AP US Government Study Guide

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Unit 1
The Enlightenment Period
● The Enlightenment period yielded many ideas that influenced the making of the
American government.
● Some of the famous philosophers of the Enlightenment periods:
○ John Locke, John-Jacques Rousseau, and Thomas Hobbes.
● Some of the most important ideas yielded from this period:
○ Social Contract - A contract between the government and the governed. With this
contract, the governed understands that they must give up some of their natural
rights in exchange for protection from the government, alongside other benefits.
○ Natural Rights - The rights given to every person. These rights can not be taken
away by the government. If these rights are violated, then the people have the
right to revolt.
○ Popular Sovereignty - The idea that the people should have the main voice in the
government, and the government should be held accountable to the people. The
power is in the people.
○ Republicanism - A representative form of government that is limited.

Models of Democracy
As you know, America is a democracy. However, there are different models of representative
democracy that exist, and an aspect of each form of democracy is evident in our government.
These different models of democracy include:
● Participatory Democracy - Citizens have the power to decide on a policy, but the
politicians that are elected by the people implement the people’s decisions.
● Pluralist Democracy - Nobody dominates policymaking, but instead, different groups of
people compete for influence in the government.
● Elite Democracy - A small group of people makes decisions for everybody; these people
are usually wealthy and well-educated.
Articles of Confederation
When the United States was first formed, we used the Articles of Confederation.
● Under the Articles of Confederation, the states were not very united and the national
government was very weak. The Framers made it like this because they were coming
from a very abusive and powerful monarchy under King George III’s rule in Britain,
causing the American people to want safeguards to make sure the government wouldn’t
abuse their powers.
● Weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation were highlighted in Shay’s Rebellion - a
violent revolt of farmers led by Daniel Shay. Due to the government’s weakness and lack
of control, they didn’t have enough power to successfully control this revolt. Weaknesses
of the Articles of Confederation include:
○ Each state was very independent, even having its own currency, so there were
often conflicts between states.
○ Congress could not levy taxes, which left the national government underfunded.
○ Congress could not regulate commerce.
○ One vote was given to each state in Congress.
○ There was no executive branch to enforce the decisions made.
○ Amendments to the Articles required 13/13 votes, and laws required 9/13 votes to
pass.
○ States could tax other states’ goods.
○ Almost every state had its own militia.
● However, the transition from the Articles of Confederation to the Constitution did not go
unopposed. The Federalists supported the ratification of the Constitution, whereas the
Anti-Federalists opposed it, as they believed it gave the national government too much
power.
○ Through this debate, many ideas about what the American government should
look like came about. We can see these ideas in the Federalist and Anti-Federalist
papers.
● We now operate on a Madisonian representative democracy, which includes the
following principles:
 ○ Federalism - Having shared powers between the national, state, and local
governments.
○ Checks and balances - Having systems incorporated into the government that
prevent it from abusing its power and becoming too powerful.
■ Ex: The presidential veto checks the power of the legislative branch by
requiring approval from the President before a law is passed.
○ Separation of Powers - Having authority and jurisdiction divided up in the
government.
○ Popular Sovereignty - The power is in the people.
○ Limited government - The government cannot do anything it wants because it is
restricted by a written document (in America’s case, it’s the Constitution!)

Compromises made in the ratification of the Constitution

● The Great (Connecticut) Compromise - This merged Virginia and New Jersey plan,
creating a bicameral legislature. In one house, the number of representatives each state
gets is based on their population. In the other house, the number of representatives for
each state is the same.
● The Electoral College - Body that determines how the President and Vice President gets
elected. Electors from each state vote for the President and Vice President and the
number of electors each state gets is determined by the number of representatives they
have in Congress.
● Three-Fifths Compromise - Each slave was counted as 3/5ths of a person when it came to
determining representation in Congress.
● Compromise on the importation of slaves - No new slaves can be imported into America
after 1808.

Constitutional Basis of Federalism

● Enumerated powers - The powers explicitly given to Congress in the Constitution.
● Implied Powers - Powers not expressed in the Constitution but are understood as powers
given to the federal government.
● Inherent powers - Powers of the President
 ● Reserved powers - Powers reserved for the states. (10th amendment)
● Privileges and Immunities Clause - States can’t discriminate against people based on
what state they are from. (Ex: tax rate can’t be different for non-citizens of states)
● Full Faith and Credit Clause - States must trust documents that come from other states.
(Ex: Drivers license, Marriage)
● Extradition - If you commit a crime and flee to a different state, the state you fled to must
bring you back to the state you committed the crime in.
● Any powers not given to the federal government are reserved to the state governments, as
is stated in the 10th amendment. The 14th amendment also gives powers to the federal
government because it says that states may not make a law that abridges the citizens’
rights. This gives the federal government the power to decide which state laws abridge
the rights of the citizens.

Federalism in Action
● Fiscal Federalism
○ Grants-in-aid - Money given to the states by the federal government that doesn’t
have to be paid back.
○ Categorical grants - Grants that are given to the states for a specific reason.
○ Block Grants - Grants given to the states for a broad use
○ Mandates - When the federal government requires governments to do something.
● Dual Federalism - The federal and state government are independent of each other and
have separate duties (1789-1932)
● Cooperative Federalism - The levels of government work together to get different goals
done (1933- 1962)
● New Federalism (includes fiscal federalism) - Instead of having centralized federalism
where the power is mostly in the federal government, devolution is occurring, and there
has been a movement to return some of the power back to the states (1963- Present)

Key Federalism Clauses

● Commerce clause - The government can regulate interstate commerce.
 ● Necessary and Proper Clause - The government can stretch its enumerated powers in
order to perform its job.

