that serves the interests of the majority, since ignorance potentially opens the door for both elite manipulation of the public and gross policy errors caused by politicians' need to appeal to an ignorant electorate in order to win office.

Name and explain 3 ways the constitution can be informally amended.

Informal Amendments Not changing the document but the way we read it. Judicial Interpretation - how the Supreme Court reads the Constitution Marbury vs. Madison Social & Cultural Changes - with more understanding comes different view of Constitution

What did Jefferson mean when he wrote that "there has never been., nor will there ever be, a people who are politically ignorant and free"?

Jefferson was stating that, in order to remain a free and democratic country, it was the responsibility of every citizen to do what was necessary to gain knowledge of individual rights. With this knowledge this citizen must vote or otherwise speak up and be heard in order to retain those rights. Jefferson's statement is very true to this day. We are not a true democracy because we elect people to decide what is best for us. To regain our power, every citizen must be willing to do whatever research is necessary to study the issues. One cannot rely on the media, political speeches or rumors to help decide where to stand on an issue. Freedom cannot be taken for granted, and the two most important freedoms are freedom of speech and the right to vote.

What were some problems with the Articles of Confederation and what consequences did they have?

Need 9 colonies for quorum, unanimous vote No executive nor judicial branch No strong, central government to uphold Treaty of Paris, collect taxes Shay's Rebellion showed need for strong govt. More details. a.Weak central government - few powers outside maintaining and army and navy b. No power to tax - it had to request money from the states, if states refused to send money, congress did without. Congress sold off western lands to speculators, issued securities that sold for less than their face value, used its own presses to print money that was worthless. Congress voted to disband the army despite continued threats from Britain and Spain c. Lacked power to regulate Congress; which inhibited foreign trade and the development of a strong national economy. d. Could take little independent action. Most governing power rested in the states. The national government could not compel the states to do anything and it had no power to deal directly with individual citizens. The weakness prevented it from dealing with the hard times that faced the new nation.

New Jersey Plan

New Jersey Plan Weak national government Looked like Articles of Confederation but strengthen tax & trade Equal representation of states (1 state=1 vote) Favored by smaller states .

What types of compromises were made in order to secure passage of the Constitution?

Promised to add amendments to the document protecting individual liberties. Restraining the government from limiting personal freedoms. Federalists specified that the constitution be ratified by special conventions in each of the states not be state legislatures

How might Democrats and Republicans differ on how these functions should be carried out?

Republicans are known for their support of business, conservative positions on social issues, and concern about the size of government; Democrats traditionally have supported labor and minorities and believe that government can solve many of the nation's problems. Note: do you have notes on this in class. I got this info from the internet.

How did the Founders view equality?

See p. 37. Table 2.3

social contract theory

Societies are controlled by governments. This is the starting point for discussing social contract theory. Thinkers who believe in this theory argue that people benefit from living together in countries, kingdoms, or under other types of governmental oversight. Living in society, however, requires rules and laws. Societies are the result of compromises, and social contracts provide the framework for how people and governments interact. Individuals who live within a social structure gain protection from outsiders who may seek to harm them. In return, they must give up certain freedoms (like the ability to commit crimes without being punished), and they should contribute to making society stable, wealthy, and happy.

Connecticut (Great) Compromise

The Great Compromise: called for 2 houses in Congress. Senate: all states have same number of reps House of Reps: Representation based on population but do slaves count in population? Slave states say Yes, Anti-slave say No

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

The Supreme Court asserted its power to check the other branches through judicial review; the power to hold actions of the other two branches unconstitutional. This capacity considerably strengthens the Court's ability to restrain the other branches of government.

totalitarianism

Totalitarianism is a political system in which the state recognizes no limits to its authority and strives to regulate every aspect of public and private life wherever feasible.[1] A distinctive feature of totalitarian governments is an "elaborate ideology, a set of ideas that gives meaning and direction to the whole society".[2]

Virginia Plan

Virginia Plan Called for a strong national government with 3 separate branches Votes in legislature based on population Favored by large states.

