Ap gov

Wrote the Leviathan:

-Argued that if humand were left to their own devices then chaos would ensue.

-In a state of nature life would be brutal

-Best way to protect life was to hand all power to a monarch because man cannot be trusted to rule himself.

Made by Thomas Hobbes.Where citizens sacrifice some of their freedoms to be protected by the government.

English philosopher

Idea of a 'social contract'

Life, liberty, and property

Written by John Locke and argued that liberty and property also had to be respected.

A French philosopher and critic of the monarchy who advocated for democracy.

He advocated for the separation of powers into three branches and the concept of checks and balances.

De l'Esprit des Lois

Believed that humans are born good but then corrupted by society. Believed that individuals should act in the greater good rather than their own interests.

French philosopher (1694-1778)

Freedom of speech

His novel Candide

Corruption of the government and intolerance of the Catholic Church

Lots of participation in politics by citizens of all kinds.

organized group-based activism by citizens with common interests all striving for the same political goals

discourages participation for the majority of citizens so that the power goes to the educated and wealthy.

America practices represenatative democracy where elected officials are representing a group of people.

A belief that ultimate power resides in the people.

1st Constitution of the U.S. 1781-1788 (weaknesses-no executive, no judicial, no power to tax, no power to regulate trade)

A system in which power is divided between the national and state governments

Enacted in 1787, it is considered one of the most significant achievements of the Articles of Confederation. It established a system for setting up governments in the western territories so they could eventually join the Union on an equal footing with the original 13 states

Rebellion led by Daniel Shays of farmers in western Massachusetts in 1786-1787, protesting mortgage foreclosures. It highlighted the need for a strong national government just as the call for the Constitutional Convention went out.

-could not draft soldiers

-was completely dependent on the state legislatures for revenue because they could not tax citizens

-could not pay off war debt

-could not control interstate trade

-had no supreme court

-had no one to enforce the law

-needed unanimity to amend the Articles

A written plan that was made to fix the articles of confederation

One-house legislature

Two house legislature

Was brought up by James Madison and called for a bicameral legislation which was based on population size.This plan was in favor of the larger states.

called for a unicameral legislature in which each state would be equally represented. This plan favored smaller states.

Bicameral legislature with a HoR, based on population and a Senate with equal representation.

Agreement that each slave counted as three-fifths of a person in determining representation in the House for representation and taxation purposes (negated by the 13th amendment)

supporters of the Constitution

people who opposed the Constitution

Written by Hamilton, Jay, and Madison which supported the Constitution.

A group of people named by each state legislature to select the president and vice president

Anonymous author critiques the constitution. Main concerns are abou too much power in the central government, standing armies, and fear that representatives would not represent the people.This paper prompted the appearences of the federalist papers.

James Madison addresses the dangers of factionalism. Madison says in large republics you don't need to worry about one faction that is too powerful because there will be many more to rival it.

Madison argues that seperation of powers and checks and balances would guarantee that no one faction would take total control of the gov.

Hamilton argues for a single unit executive. He says this will be more effecient.

Hamilton argues that under the constitution the judicial branch has the least amount of power. But they do have the power of judicial review.

allows congres to make all laws that appear necessary and proper to implement its delegated powers.

Not mentioned in the constitution but it is implied. The power of the president to make laws without having Congress involved.

an agreement between the president and the leader of another country. They are also not mentioned in the Constitution.

The power of the courts to declare laws unconstitutional. Decided from Marbury vs Madison.

decisins are made by an external member-state legislation.

Court ruled that srares did not have the pwer to tax the national bank. Reinforces the supremacy clause which establishes the supremacy of the Constitution.

Someone chalenges the Gun Free School Zones Act.(banned the possesion of handguns on school property).Lopez won, the court helf that the commerce clause did not extend to carrying handguns. Marked the importance of state sovereignty and local power.

those that only belong to the national government:

-printing money

-regulating interstate and international trade

-making treaties and conducting foreign policy

-declaring war

-establishing lower courts

-establishing copyright and patent laws

-raising and supporting armed forces

Power that are only for the states. According to the tenth amendment these powers include anything that is not specifically granted to the national government in the constitution and denied to the state governments.