Key Federalism Cases

● McCulloch v. Maryland - Maryland tried to tax the Second Bank of the United States in
an attempt to close it. The owner of the bank refused to pay the tax and Maryland sued.
Maryland argued that they could tax any business in the state and that the federal
government was expanding their powers too far, since they shouldn't be able to open a
national bank. McCulloch, the cashier of the Baltimore branch of the bank, argued that
under the necessary and proper clause, the government could create a bank. Plus,
according to the supremacy clause, taxing is state interference with a federal law, which
is illegal. The Supreme Court voted unanimously in favor of McCulloch.
● United States v. Lopez - Congress passed the Gun-Free School Zones Act, which
prohibited people from carrying a gun in a school zone. Lopez was found with a gun in a
school zone, and the case reached the Supreme Court. Lopez argued that Congress never
had the authority to pass the law in the first place, and the US argued that through the
elastic (necessary and proper) and commerce clauses, Congress had the power to pass
that law. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Lopez, stating that guns were not related to
commerce, and therefore Congress didn’t have the power to pass that law.
Key Federalism Legislation
● Unfunded Mandates Reform Act - Legislation that aimed to minimize the effect of
unfunded mandates (mandatory things that states have to do without receiving money
from the federal government) on state and local governments.
● Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program - provides money for low-income families
for food (food stamps).
● Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) - A temporary social welfare program
that provides money for basic needs for income families but requires beneficiaries to be
in a program that prepares them for work.
● National Voter Registration Act (Motor Voter Act) - Allowed people to register to vote
when they got their driver's license. Also required states to develop a mail voter
registration option. Its goal was to make it easier for people to vote.
● Clean Air Act - Established the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the agency
which would develop standards for releasing hazardous emissions into the air. It also
required that states had to meet the standards pushed by the EPA while giving citizens the
right to sue against anybody that violates the standards set by the EPA.
● Americans with Disabilities Act - An act passed to stop discrimination against people
with disabilities. Also mandated that educational institutions and employers make
accommodations for people with disabilities.
● Brady Bill - A bill to reduce gun violence by requiring federal background checks when
buying firearms.
● No Child Left Behind Act - Provided money to low-income students so that they were
able to attain extra assistance.
Unit 2
Article One of the Constitution - The Legislative Branch
● Congress (or the Legislative Branch) is a bicameral legislature (composed of the Senate
and the House of Representatives), a system created by the Great Compromise - a
compromise between the small and large states.
● Many powers that weren’t given to the federal government under the Articles of
Confederation were given to Congress in the Constitution.
● Each chamber of Congress has different powers and abilities that the other chamber may
not have. Enumerated powers are powers of Congress. They are listed in Article 1 of the
Constitution.

Structure of Congress
Senate House of Representatives
● With the 17th amendment, Senators are ● The House of Representatives is the
now elected to the Senate, holding their lower chamber of Congress and is
offices for 6 years, which means that 1/3 known to be closer to the people.
of the Senate is up for reelection at a time. ● State representation in the House is
● Each state has 2 senators. determined by the census that’s
● The Senate is the upper house and is meant conducted every 10 years.
to be more elite. They have the following ○ It is determined by the
powers that the lower house doesn’t: number of people in each
○ Confirming Presidential district.
appointments ● The Representatives are up for
○ Ratifying treaties made by the reelection every 2 years. They have
President. the following powers that the Senate
○ Holding impeachment trials doesn’t have:
○ Impeaching a public officer
○ Introducing tax and revenue
bills.
Introducing bills and creating laws
● A bill can be introduced into either chamber of Congress.
○ *Note that Appropriation bills are only able to be introduced in the House.
● Once a bill is introduced, it goes to a committee, and that committee votes on whether it
will get to be voted on by the whole chamber or not.
○ If the bill dies in the committee, a motion to discharge the committee can be filed
to pull that bill out of the committee. If a bill makes it out of the committee, there
are different procedures, depending on the chamber of Congress.
Senate House of Representatives
● After a Bill comes out of a committee, it ● The debate in the House is more
goes straight to the Senate floor, where formal because there are more
debates are held. To end the debate, all people.
Senators have to vote on the bill (unanimous ● Once a bill is out of the committee,
consent). it goes to the Rules Committee
● If a Senator doesn’t want a bill to go to vote, ● The Rules Committee decides if a
they may filibuster. To end a filibuster, bill will be voted on as a committee
cloture must be done. of the whole or as the House of
Representatives.

Important vocab in the process of law-making

● Filibuster - Where a member holds the Senate floor to prevent a bill from going to vote.
● Cloture - Used to end a filibuster. You need 3/5ths of the Senate’s votes to have
successful cloture (60 votes).
● Rules Committee - decides how a proposed bill will be voted on and debated (i.e. Will
amendments are added? Is the bill even going to be debated? etc.)
● Committee of the Whole - simplifies the rules of debate and opens the conversation
● Discharge Petition - Filed to get a bill out of the committee and take it straight to the floor
Types of Committees
● Standing - Committees that are always in operation (ex: Ways and Means Committee)
● Conference - A committee formed with members from both the Senate and the House to
iron out differences in similar legislation.
● Select - Created for a specific purpose and will eventually end.
● Joint - A committee with people from both the Senate and the House, that is created for a
specific reason.

Congressional Spending
● Discretionary spending - Programs in which Congress and the President have to renew
spending for it every year.
● Mandatory spending - programs in which the government has already made a
commitment to pay.

Congressional Actions
● Pork barrel legislation - When Congressmen negotiate for legislation that helps their
specific district but not the whole country.
● Logrolling - When Congressmen agree to support each other's bills.
● Ideological Divisions within Congress - People often vote along party lines, making it
harder for legislation to be passed due to partisan differences (deadlock).
○ Congress has become increasingly more partisan, which has caused less
legislation to be passed successfully in Congress.
● Gerrymandering - Redistricting strategically to ensure one party gets more representation
in that district, a process that can lead to a majority to have representation in Congress.
● Redistricting - The redrawing of district lines for representation.
● Reapportionment - The delegation of representatives to different districts based on
population. This determines which states get more representation.
● Elections that have tend to lead to a “divided government” - When the Congress is
controlled by a different party than the White House. This can lead to a gridlock, which is
when no legislation is passed because the two parties can not come to an agreement.
 ● Congressional refusal to confirm appointments of “lame duck” presidents of the opposite
party - When the next President has been chosen and the current president’s term is
almost up, they usually try to appoint people to governmental positions so their political
ideologies continue, even though they are technically out of office.
○ If Congress has a majority of the opposite party, then they may not want to
confirm anyone, which will cause vacant spots in the government.
● Congressional Models for voting
○ Trustee model - When representative votes based on what they think is right, even
if it is different from what their constituents want.
○ Delegate model - When representative votes based on what his constituents want,
even when other representatives don't agree with what the constituents want.
Important Court Decisions
● Baker v. Carr: Tennessee residents were upset that the government had not redistricted in
quite some time so the districts didn’t reflect the current population, causing residents in
rural areas’ votes to count more than people in urban areas. The Supreme Court ruled that
they could make decisions on the fairness of districts under the equal protection clause of
the 14th amendment to make sure everyone’s vote had the same weight.
● Shaw v. Reno: North Carolina residents were mad about a majority-minority district and
the case reached the Supreme Court where the government ruled that race can’t be the
predominant factor in redistricting because that violates the 14th amendment.
Article Two of the Constitution - The Executive Branch
● Informal Powers of the President
○ Chief Political / Party Leader - Presidents can endorse people in their party, acting as
a spokesperson for their party.
○ Head of State - The President represents the nation by receiving ambassadors and
performing many ceremonial roles.
○ Chief Legislator - The President proposes legislation that he wants to see passed. He
can also veto bills.
○ Chief Economic Planner -The President proposes the budget and has to approve it.
○ Bully Pulpit -
■ The internet allows the President to utilize the bully pulpit more efficiently to
communicate with the American people quicker and more directly. It is also
easier to mobilize and grassroots campaigns. However, it is harder for the
President to control the news.
■ The President can use the bully pulpit to get support for their agenda which
will make it easier for the President to get legislation passed that they support
through.
○ The government gives tasks to different departments. They use civil servants in
more than 200 independent agencies to carry out laws, do administrative work,
and issue regulations on the public.
● Formal Powers of the President - Powers are explicitly given to the President in the
Constitution
○ Chief Executive - The President makes sure that the laws that are passed are obeyed.
He can issue executive orders and employ many people to carry out laws.
○ Chief Diplomat - The President must negotiate with foreign nations. He also has the
power to make and enforce treaties.
○ Commander in Chief - The President can make war. He can also use nuclear
weapons.
 Structures of the Executive Branch
● Cabinet - A group of advisors that aid the President on numerous topics that he may not
be as knowledgeable in.
○ The cabinet includes the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense,
Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland, Housing and Urban
Development, and the Vice President.
● Ambassadors - Diplomats that travel to other countries as the United States’
representatives and negotiate for the President.
● White House Staff - Assistants to the President that counsel him on many things;
led by the Chief of Staff.

