Gov Unit 1

Some freedoms are sacrificed in exchange for government protection.

By John Locke; life, liberty, and property.

Supports individualism, natural rights, popular sovereignty, and encourages civic participation.

Elected officials representing a group of people.

Government power derives from the consent of the governed.

Broad participation in politics by people of various statuses.

Group-based activism by citizens with common interests who seek the same goals.

Power to the educated/wealthy, discourages participation by the majority of people.

A formal declaration of war between America and Great Britain written by Thomas Jefferson, including a list of grievances.

Outlined the first US government.

The way in which federal and state/regional governments interact and share power

A meeting of the framers in Philadelphia during which the government’s structure was debated and decided

Legislature with one house

Legislature with two houses

Bicameral legislature based on population size; supported by larger states

Unicameral legislature with one vote per state; supported by smaller states

Created a bicameral legislature with a House of Representatives (based on population) and Senate (equal representation)

Enslaved people would be counted as 3/5 of a person when deciding seats in the House of Representatives

Supporters of the Constitution

Opponents of the Constitution

Written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay; a collection of articles supporting the Constitution

By James Madison; The first 10 amendments of the Constitution which protect the rights of citizens from the government

Composed of elected officials from each state based on population selected to elect POTUS and VPOTUS

Argued that the national government had too much power, an army could prevent liberty, and representatives may not truly be representative of the people.

Addresses dangers of factions and how to protect minority interest groups in a nation ruled by majority, argues that a large republic keeps any single faction from taking control

Argued that separation of powers would make the government efficient, dividing responsibilities and tasks

Argued that the executive branch should only have one member, a strong and decisive executive

Addressed concerns about the power of the judicial branch, argued that the judicial branch would have the least amount of power under the Constitution but would also have the power of judicial review

Described the legislative branch

Described the executive branch

Same effect as law, bypasses Congress in policy-making, not mentioned in the Constitution

Similar to treaties between country leaders, bypass ratification power of the Senate, not mentioned in the Constitution

Described the judicial branch

Judicial review

The power of the Supreme Court to overturn laws or treaties passed by legislature which are unconstitutional

allows Congress to make any legislation that seems “necessary and proper” to carry through its powers

Supremacy of Constitution and federal laws over state laws

Court ruled that states could not tax national bank because of the supremacy clause and necessary and proper clause

Held that the Gun-Free School Zones Act was unconstitutional because the commerce clause didn't allow regulation of carrying guns, intrastate not interstate issue

Powers listed in the constitution that belong to the national government

Powers that belong to the states

Any power not given to the national government nor denied to the states in the Constitution belongs to the states

Powers shared by federal and state government

Paid for by federal government through grants-in-aid, mostly administered by states

Aid with strict rules from the federal government about how it should be used

Aid that lets the state use the money how it wants

Assigns different tasks to each branch of government

Each branch checks the other; designed to prevent any branch of government from becoming dominant, requires different branches to work together and share power

The power of the president to reject laws

The addition of a provision to the Constitution

Delegates elected to vote on an amendment

Proposed amendment approved by 2/3 of both houses, 3/4 of state legislatures must ratify the amendment

Ended prohibition, used a ratifying convention

The power to reject specific parts of a bill; denied to presidents by Supreme Court

Certain restrictions placed on the government to protect individual rights and liberties.

Powers ONLY for the federal government

Congressional powers beyond enumerated through the necessary and proper clause.

States and National government remain supreme in their own spheres.

Shared responsibilities between state and national

The pattern of taxing, spending, and providing grants

Required by the federal government to do, but

not funded by them (ADA)

Distribution of tax money to the state government.