Government and Democracy Overview

Government: The ruling authority for a community or society. It has the power to make and enforce laws for its members. Key functions include maintaining order (laws), providing security (military), and public services (keeping public healthy and safe).
Types of Democracy:
- Participatory Democracy: People directly vote for things. Examples include ballot initiatives and referendums.
- Pluralist Democracy: People have a say in government through groups like labor unions and interest groups.
- Elite Democracy: Power is held by wealthy individuals. Examples include the electoral college, where wealthy and influential people are often involved in selecting the president.

Magna Carta: All citizens, regardless of class, must follow the same laws; the principle of "innocent until proven guilty" applies.
Common Law: A legal system based on customs and past court decisions (precedents). Precedents act as guidelines for future court cases.

Social Contract: The concept that people give up some rights to a sovereign power in exchange for societal benefits.
John Locke: Believed in natural law and that people are born free and equal.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Focused on the social contract as a means through which individuals create a society that functions together.
Baron de Montesquieu: Advocated for a republican form of government with a defined and limited power structure. Separation of powers was also an idea he promoted.

Iroquois Confederacy: An early example of democratic governance in the Americas, where tribal leaders were selected to a singular council.
Roman Republic: Impacted the US government by creating a system with two legislative chambers, among other influences.
Constitutional Convention: Discussions and debates between states with large and small populations led to compromises on representation and government structure.
Virginia Plan: Favoring states with larger populations in the legislative branch.
New Jersey Plan: Favoring equal representation among states in the legislative branch.
Compromises: The Great Compromise created a bicameral legislature where one house has equal representation (Senate) and another house is based on population (House of Representatives).

Three-Fifths Compromise: A critical compromise to resolve the issue of slaves' representation in the US House of Representatives, 3/5 of enslaved people were counted for census purposes.
Trade/Commerce Compromise: The government could regulate trade but was prohibited from imposing taxes on exports. A 20-year delay on the legislation related to the slave trade was also part of the compromise.
Presidential Compromise: The Electoral College was established, a process where electors chosen by the state vote to determine the president.
Federalists: Favored a strong national government. Led by Alexander Hamilton.
Anti-Federalists: Wanted a weaker national government and stronger state governments – led by Thomas Jefferson.
Checks and Balances: Mechanisms within the government where each branch can limit the power of others, the House and Senate check each other to control the process of law-making and the executive branch.

Federalism: The concept of shared governance between the national and state governments, where the constitution is the supreme law.
Supremacy Clause/ Necessary & Proper Clause: Provides the federal government with ultimate authority over state laws and the implied powers to enact laws needed to carry them out.
Judicial review: The power of the judiciary to declare laws unconstitutional.
Executive Checks: The President has the power to veto legislation.
Executive Checks (continued): The President appoints judges (but Senate confirms)
Executive checks (continued): Executive branch makes treaties with other countries (with Senate confirmation)

Tenth Amendment: The powers not specifically given to the federal government are delegated to the states or the people.
Commerce Clause: Gives Congress the power to regulate interstate and foreign trade.
McCulloch vs. Maryland: The Supreme Court decided that the federal government had the right to establish a national bank and that states couldn't tax federal institutions.
US vs Lopez: the Supreme Court case that established limits on the federal government's power to regulate interstate commerce.

National Implied Powers: Powers not specifically listed in the Constitution, but implied through other enumerated powers.
State Reserved Powers: Powers reserved to the states by the Tenth Amendment.
Concurrent Powers: Powers shared by the federal and state governments.
Federalism (Continued): Forms of federalism explain how the relationship between the federal and state governments works.
Dual Federalism: (layer cake) federal and state governments clearly have distinct roles.
Cooperative Federalism: (marble Cake) federal and state governments work together on some issues.
Fiscal Federalism: Power is shared through the funding states receive from the federal government.

Unfunded Mandates Federal laws that impose requirements on state and local governments without providing adequate funding. Examples include the Clean Air Act, and Americans with Disabilities Act.
Types of Grants:
- Categorical Grants: Money provided to states for a specific purpose.
- Block Grants: Money provided to states for general use.