Federalist No. 70
● Hamilton advocates for a unitary executive so that one energetic person has the power to
make quick decisions, as well as be held accountable to the people. This can not happen
with multiple people in the executive branch because there will always be differences in
opinion and blame will be passed around.
● Hamilton also supported the idea of paying the President as a way of keeping him
motivated, and the President needs just enough power to not prevent tyranny.

22nd Amendment-
Limited the ability of
Congress to increase
their pay.

The internet allows the President to utilize the bully pulpit more
efficiently while also communicating with the American people
quicker and more directly. It is also easier to mobilize and
grassroots campaigns. However, it is harder for the President to
control the news.
The President can use the bully pulpit to get support for their
agenda which will make it easier for the President to get
legislation passed that they support through.
The government gives tasks to different departments. They use
civil servants in more than 200 independent agencies to carry out
laws, do administrative work, and issue regulations on the public.

Bureaucracy Interactions with the President and

Congress
- Writing and enforcing regulation - They issue regulations
to enforce the law and executive orders that were issued by
the President and Congress.
- Issuing fines - They issue fines to punish the public for not
obeying the law that the bureaucracy enforces.
- Testifying before Congress - They may testify before
Congress to give insight on a specific topic that they are
experts on because they work directly in that subject
- Iron triangles- The relationship between Congress, the
federal bureaucracy, and interest groups during policy
creation. Congress gives funding to the bureaucracy, the
bureaucracy implements the policy that Congress passes,
and interest groups lobby Congress for policies that they
want to see passed.
Civil Service- Hiring
government workers based
on competition, tests, and
merit
Merit- People getting jobs
based on their achievements
and ability rather than
partisan loyalty.
Pendleton Act- Attempted to
stop patronage. It made it
illegal to hire or fire
someone for political
reasons.

Congress gives the federal

bureaucracy administrative
discretion in implementing
its laws. This means they
 have the power to
determine how they are
going to implement the law.
With this, they are able to
come up with regulations
and punishments for not
obeying the law without
approval.
Discretionary and rule- Independent Executive Independent Government
making authority to Agency Regulatory Corporation
implement policy are An agency established by Commission Government
given to bureaucratic Congress with separate Established to owned
agencies such as: status outside of the regulate a specific businesses to
- Department of executive branch. They are economic activity. provide a service
Homeland usually established to serve They work that can’t be
Security a specific purpose. independently of the trusted to the
Department of executive branch and private sector.
Transportation Congress
- Department of Example:
Veterans Affairs Social Security
Department of Administration, CIA, Example:
Education NASA, EPA Federal Reserve Example:
- Environmental Board, Federal US postal
Protection Communications, Service, Amtrak
Agency Commission
- Federal Elections
Commission
(FEC)
- Securities and
Exchange
Commission
(SEC)
Congressional Oversight
Oversight and methods used by Congress to
ensure that legislation is implemented as
intended are represented by:
Committee hearings- They use committee
hearings to make sure everything is
running well in a specific department and
there is nothing fishy going on.
Power of the purse- Allocating money to
ensure that its laws have the funding it
needs to survive. Also they might cut
funding for something if they feel their
laws aren’t being implemented ,right.
If the President is of the opposite party as
Senate, the Senate might not confirm any
presidential appointment , by using their
Congressional oversight.

The President utilizes a number of tools to

ensure that the bureaucracy is doing its job. For
example, he can appoint heads of departments,
can control their budget, or issue an executive
order to push an agency to enforce the rules a
certain way.

What is the difference between:

Majority Opinion- what majority of the judges believe; this is the ruling that is enforced.

Dissenting Opinion- the opinion of the judges that completely disagrees with the majority
opinion.

Concurring Opinion- the opinion of the judges that agree with the majority’s ruling but for a
different reason.

Writ of Certiorari- a writ that demands a lower court to send the files over to review a case.

Rule of Four- at least 4 Supreme Court judges have to want to hear a case for it to be heard
by the Supreme Court.
 NUMBER NUMBER POLICY
COURT OF OF JURISDICTION IMPLICATIONS
COURTS JUDGES
94 700 Original Jurisdiction Minor implications or
none.
District
Court

13 160 Appellate Jurisdiction Their decisions set

Courts of the precedent for all
Appeal the courts within that
district
1 (court of 9 Original and Appellate Their decisions set
last Jurisdiction but most the precedent for the
Supreme resolve) cases heard by the entire nation, and
Court Supreme Court are unifies all decisions.
based on appellate
jurisdiction.
Unit 3

Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights is the first 10 amendments of the constitution that protect individual liberties
and rights of the people of the United States that the government cannot take away from its
citizens. The government's job and purpose is to protect these rights since they are “god-given”.
They are also meant to protect rights, not give them.
Civil Liberties - the limitations that are put on the government; actions the government
can’t take as they may interfere with your personal freedom. Ex. 1st amendment
Civil Rghts - guarantees of equal citizenship and protects citizens from discrimination by
majorities. Ex. the right to vote

First Amendment - Freedom of Religion

The First Amendment prevents the federal government from supporting an established religion
and protects citizens’ free exercise of religion. This amendment is split into two parts: the
establishment clause and the free exercise clause. The establishment clause prevents the
US from using religion as a guiding point for laws to be made and makes sure that they don’t
endorse any specific religion.. The free exercise clause does not allow anyone to be prevented
from being part of a certain religion. It does not mean that any religious practice is
okay. There are limits to what certain parts of a religion that could be practiced. An example
could be a sacrifice. The police can arrest you for holding sacrifices.
An example of a SCOTUS case would be Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972). In this case, the state of
Wisconsin fined Amish families that refused to send their children to school after the eighth
grade. Yoder argued that it went against the free exercise clause of the First Amendment because
higher education went against their religious beliefs. The court ruled in favor of the Amish
families, saying their First Amendment right outweighed the state’s want to push their
attendance.

