Heimler's History: AP Government Unit 1 Review

Introduction

• Video Covers:
  • Foundations of American democracy
  • Constitution origin
  • Federalism
• Mention of the AP Government review packet which includes practice questions, essential questions, answers, and full-length practice exams

Foundations of American Democracy

Enlightenment Influence

• Natural Rights: Rights are inherent and not given by monarchs
• State of Nature: Human freedom before government
• Popular Sovereignty: Power to govern belongs to the people
• Social Contract: People give some power to the government to protect their rights
• Republicanism: Elective representation, separation of powers
• Limited Government: Prevent tyranny through checks and balances, distribution of power

Foundational Documents

• Declaration of Independence:
  • Natural rights: Life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness
  • Social contract and popular sovereignty
• United States Constitution:
  • Blueprint for republicanism
  • Separation of powers

Types of Democracy

• Participatory Democracy: Broad participation (e.g., town halls, state initiatives)
• Pluralist Democracy: Influence through interest groups (e.g., NAACP, NRA)
• Elite Democracy: Educated individuals govern, seen in the electoral college

Foundational Documents' Tension

• Constitution: Elite democracy, pluralist democracy, participatory democracy
• Federalist 10: Pluralist democracy, managing factions
• Brutus 1: Participatory democracy, dangers of large centralized government

Articles of Confederation

• Weak federal government, strong state governments
• Problems: No power to tax, raise an army, or enforce laws
• Shay's Rebellion: Highlighted weaknesses

Constitutional Convention

• Aim: Modify Articles of Confederation, resulted in new Constitution
• Key Compromises:
  • Great Compromise: Bicameral Congress
  • Electoral College
  • Three-Fifths Compromise
  • Importation of Slaves

Amending the Constitution

• Two-stage process: Proposal (by Congress or states) and ratification (by states)
• Article 5 outlines this process

Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances

• Legislative Branch: Proposes/makes laws, Senate's power of advice and consent
• Executive Branch: Executes/enforces laws, presidential veto
• Judicial Branch: Determines constitutionality of laws, judicial review

Federalism

Definition and Types of Powers

• Federalism: Sharing power between national and state governments
• Exclusive Powers: Federal-only (e.g., treaties)
• Reserved Powers: State-only (e.g., police, education)
• Concurrent Powers: Shared (e.g., taxation)

Fiscal Federalism

• Sharing power through funding
• Categorical Grants: Federal money with specific purposes
• Block Grants: Federal money with broad purposes
• Mandates: Requirements for states, federal funding often provided
• Unfunded Mandates: Federal requirements without funding

Arguments Over Power Balance

• Example: Government surveillance (USA PATRIOT Act)
• Example: Education (No Child Left Behind Act)

Constitutional Provisions and Supreme Court Cases

Key Constitutional Provisions

• 10th Amendment: Reserved powers to the states
• 14th Amendment: Applies Bill of Rights to states
• Commerce Clause: Congress regulates interstate commerce
• Necessary and Proper Clause: Congress can make laws necessary to execute its powers

Key Supreme Court Cases

• McCulloch v. Maryland (1819): Federal power strength
• United States v. Lopez (1995): State power strength

Federalism in Action

Environmental Regulation

• Paris Agreement (2015): National standards for carbon emissions, states like California uphold standards

Legalization of Marijuana

• States legalizing despite federal prohibition (e.g., California, Colorado)
• Demonstrates federalism's flexibility and states as