Lucas Kreuzer

AP US Government and Politics: Chapters 1, 2, 3

Key Terms:
Power - the ability of one person to get another person to act in
accordance with the first person's intentions
Authority - the right to use power
Legitimacy - political authority conferred by law or by a state or
national constitution
Democracy - the rule of many
Elite - people who have a disproportionate amount of some
valued resource, like money or power
Unalienable- a human right based on nature or God
Judicial review - the power of courts to declare laws
unconstitutional
Faction - a group with a distinct political interest
Coalition - an alliance of factions
Bill of Rights - the first 10 amendments to the Constitution
Line-item veto - an executive's ability to block a particular
provision in a bill passed by the legislature
Nullification - the doctrine that a state can declare null and void a
federal law that, in the state's opinion, violates the Constitution
Dual federalism - doctrine holding that the national government
is supreme in its sphere, the sates are supreme in their, and the
two spheres should be kept separate
Police power - state power to enact laws promoting health,
safety, and morals
Sovereignty - supreme or ultimate political authority; legally and
politically independent of any other government
Systems of Government:
Unitary system - sovereignty is wholly in the hands of the
national government
Direct/participatory democracy - a government in which all or
most citizens participate directly
Representative democracy - a government in which leads make
decisions by winning a competitive struggle for popular vote
Republic - a government in which elected representatives make
the decisions
Confederation/confederal system - states are sovereign and the
national government is allowed to do only what the states permit
Federal system - sovereignty is shared

Federal regime - local units of government have a specially

protected existence and can make final decisions over
governmental activities

Democracy at the State Level:

Initiative - process that permits voters to put legislative measure
directly on the ballot
Referendum - procedure enabling voters to reject a measure
passed by legislature
Recall - procedure whereby voters can remove an elected official
from office
Constitutional Convention:
Articles of Confederation - a weak constitution that governed
America during the Revolutionary War
Shays's Rebellion - a 1787 rebellion in which ex-Revolutionary
War soldiers attempted to prevent foreclosures of farms as a
result of high interest rates and taxes
Federalists - those in favor of a strong national government
Anti-Federalists - those who favor a weaker national government
Virginia Plan - proposal to create a strong national government
New Jersey Plan - proposal to create a weak national government
Great Compromise - plan to have a popularly elected House
based on state population and a state-selected senate, with 2
members of each state
Rights Included in Constitution (Not Bill of Rights):
Habeas corpus - an order to produce an arrested person before a
judge
Bill of attainder - a law that declares a person, without a trial,
guilty of a crime
Ex post facto law - a law that makes an act criminal although the
act was legal when it was committed
Key Clauses of Constitution:
"Necessary and proper" Clause- section of the Constitution
allowing Congress to pass all laws "necessary and proper" to its
duties, and which has permitted Congress to exercise powers not
specifically given to it (enumerated) by the Constitution
Extradition Clause Blakc slave if escaped must be returned to
master
Supremacy Clause US Federal government supreme in all
matters it handles

Full Faith and Credit Clause States should respect the laws of
every state
Privileges and immunities clause prevents one state from treaty
citizens of another is discrimatory manner

Key of Components of Federalism:

Federalism - government authority is shared by national and
state governments
Enumerated powers - powers given to the national government
alone
Reserved powers - powers given to the state government alone
Concurrent powers - powers shared by the national and state
governments
Checks and balances - authority shared by the 3 branches of
government
Separation of powers - constitutional authority is shared by 3
different branches of government
Ways of Describing Elites:
Class view - view that the government is dominated by
capitalists
Power elite view - view that the government is dominated by a
few top leaders, most of whom are outside government
Bureaucratic view - view that government is dominated by
appointed officials
Pluralist view
- the belief that competition among all affected
interests shapes public policy
Grants:
Grants-in-aid - money given by the national government to the
states
Categorical grants - federal grants for specific purposes, such as
building an airport
Block grant Grants given in larger sums, with fewer strings
attached
Conditions of aid - terms set by the national government that
states must meet if they are to receive certain federal funds
Mandates - terms set by the national government that states
must meet whether or not they accept federal grants
Waiver - a decision by an administrative agency granting some
other part permission to violate a law or rule that would
otherwise apply to it
Supreme Court Cases:

McCulloh vs. Maryland Bank etc

US vs. Lopez First time since new deal, Limited congresss
power under commerce clause
Gibbons vs. Odgen National Gov. regulates interstate
commerce
Marbury vs. Madison Courts review executive and legislative
branches. Their say is final.