First Amendment - Freedom of Speech

Part of the First Amendment allows for people to speak as they please. However, this right does
have restrictions. It was made initially to allow constituents to freely express their grievances
with the government. However, this does not mean you are allowed to speak freely to anyone
else. There are limits such as obscenity, clear and present danger, plus time place and manner
restrictions.

A very important SCOTUS case involving this issue was Schenck v. United States. Schenck was
an anti-war activist who sent out 15,000 flies telling men to resist the draft for the first world
war. He was arrested under the Espionage Act, which prohibited interference with military
operations. Schenck argued that it went against his First Amendment right, eventually leading
this case to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court ended up voting against Schneck, saying his
freedom of speech did not apply because of time, place, and manner restrictions.

Another important Supreme Court case was Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community
School District. In this case, Iowa students were trying to wear black armbands in order to
protest the Vietnam war. The court ruled in favour of Tinker because it was a form of symbolic
speech which does not go against the First Amendment because the school system is part of the
government so they were essentially protesting the government, something that is completely
allowed.

First Amendment - Freedom of the Press

This part of the First Amendment prevents Congress from making any laws allowing censorship
of the press, essentially trying to prevent them from publishing information. Just like freedom of
speech, there are limitations to freedom of the press such as libel, which is lying about what
someone or something did that leads to a damaged reputation.

An important case that deals with this idea is New York Times v. United States. The United
States wanted to restrain the New York Times from publishing the history of the Pentagon
Papers, documents that included classified information on Vietnam. The case made its way all
the way up to the Supreme Court, where they ruled in favor of the New York Times, saying that
publication did not pose an immediate threat to the country.

Second Amendment - Right to Bear Arms

The Second Amendment allows the people the individual right to have firearms. This is one of
the most argued rights because of the limitations that are trying to be placed on this subject.

Selective Incorporation
The 14 amendment of the constitution talks about how the national government cannot take away
your rights but it doesn’t mention anything about this same thing applying to the state
governments, meaning that the Bill of Rights didn’t apply to the state governments. Over time,
the
Supreme Court has made rulings on certain court cases to make sure that the Bill of Rights
applies to the state governments as well. However, not every part of the Bill of Rights has been
applied to the states through selective incorporation. Major court cases involving selective
incorporation include Tinker v. Des Moines, where the Supreme Court ruled symbolic speech is
valid in schools and cannot be punished as it applies to all levels of government. Another good
example would be the case of Roe v. Wade. In this case, the Supreme Court ruled that a
woman’s ability to get an abortion in the first trimester could not be prohibited because it falls
under the right to privacy which could not be limited by states. This made it unconstitutional for
states to make abortions illegal.

Due process in the Right to Privacy

The Supreme Court has interpreted that the due process clause of the 14th amendment prevents
state governments from taking away people's rights to privacy. The right to privacy is not
explicitly
mentioned in the Constitution but over time, the Supreme Court has begun to include it in its
rulings such as in Roe v. Wade. There are limitations to this idea especially when it comes to
public safety.

Social Movements and Equal Protection

During the 1960s, the Civil Rights Movement was in full swing, pushing for social justice for
black and other minorities. The social movement led to a change in policies that our government
makes. For example, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prevented discrimination based off of
sex, gender, race and other factors.

Government Responses to Social Movements

The pressure from social movements causes the government to make changes legislatively. An
example being the Civil Rights Act of 1964, an act preventing the discrimination of a person
based off of sex, gender, race, and other factors. The Supreme Court in
cases such as Brown v. Board of Education invalidated previous actions the government had
used in order to
discriminate against certain groups of people. This case made it so that segregation could be
looked at as unconstitutional because it goes against the equal protection clause of the
constitution.

Balancing Minority and Majority Rights

Depending on the ideological standpoint of the Supreme Court, the cases that they deal with may
have major effects on minorities and majorities. An example would be with the separate but
equal doctrine. In the case of Plessy v. Ferguson, the Supreme Court ruled that separate
facilities for coloured people didn’t go against the 14th amendment because it was separate but
still
equal. That idea was overruled with Brown v. Board of Education, as the Supreme Court ad
ruled just because the facilities are separate doesn't mean that they are actually equal, essentially
violating the 14th amendment.
Affirmative Action
Starting in the 1960sm the government began using affirmative action to help minorities have
equal opportunities in the United States. Since then, the Supreme Court has been making rulings
on affirmative action to determine whether or not it is constitutional. The Court has had
mixed feelings about idea based on the fact that it is constitutional because the
constitution only mentions things about how race classifications influences cannot harm a
minority but is unconstitutional because it’s helping to promote the benefits of specific groups to
get ahead.
Unit 4: American Political Ideologies and Beliefs Vocabulary
Ideology- Beliefs that shape political opinion and policies
Political Socialization- The process where people learn and develop their political values and
opinions
Agents of Socialization - Things that influence the development of one’s political views (ie.
family, what you learn in class, etc.)
Political Culture - A nation’s core beliefs on how their economic, political, and social life
should be carried out
Liberalism - A political ideology where people believe in less government control over political
and social issues, but more government control over economics.
Conservatism - A political ideology where people believe the government should have more
control over political and social issues, but less control over economics (laissez-faire)
Libertarianism - A political ideology where people believe the government should have little to
no government control on political/social issues and the economy
Totalitarianism - A political ideology where people believe the government should have as
much control as possible on political/social issues and the economy.
Socialism - A political ideology where people believe that the government should control the
means of production within the US and a better equal distribution of wealth
Laissez-Faire/Capitalism - The belief that the government should allow free market to dictate
pricing, production, and demand
Political Efficacy- The belief that your voice in government matters (voting, reaching out to
senators, etc.)
Tracking Polls - Polls monitoring the changes in public opinion overtime
Random Sampling- When anyone has the chance to be selected to participate in a poll
Quota Sampling - When pollsters target a specific population of people to participate in a poll
Public Opinion Poll - Surveys put out by the government to get an idea of what the people want
to see from the government
Push Polls - Polls typically asking questions in a negative way that are made to change the
public opinion about candidates
4.1: American Attitudes About Government and Politics

People have different core values and different views towards how they feel the government
should act. This makes up the different ideologies within American politics. America itself has
core values and beliefs, which is known as a political culture. There are 5 elements of a country’s
political culture:

Equality (egalitarianism) - equal vote, equal chance to participate

Liberty - Freedom (doesn’t including the harming of others or breaking of laws)

Democracy - Government accountable to the people (popular sovereignty) Individual

Responsibility - Responsible for your own actions and well-being Civic Duty- Being a part of
the community

As those are the core values of America’s political culture, there are two other beliefs that often
fall under America's political culture as well: Laissez-Faire/Capitalism and factors of production
largely privately-held.

