AP US Government and Politics 2025 Unit 1 Syllabus PDF

AP US Government and Politics 2025 Unit 1: Foundations of American Democracy - Syllabus Topic/Chapter Objective Notes 1.1 Ideals of Democracy Explain how democratic...

AP US Government and Politics 2025 Unit 1: Foundations of American Democracy - Syllabus Topic/Chapter Objective Notes 1.1 Ideals of Democracy Explain how democratic ideals are reflected Democratic ideals are reflected in both the DOI and the USC through natural in the Declaration of Independence and the rights (John Locke), the social contract (Rousseau), and the separation of Chapter 1 and 2 U.S. Constitution powers (Montesquieu). 1.2 Types of Democracy Explain how models of representative Representative Democracy (indirect democracy): citizens elect representatives democracy are visible in major institutions, who decide policies on behalf of constituents Chapter 1 and 2 policies, events, or debates in the U.S. - congress is composed of elected officials representing each state - US Constitution states that power is vested in elected officials 1.3 Government Power Explain Federalist and AntiFederalist views Federalist: they supported the constitution and had a strict interpretation, they and Individual Rights on central government and democracy were in favor for a strong centralized government and weaker state government, and they wanted an indirect government Chapter 2 Anti-Federalist: they were opposed to the constitution because it gave national government more power, loose interpretation of the constitution, opposed central government, wanted state government/direct government 1.4 Challenges of the Explain the relationship between key Key provisions of the Articles of Confederation were weakening of the central Articles of provisions of the Articles of Confederation, government and giving more powers to the states. This weakness caused debate Confederation and the debate over granting the federal over granting larger powers to the federal government. This debate resulted in government greater power formerly the outcome of the US Constitution, creating a strong central government as Chapter 2 reserved to the states. well as giving states sovereignty. 1.5 Ratification of the Explain the impact of political negotiation The Constitutional Convention was held to address issues stemming from the US Constitution and compromise at the Constitutional Articles of Confederation. Convention on the development of the Issue: larger states wanted representation based on population and smaller states Chapter 2 constitutional system. wanted equal representation. Compromise: The Great Compromise (Connecticut Compromise) created a bicameral legislature with the Senate and the House of Representatives. Issue: How should slaves be counted in terms of taxation? Southern states  AP US Government and Politics 2025 Unit 1: Foundations of American Democracy - Syllabus wanted them to be counted to increase their representation, but northern states did not want to count slaves as they could not vote. Three-Fifths Compromise counted each slave as three-fifths of a free man for the purpose of representation and taxes. Issue: Some feared the constitution would infringe on individual rights and limited government power, especially for states. Compromise: Bill of Rights (primarily in response to Anti-Federalists) States were given the authority to determine the right to vote, women and many men, POC, all excluded. 1.6 Principles of Explain the constitutional principles of Separation of powers separates the judicial, legislative, and executive branch to American Government separation of powers and checks and prevent one from gaining more power. Checks and balances prevent any branch balances from becoming too powerful through allowing each branch to limit powers of Chapter 2 and 3 each other. Explain the effects of separation of powers and checks and balances for the U.S. political system. 1.7 Relationship Explain how the constitutional allocation of The US has a federal system where powers are shared between federal between the States and power between the national and state government and state/local government and they each have sovereignty over National Government governments affects society. different policy matters and geographical areas. The constitution allocated slightly more power to the federal government but that can be overruled by the Chapter 3 state government if the SCOTUS declares it necessary. 1.8 Constitutional Explain how the balance of power between Early on in US history, the states held more power over the federal government interpretations of national and state governments has changed until a centralized government was at a higher demand. The SCOTUS has Federalism over time based on interpretations of the increasingly interpreted the constitution through the Commerce Clause (giving Supreme Court of the United States Congress power to regulate interstate commerce and limiting the states power) Chapter 3 and Necessary and Proper Clause (allows congress to make laws or act where the constitution doesn't give authority to act). 1.9 Federalism in Action Explain how the distribution of powers The federal government makes decisions for the country such as defense and between national and state governments interstate commerce whereas states address local concerns such as education Chapter 3 impacts policymaking. and law enforcement. Typically this leads to compromises and negotiation. What are the origins of Federalism?  AP US Government and Politics 2025 Unit 1: Foundations of American Democracy - Syllabus Federalism stems from some parts of the Articles of Confederation but it mostly comes from the US Constitution where it establishes federal and state governments. How was the Constitution written, and what were the major compromises that allowed it to be ratified? ​ The Constitution was written because people were complaining that the Articles of Confederation were too weak. Connecticut Compromise led to a bicameral legislature. Compare and contrast the goals of the Federalists and Anti-Federalists. ​ Federalists wanted a constitution to strengthen national government and Anti-Federalists opposed a constitution and wanted to limit national government power. What is the social contract, and what is its role in the development of the American political system? ​ The social contract is the idea that people agree to give away some of their rights in exchange for protection from society. The social contract has influenced the US Constitution because the government's legitimacy depends on the governed. This shows a balance between individual rights and government power. Name two social contract theorists and explain how their philosophies inform the political system of the US today. ​ Thomas Hobbes: believed that the state of nature is brutal and humans are naturally born to be selfish, people must give up freedoms and agree to live under an absolute sovereign to avoid chaos. He influenced the constitution's strong central government. ​ John Locke: coined the phrase life, liberty, and property, the government should protect these rights and if it failed to do so, the people had a right to revolt and replace it. His ideas influenced the Declaration of Independence where the government derives their power from the people and their unalienable rights, in addition, the right to rebel is also included. What is political ideology, and how does it affect politics in the US? ​ Political ideology is the beliefs and policies the government wants to/should pursue. It affects public opinions and views. Provide examples of specific political ideologies and describe them. ​ Liberalism: supports the government playing a more active role in people's lives. ​ Conservatism: limited government intervention, traditional values, and a strong national defense. ​