Pennsylvania vs. Massachusetts:

Pennsylvania constitution most democratic
All power in unicameral legislature
Assembly began abusing power
Massachusetss was less democratic, more division of powers
Questions:

WHO GOVERNS?
1.

How is political power distributed in America?

Political power = powers of the different government institutions.
Checks and balance within the national government. Federalism to
support states and local municipalities.

2.

What is the nature of a republic?

A republic is an indirect democracy. It slows down the decision making.
It is not a monarchy

3.

How is power divided in America?

Through pluralism. Multiple factions. These include religious, ethnic, social
groups all contribute to the political process. This is made possible by
divisions in power and pluralism.

TO WHAT ENDS?
1.

What values matter?

The natural rights; Life, liberty and property

2.

What goals should the government serve?

National defense, protection of property rights, domestic order.
(Army, court system and police force)

ADDITIONAL LEARNING OUTCOMES

After reading the material in this unit, you should be able to do each of the
following:

1.

2.

Explain what is meant by power, and by political power, in particular. Relate

the latter to authority, legitimacy, and democracy.

Power Ability of citizens and factions to organize and participate

Political Power What institutions can and cannot do

Authority Power that has consent of the population

Legitimacy Power that has authority, but also follows the rule of the
law

Democracy It has authority, legitimacy, and popular participation

Explain the notion of higher law, by which the colonists felt they were
entitled to certain natural rights. List these rights.

Higher Law God given rights which are the natural rights

Natural Rights Life, Liberty and property

3.

4.

List and discuss the shortcomings of government under the Articles of

Confederation.

Lacked authority

Couldnt settle inter state disputes

Couldnt levy taxes or form an army

No judicial or legislative branch

Compare and contrast the Virginia and New Jersey plans and show how
they led to the Great Compromise.
Virginia plan Bicameral, legislature could veto state laws,
legislature based on population
New Jersey Unicameral, same # representatives per state

5.
Explain why separation of powers and federalism became key parts of the
Constitution.

5.

US had just broken free from Great Britian

Wanted to divided power in order to prevent abuses

Wanted to allow pluralism

Explain why a bill of rights was not initially included in the Constitution and
why it was added.

Constitution included states rights, but it wasnt enough for the

antifederalists

Created the bill of rights to appeal to antifederalists

7.

Identify important policy areas affected by federalism.

Education, Transportation, intrastate commerce and issuing licenses

10th Amendment - anything not covered by constitution

8.
Explain the difference between federal and centralized systems of
government, and give examples of each.

Federal Power is distributed among multiple jurisdictions.

Central Parliamentary, all power at one point. Think Britain/ france. No

local control

9.
State the reasons why federal grants-in-aid to the states have been
politically popular, and cite what have proven to be their pitfalls. Distinguish
categorical grants and block grants.

Originally: Free money from the federal government, governors and

legislators could use them to claim they were doing more and elevate their
political standing

More and more strings attached, sometimes states end up paying more to
cover all the conditions than grant is worth

Categorical grants grant that comes with government conditions of aid

Block grants larger sum, less specific, fewer strings

10.
Evaluate the effect of devolution on relationships between the national
and state governments. Assess its implications for citizens as taxpayers and as
clients of government programs.

National government places more responsibility on the State government

State budgets strained, less welfare programs

More private/ voluntary programs

Taxes go up at state level

Federalism 10 and 51

10 deal with factions by large central government

51 divisions of power to prevent abuse