4.2: Political Socialization

As people grow older, they will develop their own political views. This happens through political
socialization which is basically when people learn more about politics and start to form their
opinions on how they feel the government should be run. Things people are surrounded with can
influence how people develop their political views. These are called agents of socialization.
Some examples are:
● If a child grows up in a home where they are only exposed to conservative beliefs, they
are more likely to grow up and be conservative
● If a person surrounds themselves with friends who have liberal beliefs, they are more
likely to hold liberal beliefs
● If a child grows up in a town that preaches conservatism, they are more likely to become
a conservative as they grow older
● When learning about politics in school, if a student finds that they disagree with
conservatives views, they are more likely to become a liberal

4.3: Changes in Ideology

There are many parts of one’s identity that may also depict their ideology. For example, women
tend to be more liberal while men tend to be conservative. Racial minorities are more likely to be
liberal while caucasions are more likely to be conservative. You can say that these are
stereotypes of what a liberal or conservative may look like, however, with data from polls and
surveys, you can see who is more likely to be which ideology based on their personal identity.
Remember though, these are not standards you have to fit. Women can be conservative, white
people can be liberal, etc. Ideologies can even change overtime with these stereotypes. For
example, people ages 18-30 are more likely to be liberals while people older than 65 are more
likely to be conservative. In fact, there is something called the mitigating factor where as you get
older, you may find yourself becoming more conservative (potentially becoming a moderate).

4.4: Influence of Political Events on Ideology

Events within a country tend to put mistrust between the government and the people within it.
Examples include the Great Depression, the Watergate Scandal, Vietnam War, and Kent-State
made the people believe less in the government which then lowers the political efficacy within
the country. People will start to vote less and turn away from politics. Certain events can also
bring up the political efficacy within a country like Reagan’s presidency. People had more trust
in Reagan when he was in office so everyone started to get more involved in politics. Even
events like 9/11 can raise the amount of political efficacy. It all depends on how the government
handles the situation at hand.

4.5: Measuring Public Opinion

Public opinion polls are put out so that the government can get a general idea of what the people
want the government to do and/or what general direction they want the government to go in.
Sometimes they use quota sampling to target how a certain population of people feels about
politics, such as making sure 60% of the people answering a poll are women. They will also use
random sampling to give everyone an equal chance of participating in a poll. These polls play a
vital part in the political process of America as they help the government to figure out what their
priorities are in terms of what the people want to see from them.

4.6: Evaluating Public Opinion Data

The government looks over public opinion polls and then makes changes to what they feel they
can do. The government can also be seen putting out tracking polls to see how the views are
changing. For example, a school may make the students answer a poll about their school every
three months to see if the students’ opinions of their school are changing over the course of the
year. The government will do this to either determine who may be winning an election, how
popular a president is, or what people think about the general direction of the country. When
seeing the poll results, push polls may be put out to sway the opinions of the people.

4.7: Ideologies of Political Parties

Different ideologies are associated with different political parties. Views of conservatism are
considered the right and views of liberalism are considered the left when it comes to the political
spectrum. The right tends to be aligned with the Republican party while the left is associated
with the Democratic party. This is because of the different views and values these parties have.
For example, people on the left tend to be “pro-choice,” a view often seen by Democrats.
However, Republicans tend to be “pro-life,” like people on the right. People on the left may not
want to vote for someone who is a republican because being “pro-choice” is an important value
to them. Some people vote based on the candidate’s alignment to their views regardless of
political party affiliation, but most people tend to stay within their political party to ensure that
the candidate will appoint others that have the same views as them, and push for policy that they
completely agree with.

4.8: Ideology and Policy Making

Liberals are typically more focused on domestic policy when it comes to policy making. They
want to focus on and fix the problems within our own country such as education, healthcare, and
financial aid. Conservatives are typically more focused on foreign policy. They want to focus on
the country’s relationships with other countries. This would include focusing on international
trade, keeping the peace between nations, or fixing broken bonds with other countries.

4.9: Ideology and Economic Policy Making

When it comes to economic policy, conservatives tend to believe in laissez-faire economics and
are against the government heavily regulating the economy. When making economics policies
they will most likely advocate for deregulation of the economy, less taxes, and be more in favor
of private and big businesses. Liberals typically believe in having more regulations on the
economy. They don’t want big businesses to have more power within the economy and they
would advocate for more taxes placed on the economy, specifically on bigger businesses.

4.10: Ideology and Social Policy

For social policy, conservatives typically do not agree with social change and want to maintain a
“status quo.” For example, they do not typically agree with same-sex marriage so they may
advocate against it. They would try to keep the social aspect of the society “traditional.” On the
other hand, liberals believe in addressing social issues such as poverty/homelessness and using
government intervention to enhance the rights of the people. They do advocate for social change
so they wouldn’t advocate against things like same-sex marriage or gender equality.

Unit 5

Voting Rights and Models of Voting Behavior

In the beginning of American history, only land-owning white males were allowed to vote.
Through amendments to the Constitution and legislation, suffrage has been extended to all
citizens of the United States of America. Amendments and legislation that has extended suffrage
include:
 - 15th Amendment: Gave suffrage to African American men.
- 17th Amendment: Gave the people the right to directly elect Senators instead of Senators
being elected by the state legislature.
- 19th Amendment: Gave women suffrage.
- 1965 Voting Rights Act: Banned practices like poll taxes, literacy tests, and grandfather
clauses, that were created to purposefully disenfranchise people of color (specifically
those in the South). Federal examiners were also used to monitor elections.
- 26th Amendment: Gave 18 year olds suffrage.
- Motor Voter Act: Made it easier for voter registration by giving people the opportunity to
register to vote when they get/renew their driver’s license.
Models of Voting Behavior
- Rational Choice Theory: When somebody votes based on the candidate who will bring
you the best benefits.
- Retrospective Voting: When somebody votes based on what a candidate has done in the
past and their track record.
- Prospective Voting: When somebody votes based on how they think somebody will
perform in the office they are running for.
- Party-line Voting: When a person votes for someone based on their party affiliation.

Voter Turnout
Voter turnout is the amount of people eligible to vote that actually end up voting. This turnout
depends on people’s sense of political efficacy. Voter turnout is dependent upon a lot of stuff,
like the type of election, and state laws regarding voting. Demographics can help predict voter
turnout. (ex: older people tend to have higher voter turnout than younger people.)

Political Parties
Linkage Institutions: Institutions that connect the people to the government. They consist of:
- Media: The media can inform constituents who the people in office are as well current
affairs.
- Interest Groups: Interest groups are a group of people fighting for a similar cause.
People can contribute to interest groups who lobby Congress and influence government
decisions.
- Elections: In elections, the people can vote contestants in and out of the government,
which gives the people a voice in who is representing them.
- Political Parties: The parties establish a platform in which people with similar views can
join forces. They also help candidates run for office and try to push people to run for
office. Representatives who are a part of certain parties can often vote with their party.
How and Why Political Parties Change & Adapt
Candidate-Centered Politics is the reason that parties have had to change. This phenomenon
occurs when people would rather focus on the candidate as a person rather than what party they
belong to.
Examples:
- Donald Trump originally did not have a lot of support from the Republican party when he
first ran. People liked him not for his party affiliation but for who he was.
- Bernie Sanders had not been a Democrat long before he ran.
The cause of this change is the primary system. In the past, party leaders chose the candidates,
but now, the primary system allows for the people to choose the candidates. Campaign finance
laws have also made it easier for candidates to raise money on their own.
- Critical Elections: Polarized voters around new issues, this usually comes before a
realignment.
- Realignment: A drastic shift in people’s party affiliation
- Party Dealignment: When people do not identify with a specific party.

