AP US GOVERNMENT

Review Topics/VocabConstitutional Underpinnings

  • Enlightenment philosophers & their political theories: Hobbes, Rousseau, Locke, Montesquieu
  • Theories of democracy: pluralism (most favorable view of democracy), elite/class theory, hyperpluralism
  • Accomplishments of the Articles of Confederation government?
  • Weaknesses of Articles of Confederation
  • Difference between unitary, federalist, confederate forms of government
  • Constitutional Convention:
  • Major controversy, plans offered & how it was resolved
  • Resolution of conflict over slavery
  • Reasons why framers chose a government based on federalism
  • Primary concerns of Anti-Federalists
  • Leading Federalists & why they were able to get Constitution ratified
  • Expansion of constitutional powers:
  • Congress - through the elastic clause (McCulloch v. MD)
  • President – through executive orders
  • Judiciary – through judicial review (Marbury v. Madison)]
  • Custom/tradition – Cabinet, political parties
  • Delegated/expressed/enumerated powers = powers of the federal government
  • Coin money, regulate interstate commerce, war, treaties, citizenship, etc.
  • Reserved powers = powers of state governments
  • Licenses, conduct elections, intrastate commerce, etc.
  • Concurrent powers = powers shared by federal and state governments
  • Tax, borrow money, establish court systems, etc.
  • Powers denied to the federal government: can’t suspend habeus corpus, no ex post facto laws, can’t tax exports, no titles of nobility
  • Powers denied to state governments: no treaties with foreign countries, can’t declare war or maintain standing, can’t print $, can’t pass ex post facto laws, no titles of nobility, can’t tax imports or exports
  • Supremacy clause – Article VI – what 3 things?; McCulloch v. MD
  • Obligations of states to each other – Article IV (full faith & credit to each others’ acts, grant same privileges and immunities to citizens of other states, extradition)
  • Dual federalism – “layer-cake” federalism: national & states are supreme within own spheres of power
  • Cooperative federalism – “marble-cake” federalism; “devolution” of federalism - national and states have mingled responsibilities (education, interstate highways)
  • Fiscal federalism – spending, taxing, providing grants in federal system (known as “grants in aid”)
  • 2 primary types of federal grants in aid: categorical (strings attached – have to apply) or block (states have control over the $, no strings)
  • Purpose of system of checks & balances
  • Primary checks of Legislative over Executive & Judicial branches
  • Primary checks of Executive over Legislative & Judicial branches
  • Primary checks of Judicial over Legislative & Executive branches
  • Amendment of Constitution – Art. V; 2 methods of proposal and 2 methods of ratification
  • 2 methods of proposal: 2/3 of Congress proposes OR constitutional conventions for proposal called by 2/3 of states (never used in history)
  • 2 methods of ratification: ¾ of state legislatures ratify OR ¾ of special state conventions (only used once – to repeal Prohibition & pass 21st amendment)
  • Most common method: 2/3 of Congress proposes; ¾ of states ratify
  • Bill of Rights, authored by James Madison
  • Amendments 1-10 – know them!
  • 11: states can’t be sued by a citizen of another state
  • 12: changes Electoral College – P & VP voted for separately
  • Civil War Amendments: 13 (emancipation of all slaves); 14 (citizenship to all former slaves); 15 (voting rights to black males)
  • 16 – income tax
  • 17– direct election of Senators
  • 18 – Prohibition; repealed by 21st
  • 19 – Women’s suffrage
  • 20 – Inauguration date changed to Jan. 20
  • 22 – P’s limited to 2 terms in office
  • 23 – 3 electors given to Washington, D.C.
  • 24 – poll taxes eliminated
  • 25 – presidential disability (VP takes over as “acting P”)
  • 26 – lowers voting age to 18
  • 27 –203 years to pass; if Congress raises salary, can’t take effect until after next election
  • Federalist No. 10(see handout on this)
  • Federalist No. 51 (see handout on this)