Questions and Answers
What is the Constitution?
What are Natural Rights?
Rights of all human beings ordained by God and essential to human progress.
What does the Declaration of Independence signify?
A document declaring the colonists' intention to throw off British rule.
What were the Articles of Confederation?
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What was the Constitutional Convention of 1787?
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What does the Pennsylvania Constitution represent?
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What was Shay's Rebellion?
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Who was John Locke?
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What are the Federalist Papers?
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What does the Virginia Plan propose?
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What was the New Jersey Plan?
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What is the Great Compromise?
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Define the separation of powers.
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What is federalism?
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Who is James Madison?
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Who is Charles A. Beard?
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What was the purpose of the Constitutional Convention in 1878?
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Explain checks and balances.
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What is a republic?
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Define coalition.
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What are unalienable rights?
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What is an amendment?
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What is a faction?
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What is judicial review?
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What is the Bill of Rights?
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What are the Federalist Papers 2?
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Who are the Federalists?
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What is a line-item veto?
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Who are the Antifederalists?
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What is a bill of attainder?
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What is an ex post facto law?
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What is Madison's view of government?
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What is a confederation?
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What is a writ of habeas corpus?
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Study Notes
Key Terms in AP Government
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Constitution: Fundamental law of a state, consisting of written or unwritten principles that establish governance.
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Natural Rights: Inherent rights believed to be granted by God, essential for human progress and discoverable in nature and history.
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Declaration of Independence: Document from 1776 asserting the colonies' decision to separate from British rule.
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Articles of Confederation: The original charter for the United States government, in effect from 1776 to 1787 before the Constitution was adopted.
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Constitutional Convention 1787: Assembly of delegates in Philadelphia tasked with revising the Articles of Confederation.
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Pennsylvania Constitution: A highly democratic constitution noted for consolidating power and leading to potential tyranny.
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Massachusetts Constitution: Established clear separation of powers but created a government deemed too weak for effective governance.
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Shay's Rebellion: Armed uprising by Revolutionary War veterans in 1786 aimed at stopping property loss through court actions in Massachusetts.
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John Locke: Influential British philosopher advocating for civil government ideas that shaped Founding Father beliefs.
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Federalist Papers: Series of essays explaining Founders' ideas and advocating for the ratification of the Constitution, primarily published in New York newspapers.
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Virginia Plan: Proposed a government structure that favored larger states by allocating legislative representation based on population.
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New Jersey Plan: Suggested equal representation in Congress, offering each state one vote, irrespective of size.
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Great Compromise: Agreement for a bicameral legislature, blending population-based representation in one house with equal representation in the other.
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Separation of Powers: Constitutional principle dividing government roles among legislative, executive, and judicial branches.
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Federalism: Division of power between national and state governments, ensuring both levels have authority over certain areas.
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James Madison: Key architect of the Constitution who cautioned against a government that is overly powerful despite its need to promote civic virtue.
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Charles A. Beard: Historian claiming the Founders' economic interests heavily influenced the Constitution's creation.
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Constitutional Convention 1787 Revision: A later assembly that sought to tweak the Articles of Confederation that had initially united the states.
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Checks and Balances: Mechanism ensuring that no branch of government can dominate the others, each can block the actions of the others.
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Republic: A system of government based on popular elections to choose representatives and leaders.
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Coalition: Temporary alliances formed by different groups or parties to achieve specific political objectives.
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Unalienable Rights: Rights considered inherent to all individuals, not granted by governments but rooted in nature and providence.
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Amendment: Process by which changes or additions can be made to the Constitution.
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Faction: A group with a common interest seeking to influence policy for mutual benefit.
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Judicial Review: The power of courts to invalidate legislative and executive actions as unconstitutional.
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Bill of Rights: The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, guaranteeing individual freedoms.
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Federalists: Supporters of a strong central government who promoted the Constitution's ratification and constituted a political party.
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Line-item Veto: Executive authority allowing the rejection of specific parts of appropriations bills while accepting others.
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Antifederalists: Critics of the Constitution who favored stronger state governments over a powerful national government.
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Bill of Attainder: An unconstitutional law that would declare an individual guilty without a trial.
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Ex Post Facto Law: Legislation making an act illegal after it has already been committed.
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Madison’s View: Belief that accommodating self-interest is a practical approach to governance, as opposed to fostering civic virtue.
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Confederation: A union of sovereign states that delegate limited powers to a central authority.
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Writ of Habeas Corpus: Legal order requiring officials to bring a detained individual before a court, justifying their detention.
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Description
Test your understanding of key concepts in AP Government with these flashcards for Chapter 2. This chapter covers essential terms like the Constitution, Natural Rights, and the Declaration of Independence. Enhance your grasp of foundational principles that shape governance and human rights.