Third Party Politics

In the US, we have a two party system. Currently, our two major parties are the Republican and
Democratic party. Third parties have never won a Presidential election and they usually don’t get
a lot of representation because:
- We have a winner-take-all system, meaning whoever gets the majority of votes takes all
of the votes.
- The two major parties incorporate messages that minor parties advocate.
You may be wondering if these parties don’t get good representation in our government, why do
they exist? Well, here’s a brief overview explaining why.
- They talk about new ideas, and push the major parties to talk about issues they’ve never
addressed.
- They give people who don’t quite fit in with the two major parties an option.
However, these third parties can also be an issue as:
- They can take away votes from the two major party candidates which can sway an
election.

Interest Groups Influencing Policy Making

Interest groups lobby Congress members to pass legislation that is favorable to them. They are a
part of the iron triangle which consists of Congressional committees, interest groups, and the
bureaucracy.
Lobbyists try to influence legislation that congressmen pass that will be favorable to them.

Groups Influencing Policy Outcomes

- Social movements can help to put issues people want to see addressed on the agenda (ex.
protests)
- While policies are being formulated, interest groups may write legislation for Congress,
or influence legislation while it is being formulated.
- While legislation is being voted on, political parties come into play. If the legislation is a
part of what a political party believes, congressmen will vote on it based on their party
affiliation.
- Bureaucratic agencies decide how to implement the law and have administrative
discretion in how laws are practiced.
- While bureaucratic agencies are making the rules on how a policy is implemented,
interest groups will try to influence the bureaucratic agency for rules that will favor the
interest groups.

Electing a President
Incumbency Advantage: Candidates who have previously held the office are called incumbents.
They tend to hold an advantage over a person who has never held that office before because:
- They have already held the office and have very good name recognition
- They already have a bully pulpit that they can rally up.
- They already have experience in the office.
To be the President you must be at least 35 years old, a natural born citizen, and you must be a
resident in the USA for at least 14 years.
Steps to the Presidency:
 1. Primaries and Caucuses. Primaries and caucuses choose the candidates for the major
political parties. In a primary, the people cast their ballots for the candidates they want to
run for president.
a. Closed Primary- A primary where people can only vote for the candidates in the
political party they are registered with.
b. Open Primary- People not affiliated with a political party are able to participate
in this primary. A caucus is where people group up based on the candidate they
want to see in the presidency.
2. National Convention. Each major party holds a national convention where the
presidential candidate chooses their running mate.
3. Campaigning. Throughout this whole process, the candidate is campaigning,
fundraising, and much more to push their message and gain more supporters.
4. General Election. People across the nation vote for who they want to be their President.
But instead of voting for the actual President and Vice President, they are voting for
people called electors who represent the person you want to be the President and Vice
President.
5. Electoral College. Each state receives a select number of representatives based on their
representation in Congress. Each elector votes, and the candidate that gets more han 270
votes wins the election.
Congressional Elections
The incumbency advantage also applies to Congressional elections. 95% incumbents get
reelected to Congress. Because:
- Members of Congress can mail stuff for free, therefore they can spend less money on
sending out mail to their constituents.
- They already have staff to do things for them.
- They have name recognition because they already
Gerrymandering can also be done to help a candidate win an election. This is when redistricting
is done to reflect the population so that everyone’s vote can be equal.
Modern Campaigns
The cost of elections in coming years has increased a lot. For a campaign you have to pay for:
- Campaign Staff
- Campaign Ads
- Polls
- Social Media has become increasingly popular and candidates can reach voters easier.
Campaign Finance
FEC- Federal Elections Committee. They regulate Campaign Finances
PAC- Political Action Committee. Can be started by a corporation, but the corporation can not
give funds to the PAC directly from its treasury. They can have limitations on how much money
they can take and how much money they can give.
Hard money- Money going straight to a candidate. The amount of hard money that can be given
is regulated by the FEC.
Soft Money- Money that is not going straight to a candidate but instead benefits the candidate. It
can not be done in coordination with the candidate. There is no limit on soft money.
BCRA(2002)- Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, This legislation increased the use of soft
money in elections , by limiting corporations ability to finance electioneering communications.
Citizens United v. FEC (2010)- Citizens United wanted to run an ad on Hillary Clinton before
the primary which went against BCRA. Citizens United argued the part of BCRA that restricted
electioneering communications violated their free speech rights in the First Amendment. The
Supreme Court ruled that a part of BCRA did in fact violate the free speech clause in the First
Amendment.
Super PACS can spend an unlimited amount of money on electioneering campaigns and take an
unlimited amount of money, as long as the money is independent from the candidate.
The Media
The media acts as a linkage institution by connecting the people to the government. The media
gets money from ads. The media tend to lean to the left but with anything there are exceptions.
- The media is protected by the Constitution by freedom of speech and freedom of the
press.
- The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) allows the people through the media to request
information from the government.
The Media plays many different roles, such as:
- Gatekeeper: The media decides what becomes a big story or not.
- Scorekeeper: The media keeps track of who’s winning in an election. They also decide
who in Washington is a “good guy” and who is a “bad guy”
- Watchdog: The media reports on mistakes that politicians make and hold them
accountable for their mistakes.
- Agenda Setter: The media decides which issues are big and even sways the opinion of the
public.
Different Demographics get their news in different ways. Media viewing trends:
- Older people tend to receive their news through the newspaper.
- Middle Aged people tend to get their news from the TV and radio.
- Younger people tend to get their news from social media and the internet.
Coverage of the government
- The President tends to be the main focus of the media, because he is perceived to be the
face of the government. The President has a Press Secretary, who gives information to the
press in the press room in the White House.
- Because Congress is so big and there are so many people it is harder to cover Congress.
Coverage on Congress tends to be negative and focus on conflict.
- When the media covers elections they use horse race journalism which focuses on who is
winning, scandals, and personalities instead of the policies.
Regulations of Media
- Print Media is mostly exempt from government regulation, with the exception of
obscenity.
- The electronic media is regulated more because airwaves are public and regulated dby the
FCC\
Libel - Written defamation of a person
Slander- spoken defamation of a person

Important Rules
Equal Time Rule- Broadcast stations must give equal time on air to each candidate.
The Declaration of Independence
Author: Mostly Thomas Jefferson, but also John Adams, Roger Sherman Benjamin Franklin,
Robert Livingston Date: Approved July 4,1776