What examples exist for the who, what, and how of politics

Who? Voters, candidates, groups, and parties What? Refers to the substance of politics and government Ex. Benefits. Such as medical care for elderly, and burdens such as new taxes How? Ways in which people participate in politics People get what they want through voting, supporting, compromising, lobbying, so forth

separation of powers

a feature of the Constitution that requires that three branches of government - executive, legislative, and judicial - to be relatively independent of each other so that one cannot control the others. Power is shared among these three institutions.

republic

a from of government in which the people select representative to govern them and make laws

bicameral legislature

a legislature divided into two houses. The US Congress and all state legislatures except Nebraska's are bicameral.

confederate

a person one works with, especially in something secret or illegal; an accomplice:

democracy

a system of selecting policymakers and of organizing government so that policy represents and responds to the public's preferences

hyperpluralism

a theory of American democracy contending that groups are so strong that government, which gives in to the many different groups, is thereby weakened. Many groups together render government unable to act.

pluralism

a theory of American democracy emphasizing that the policymaking process is very open to the participation of all groups with shared interests, with no single group usually dominating. Pluralists tend to believe that as a results, public interest generally prevails

Explain how Locke influenced Jefferson's ideas in the Declaration of Independence.

a. Role of government in people's lives Locke said that the sole purpose of government was to protect natural rights: life, liberty and property. The Declaration of Independence changed it to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Although the preservation of property was talked about at the Constitutional Convention. b. Rights of citizens Locke said that people must agree on who their rulers will be and there must be clear restriction on what rulers can do. This is similar to what was put into the Declaration of Independence c. Right to revolt Locke argued that in an extreme case people have a right to revolt against a government that no longer has their consent. He emphasized that people should not revolt until injustices become deeply felt. The Declaration of Independence accented the same point, declaring that "governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes." But when matters when beyond "patient sufferance," severing the ties between the people and their government was necessary."

Hobbes

argued that man's natural state was war and that a strong absolute ruler was necessary to restrain man's bestial tendencies. Without a strong government, Hobbes wrote, life would be solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short. The framers opposed a powerful monarch

Articles of Confederation

establisehd a government dominated by the states. The articles established a national legislature with one house; states could send as many as seven delegates or as few as two, but each state had only one vote. There was no president and no national courts, and the power of the national legislature were strictly limited. Most authority rested with the state legislatures because many leaders feared that a strong central government would become as tyrannical as British rule. See tabel on p. 31

checks and balances

features of the Constitution that require each branch of the federal government to obtain the consent of the others for its actions; they limit the power of each branch. p. 42 for examples

Necessary and Proper Clause

is a provision in Article One of the United States Constitution, located at section 8, clause 18.The Congress shall have Power ... To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.

anti-federalists

opponents of the U.S. Constitution at the time when the states were contemplating its adoption. supported a weak central government and emphasized the role of state authority.

enumerated powers

powers of the federal government that are listed explicitly in the Constitution. For example, Article 1, Section 8, specifically gives Congress the power to coin money and regulate its value and impose taxes.

implied powers

powers of the federal government that go beyond those enumerated in the Constitution, in accordance with the statement in the Constitution, that Congress has the power to "make all laws necessary and proper for carrying into execution" the powers enumerated in Article 1. Congress has certain implied powers, which it can exercise as long as it does so in terms consistent with the Constitution.

three-fifths compromise

representation in the House and taxation were to be based on the number of free persons in a state plus three-fifths of the number of "all other persons." Everyone, knew who those other persons were.

Shay's rebellion

series of attacks on courthouses by a small band of farmers led by Revolutionary War captain Daniel Shays to block foreclosure proceedings. Helped spur the birth of the constitution. The event reaffirmed the Framer's belief that the new federal government needed to be a strong one. p. 33

federalists

supporters of the U.S. Constitution at the time the states were contemplating its adoption. favored a strong, central government.

Constitutional Convention

took place from May 25 to September 17, 1787,Although the Convention was intended to revise the Articles of Confederation, the intention from the outset of many of its proponents, chief among them James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, was to create a new government rather than fix the existing one. The delegates elected George Washington to preside over the Convention. The result of the Convention was the creation of the United States Constitution, placing the Convention among the most significant events in the history of the United States.

Representative democracy

type of democracy founded on the principle of elected officials representing a group of people, as opposed to direct democracy.

Federalism

where power is shared between the US Government and states.