AP USG&P Unit 1: The Required Documents

Match the following

• Letter from a Birmingham Jail

• argument for nonviolent civil disobedience and a defense of the Civil Rights Movement, emphasizing the moral imperative to challenge injustice and the importance of direct action. 

• The Articles of Confederation

• key principles like separation of powers and checks and balances, and its role as the supreme law, along with the process of amendment and the powers of each branch of government. 

• The Constitution

• emphasizes the idea that individuals possess inherent, unalienable rights (life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness) that governments cannot take away. 

• The Declaration of Indpendence

• the first governing document of the United States, adopted in 1777 and ratified in 1781, establishing a "league of friendship" among the states. 

Match the following

• Federalist 78

• argues for a strong, unitary executive (a single president) to ensure a decisive and effective government, emphasizing that a weak executive leads to a weak government. 

• Federalist 51

• defends judicial review and argues for an independent judiciary, emphasizing its role as the "least dangerous" branch, responsible for interpreting laws and ensuring they align with the Constitution. 

• Federalist 70

• argues against a strong central government, emphasizing the dangers of a large republic and the potential for tyranny, while advocating for a decentralized system with more power in the hands of state and local governments. 

• Brutus 1

• argues for a large republic to control factions and protect minority rights, emphasizing that a diverse republic with a representative government is better than a pure democracy. 

  
  

• Federalist 10

• addresses the separation of powers, the federal structure of government and the maintenance of checks and balances by "opposite and rival interests" within the national government.

Match the following

• Separation of Powers

• divides governmental power among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful. 

• Limited Government

• establishes that the government's power ultimately comes from the people. 

• Checks and Balances

• Each branch of government has the power to limit the actions of the other branches, ensuring a balance of power. 

• Federalism

• limits the power of the government to protect individual rights and liberties. 

• Popular Sovereignty

• where power is divided between the federal and state governments. 

Match the following

• Legislative Branch

• • Enforces laws, commands the military, and negotiates treaties. 

• Judicial Review

• Interprets laws and determines their constitutionality

• Executive Branch

• The Supreme Court has the power to interpret the Constitution and determine whether laws are constitutional, a power established in Marbury v. Madison. 

• Judicial Branch

• • House of Representatives: Makes laws, originates revenue bills, and has the power to impeach the president. 

  • Senate: Makes laws, ratifies treaties, and confirms presidential appointments. 

Match the following Articles of the Constitution

• Article I

• Establishes the legislative branch (Congress) with its powers and structure. 

• Article VI

• Establishes the Constitution as the supreme law of the land - Supremacy Clause.

• Article III

• Establishes the executive branch (President) with its powers and structure. 

• Article V

• Establishes the judicial branch (Supreme Court and lower federal courts) with its powers and structure

• Article II

• Outlines the process for amending the Constitution. 

Match the following

• Preamble (Constitution)

• can be done by a two-thirds vote of both houses of Congress or by a national convention called by Congress at the request of two-thirds of the states.

• Ratifying an Amendment

• can be done by three-fourths of the state legislatures or by state conventions in three-fourths of the states.

• Amendments

• The introductory statement outlining the document's goals, such as forming a more perfect union, establishing justice, and promoting the general welfare. 

• Proposing an Amendment

• The first ten are known as the (Bill of Rights) guarantee fundamental rights and liberties, while subsequent versions address issues like slavery, suffrage, and the election process.