These powers include:

-issuing licenses

-regulating intrastate business(business within a state)

-conducting elections

-establishing local governments

Powers that are shared by the state and national governments:

-levying and collecting taxes

-building roads

-operating courts of law

-establishing courts

conflicts between federal law and state law to be resolved in favor of federal law.

Federal grants for specific purposes, such as building an airport. People that use these favor federal power.

federal grants-in-aid that allow states considerable discretion in how the funds are spent. AKA: the states can use the money as they see fit.

dividing the powers of government among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. Concept was taken from Charles de Montesquieu.

To Judicial:

-May propose amendments to overrle judicial decisions

-Can imeach supreme court justices

-can reject appointmens to the supreme court

To Executive:

-may reject appointments and treaties

-can withhold funding for presidential itiatives

-can impeach the president

-may overide a veto

To leg. branch:

-may veto bills

-may adjourn Congress in certain situations

To judicial:

-appoints judges

Checks and balances from judicial branch

-may declare laws unconstitutional

To Exectutive branch:

-May declare executive actions unconstitutional

-proposed amendment wins 2/3 majority in House AND Senate.

-3/4 of all state legislatures apporve of the amendment

similar to president's duties to the nation.

-Direct state executive agencies

-command the state National gaurd

-may grant pardons or reprieves(to cancel or postpone the punishment of a person)

-Most can appoint state judges

A veto by the governor.

the power of a president, governor, or other elected executive to reject individual provisions of a bill.

Congress

435

10

numbering congressional districts

redrawing of congressional district boundaries by the party in power of the state legislature

Iowa and California because they use independent commissions to for districts.

every 2 years

-reside in the district they represent

-be a citizen of the state

-25 years old

1/3 of the senate gets realected every 2 years

6 years

Issue:Did Tenessee's refusal to redistrict violate the fourteenth amednments guarantee of equal protection of the law?

-Baker won

-federal gov can force states to redistrict every 10 years

-one person one vote

-federal gov now has a say in redistricting

Issue:North Carolina attempted to gerrymander one district full of Afrcan Americans

-you can't take into account race while redistrcting

Shaw won

the idea that an elected body should mirror demographically the population it represents

a law designed to help end formal and informal barriers to African-American suffrage

isolating minorities in a district

dividing the opponents voters into other districts

redraws two districts in such a way as to force two incumbents to run against each other in one district, ensuring that one of them will be eliminated.

moves an incumbents home address into another district when redistricting

According to the appropriations and the taxing and spending clause Congress has a lot of control over budgetary spending.This way congress can influence the president or bureaucrats.

House committee that handles tax blaws and spending bills. Only the House may initiate these laws and bills.

Congress reviews the work of federal agencies. They investigate corruption and waste.

sessions held by committees or subcommittees to gather information and views from experts

a court order requiring appearance and/or testimony. All committee chairs have this power.

Committee hearings educate the public on problems that are going on.

Congress recieve and act on complainsts of various things.

lawmakers who attempt to balance the basic elements of the trustee, delegate, and partisan roles

Legislators should adhere to the will of their constituents

Legislators should consider the will of the people but act in ways that they believe are best for the long-term interest of the nation

If neither candidate recieves the required 20 electoral votes the house can vote on the president and the senate can vote on the vice president.

can be conducted by standing or select committees. When they investigate a topic.

whoever introduces a bill into congress

-only in the house

-decides how long a bill will be debated and wheter to allow an open or closed rule for amending laws,(open rule allows amendments)

Poison pill amendments in Congress are provisions added to a bill to make it undesirable, discouraging its passage. They are used strategically to prevent the bill from becoming law.

A tactic to delay a vote were senators usually make speeches

The only way to end a filibuster in the Senate. Requires a 3/5 vote in the Senate.

Pork barrels are government funds allocated for local projects to benefit specific districts, often used by politicians to gain favor with constituents.(bad)

Earmarks are government funds allocated for specific projects or organizations, often inserted into legislation by lawmakers to benefit their constituents. (No longer allowed by the House)

members of these committees come from the people who wrote the bill.

-They come together to agree on a final format of a bill after different versions come out of the house and the Senate.

-failure to come to an agreement kills the bill

When the President does not sign a bill within 10 days of Congress adjourning, effectively killing the bill without needing to officially veto it.

The majority party. They will also have most of the seats in each committee.