AP Gov Unit 1

What are Checks & Balances?

• A part of the executive branch of government; A system of unelected government officials who enforce regulations.

• Different branches of government limit the rights of the other branches so that one branch cannot gain too much power.

• powers that the Constitution assigns to both the national and state governments.

• those powers specifically listed in the Constitution for federal government

What is Federalism?

• an early political party that stood against the strong national government presented in the U.S. Constitution

• Orders from the federal government that all state governments are required to comply with. To meet the federal mandates, states may or may not receive funding from the central government.

• Those in favor of ratification of the Constitution, also believed that the Constitution was open for interpretation and that they should have a strong central government

• a government model in which power is shared between two or more levels of government

What is the Necessary & Proper Clause?

• Article I, Section 8, Clause 1; gives Congress the power to regulate business activity between states or with foreign nations.

• those powers not specifically listed in the Constitution for federal government, in accordance with the Necessary and Proper Clause

• Also called the Elastic Clause, it is the last paragraph in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution which states that Congress shall pass all laws “necessary and proper” to carry out the enumerated powers of the Constitution.

• The division of government responsibilities between multiple distinct branches of government in order to prevent one branch from exercising too much control.

What is Pluralist democracy?

• A model of democracy in which power is held by a variety of organized groups competing with each other to influence policy. In this type of democracy, no single group dominates the government.

• A model of democracy in which the citizens are allowed to make decisions (usually through voting) concerning the political state of their country.

• process in which an accusation is made against a public official, commonly the president, in order to get them removed from office

• a model of democracy where only a chosen group of people in power with education and wealth may be involved in political decision making

What is a Categorical Grant?

• Orders from the federal government that all state governments are required to comply with. To meet the federal mandates, states may or may not receive funding from the central government.

• Article I, Section 8, Clause 1; gives Congress the power to regulate business activity between states or with foreign nations.

• A grant from the federal government given to a state or local government with restrictions on what it can be used for.

• A grant from the federal government that a state or local government can use for a wide variety of purposes.

What is the Great Compromise?

• Compromise composed at the Constitutional Convention that was derived from the Virginia Compromise and the New Jersey Compromise, decided that states would have equal representation in one house of the legislature (Senate), with 2 representatives, and representation based on population in the other house (House of Representatives)

• Compromise that agreed Congress could not prohibit the importation of slaves for 20 years until 1808, but imported slaves could be taxed upon

• Led by Revolutionary War veteran Daniel Shay, it was a six month rebellion of over 1,000 Massachusetts farmers attacking government property to protest the foreclosure of their farms. During this time, there was a debt crisis and increased collection of taxes which led to the foreclosures.

• An agreement made between the northern and southern states at the Constitutional Convention. This compromise dictated that three fifths of the slave population would be counted when determining how many representatives each state got in the House of Representatives.

What is Ratification?

• The first U.S. Constitution; created a weak central government and strong state governments; Congress had no power to enforce laws.

• A grant from the federal government that a state or local government can use for a wide variety of purposes.

• A part of the executive branch of government; A system of unelected government officials who enforce regulations.

• The process by which a constitutional amendment or other governing document is put into effect. In order for a constitutional amendment to be ratified, it must be approved by three fourths of the states.

What are Concurrent Powers?

• those powers specifically listed in the Constitution for federal government

• those powers not specifically listed in the Constitution for federal government, in accordance with the Necessary and Proper Clause

• process in which an accusation is made against a public official, commonly the president, in order to get them removed from office

• powers that the Constitution assigns to both the national and state governments.

What is the Importation of Slaves Compromise?

• Compromise that agreed Congress could not prohibit the importation of slaves for 20 years until 1808, but imported slaves could be taxed upon

• Compromise composed at the Constitutional Convention that was derived from the Virginia Compromise and the New Jersey Compromise, decided that states would have equal representation in one house of the legislature (Senate), with 2 representatives, and representation based on population in the other house (House of Representatives)

• An agreement made between the northern and southern states at the Constitutional Convention. This compromise dictated that three fifths of the slave population would be counted when determining how many representatives each state got in the House of Representatives.

• The first U.S. Constitution; created a weak central government and strong state governments; Congress had no power to enforce laws.

What is the Articles of Confederation?

• The first U.S. Constitution; created a weak central government and strong state governments; Congress had no power to enforce laws.

• an early political party that stood against the strong national government presented in the U.S. Constitution

• Those in favor of ratification of the Constitution, also believed that the Constitution was open for interpretation and that they should have a strong central government

• Orders from the federal government that all state governments are required to comply with. To meet the federal mandates, states may or may not receive funding from the central government.