Big Idea: Important Quotes and their meaning

America was tired of Britain mistreating them, so “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that
the Declaration was written to “break up” with all men are created equal, that they are
them. In the letter there is a list of grievances endowed by their Creator with certain
Britain has committed.Among those grievances unalienable Rights, that among these are
was taxation without representation. They also Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
talk about their natural rights, and justify cutting — That to secure these rights, Governments
ties with Britain by saying that when the are instituted among Men, deriving their just
government violates those natural rights the powers from the consent of the governed, —
people have the right to revolt. Also included are That whenever any Form of Government
big ideals of American government like consent becomes destructive of these ends, it is the
of the governed, popular sovereignty, and natural Right of the People to alter or to abolish it,
rights. and to institute new Government, laying its
foundation on such principles and organizing
its powers in such form, as to them shall
seem most likely to effect their Safety and
Happiness.”- All men should be equal, and
have natural rights that the government can
not violate. Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness are among these rights. When
these rights are violated it is the rights the
people can revolt and make a new
government.

The Articles of Confederation

Author: John Dickinson Date (Approximate): Ratified in 1781

Big Idea: Important Quotes and their Meaning

The first Constitution of the United States. It - Each state retains its sovereignty,
established a confederation of States where freedom, and independence, and every
the national government had very little power, jurisdiction, and right, which is
power. The states were more like not by this Confederation expressly
independent countries next to each other than delegated to the United States, in
one united nation. The national government Congress assembled.- This is the opposite
had very little power. It was also very hard of the Constitution where there is the
for the national government to raise money Supremacy clause and the national
because they didn’t have the power to collect government’s word holds more weight,
taxes. They could only ask the states to give and powers that don’t go to the national
it money, which seldom happened. So, the government go to the states.
national government was broke and couldn’t - The said States hereby severally enter
pay back its debt. The national government into a firm league of friendship with each
also only had one branch and couldn’t make other, for their common defense, the
any quick decisions. If the government security of their liberties, and their mutual
wanted to make any unified decisions and general welfare, binding themselves
delegates from each state had together to to assist each other, against all force
make these decisions. The national offered to, or attacks made upon them, or
government also couldn’t raise an army or any of them, on account of religion,
navy. sovereignty, trade, or any other pretense
whatever.- Shows the states were not
really a united nation but more states next
to each other with a treaty.

Federalist #51
Author: James Madison Date (Approximate): February 8, 1788

Big Idea: Supporting Details (quotes and paraphrases):

The government should have a separation of - “...each department should have a will of
powers and checks and balances. This its own; and consequently should be so
Federalist paper argues why the Constitution constituted that the members of each
is the best form of government to deal with should have as little agency as possible in
the evils of people, and how it prevents an the appointment of the members of the
abuse of power from the government. others. Were this principle rigorously
Madison argues that because of the adhered to, it would require that all the
Federalism that the Constitution provides, appointments for the supreme executive,
plus the separation of powers into branches legislative, and judiciary magistracies
the many different governments will offer should be drawn from the same fountain
extra protection against abuse of power of authority, the people, through channels
because the different governments will all having no communication whatever with
offer checks on each other. one another.” - Each branch of
government should be independent from
one another and all appointments should
stem from the people. In the passage after
that he says except for the judiciary for
special reasons.
- If men were angels, no government would
be necessary. If angels were to govern
men, neither external nor internal controls
on government would be necessary. In
framing a government which is to be
administered by men over men, the great
difficulty lies in this: you must first enable
the government to control the governed;
and in the next place oblige it to control
itself.- If there was no evil government
wouldn’t even be needed, and if people
ruling over people couldn’t be evil there
wouldn’t be a need for checks on the
government. When creating a government
with people you have to make sure the
government and control the people while
also controlling itself.
- But it is not possible to give to each
department an equal power of self-
defense. In republican government, the
legislative authority necessarily
predominates. The remedy for this
inconveniency is to divide the legislature
into different branches;
Brutus 1
Author: Unknown (Anti Federalists) Date (Approximate): 1787

Big Idea: Important Quotes

The Constitution is basically making America - “It appears from these articles that there
just one state and giving the central is no need of any intervention of the
government too much power , which makes state governments, between the
the states irrelevant. America is just too big Congress and the people, to execute any
which makes it impossible to have a one power vested in the general
representation that will “speak their government, and that the constitution
sentiments”. Also, if there is a body that can and laws of every state are nullified and
represent the people it will become too large declared void,”- The elastic clause in the
making it impossible to get anything done. government and the whole Constitution
(Kind of against a pluralist democracy). For a basically makes the states governments
republic to work everyone should have similar purposeless.
sentiments and interests. Also the people in - “The government then, so far as it
power will become above the control of the extends, is a complete one, and not a
people and end up abusing the people for the confederation. It is as much one
betterment of themselves and end up complete government as that of New-
oppressing the people.( Against elitist York or Massachusetts, has as absolute
democracy). and perfect powers to make and execute
A LARGE POWERFUL CENTRALIZED all laws…” The government has too
GOVERNMENT IS TOO REMOVED FROM much power and can do what it wants
THE PEOPLE AND THEIR INDIVIDUAL under the Constitution.
NEEDS.
Federalist #10.
Author: James Madison Date (Approximate): November 23,1787

Big Idea: Important Quotes

Factions are really bad, but the - “AMONG the numerous advantages
Constitution is best equipped to deal with promised by a well constructed Union, none
the evils produced by factions. This is deserves to be more accurately developed
because it establishes a Large Republic than its tendency to break and control the
which provides the following benefits: violence of faction.”
- Better candidates because they - There are again two methods of removing the
will have to appeal to more causes of faction: the one, by destroying the
people for their vote liberty which is essential to its existence; the
- A less chance that the majority other, by giving to every citizen the same
can oppress the minority because opinions, the same passions, and the same
there is more variety in opinions. interests.
Factions are inevitable because people - If a faction consists of less than a majority,
are going to have differences in opinions relief is supplied by the republican principle,
and will divide themselves into groups which enables the majority to defeat its
with people that have similar beliefs. As sinister views by regular vote. It may clog the
they divide themselves up into classes administration, it may convulse the society;
based on land and money. but it will be unable to execute and mask its
Two ways to control factions: violence under the forms of the Constitution.
1. Remove their causes which is
impossible because you would
have to destroy liberty. Or give
people the same opinions which is
impossible
2. Control the effects(causes can’t
be controlled so it’s best to
control effects.
The Constitution best deals with the
effects of factions because by the
republican principles a majority won’t be
able to suffocate the minority.
Federalist #70
Author: Alexander Hamilton Date (Approximate): March 18,1788

Big Idea: Important Quotes

Explains how the president should be and how - “Energy in the Executive is a leading
the executive and presidency should be under character in the definition of good
the Constitution. They envision an energetic government. It is essential to the
strong leader because that will make a good protection of the community against
office and you don’t want a feeble foreign attacks;”- The framers are
administration because it will cause a feeble saying that a good President should be
execution of the law. He wants a unified energetic in order to to protect the
executive, instead of having a council. He government and be a good leader.
advocates for the accountability of the President.
Having one person as President will make that
one person held accountable to the people as
opposed to having multiple people where the
blame can be pushed around. He even uses
Rome as an example of this. There should be a
powerful unitary executive branch in order to
fight tyranny of the majority. He also argues the
President needs enough power to prevent
tyranny. Also one person can make quick
decisions when needed.

Federalist #78
Author: Alexander Hamilton Date (Approximate): May 28,1788

Big Idea: Important Quotes

Discusses how the Judicial branch should

operate. - The judiciary, on the contrary, has no
Hamilton say the following: influence over either the sword or the
- Judges should be appointed just like purse; no direction either of the strength
officers of the Union or of the wealth of the society; and can
- Judges should hold their jobs through take no active resolution whatsoever. It
good behavior in order to keep them may truly be said to have neither FORCE
impartial in judging the laws. This is nor WILL, but merely judgment;- The
 so that the judges do not have to judiciary is weak.
worry about pleasing anybody so that - “all judges who may be appointed by the
they can keep their jobs, but to just United States are to hold their offices
focus on the Constitutionality of the DURING GOOD BEHAVIOR; which is
law. conformable to the most approved of the
- The judiciary is the least dangerous State constitutions and among the rest, to
branch because it has no influence that of this State...And it is the best
over the purse or the sword. It also expedient which can be devised in any
has no power to execute its decisions, government, to secure a steady, upright,
it can only judge. and impartial administration of the
- The independence of the judiciary is laws.”- All judges should hold their
very vital to the judiciary offices during good behavior because it is
the best tool to have an impartial
government.

Letter from Birmingham Jail

Author: Martin Luther King Jr. Date (Approximate): April 16, 1963

Big Idea: Important Quotes

Dr. King is responding to criticism on his method of - Injustice anywhere is a threat to

using nonviolent protesting to try and create change. justice everywhere.
He says that the black people of Birmingham have - In any nonviolent campaign there
tried to negotiate with the leaders of Birmingham are four basic steps: collection of
but these negotiations have led to nothing. Then, the facts to determine whether
they sat down with the economic leaders of injustices exist; negotiation; self
Birmingham and they agreed to take down racially purification; and direct action. We
humiliating signs off of store fronts. Though they have gone through all these steps
agreed to this the store owners had lied and never in Birmingham.
took down these humiliating signs. So they sat and - Nonviolent direct action seeks to
they planned and decided how they and when they create such a crisis and foster such
would take action in a nonviolent . protest . It was a tension that a community which
not a random protest. has constantly refused to negotiate
- He believes tension is needed in order to is forced to confront the issue. It
move forward and get stuff done, not violent seeks to dramatize the issue that it
 tension but constructive tension. can no longer be ignored.
- He wanted to negotiate and having tension - My friends, I must say to you that
will open the doors to negotiation we have not made a single gain in
- Privileged don’t normally give up their civil rights without determined
privilege voluntarily, they also never think it legal and nonviolent pressure.
is timely for the oppressed to protest and Lamentably, it is an historical fact
they don’t want them to. that privileged groups seldom give
- He also explains that segregation is wrong up their privileges voluntarily.
and why - “We have waited for more than
- He outlines what he ha to go through just 340 years for our constitutional
being African American and God given rights...

The Constitution of the United States

Big Idea: Preamble

Establishes the American government, - We the People of the United States, in

influenced heavily by Enlightenment Order to form a more perfect Union,
philosophers. The key principles to the establish Justice, insure domestic
American government include natural rights Tranquility, provide for the common
which the government can not take away, defense, promote the general Welfare,
republicanism, and a social contract which is and secure the Blessings of Liberty to
between a government and the people. Also ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain
consent of the governed is included. A lot of and establish this Constitution for the
the things mentioned in the Federalists paper United States of America.-.
were also included in the Constitution.
 The US Constitution
Article Big Idea Details

Article I (1) How Congress will A bicameral legislature with one house decided based
work on population and the other each state has the same
amount of representation. The house has the power to
impeach, the Senate can hold trials for
impeachment.Congress can alter time,place and
manner of elections. Representatives can’t be arrested
in the Capitol or on their way to the Capitol. All bills
raising revenue have to come from the House. Lists the
enumerated powers. Necessary and proper clause:
Congress can make any laws relating to any
enumerated powers necessary and proper to executing
their job

Article II (2) The President Establishes a 4 year term and requirements to be

President. Commander in chief, Grant Pardons, State of
the Union, Adjourn/Convene Congress, Electoral
college, Grant Pardons/ Reprieves

Article III The Courts The Supreme Court is the highest Court. Judges hold
(3) their offices through good behavior. Judicial power
extends to all cases under the Constitution. Everybody
should have a trial by jury except for impeachment
trials.

Article IV Federalism Full faith and credit clause: Each state shall treat the
(4) judicial proceedings, judicial acts and records of
another state with full faith and credit. Privileges and
Immunities: Each citizen shall enjoy the full privileges
and immunities in every state. Extradition, Process for
admitting new states into the union. Every State shall
receive a republican form of government and
protection from invasions

Article V (5) Amending the To amend the Constitution 2/3rds of both houses of
Constitution Congress must agree and 2/3rd of the states must agree.

Article VI National government All Senators, Representatives, and Judges must be

(6) bound to the Constitution by oath.
Article VII Ratification If 9 states agree to the ratification of the Constitution it
(7) will be the law

Amendments 1- right to religion,

speech, press,
assembly, petition
2- bear arms
3- quartering soldiers
4- searches and
seizures
5- due process; double
jeopardy; self-
incrimination; takings
clause (eminent
domain)
6- rights of the
accused (fair/speedy
trial; attorney)
7- jury trial
8- excessive bail, cruel
and unusual
punishment
9- non-enumerated
rights (just ‘cause it’s
not in there, doesn’t
mean we don’t have it)
10- rights reserved to
the states
11- suits against a state
(can’t do it)
12- election of
president and VP
together (changed
Electoral College)
13- abolition of
slavery
14- protection of rights
(citizenship; due
process; equal
protection)
15- voting rights for
African American men
16- federal income tax
17- direct election of
senators
18- prohibition
19- women’s suffrage
20- commencement of
president terms and
succession (moved
inauguration to 1/20)
21- repeal 18th (repeal
prohibition)
22- presidential term
limits (2 terms/10
years)
23- DC gets
presidential vote
24- no poll tax for
federal elections
25- presidential
vacancy, disability,
inability
26- voting age to 18
27- Congressional
compensation (doesn’t
take effect until after
an election)