AP Government
Review
Unit 1 Constitutional Underpinnings
Tuesday September 24, 2013
• OBJ: SWBAT
understand Unit I
through review.
• Drill: What is
bipartisan? Why is
it important to this
issue? What does it
say about the
overall feeling of the
government?
• HW: Study for Unit I
Test
Homework
• Which event/term did you choose and why?
Goals of the US Constitution
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Create a strong union of states
Establish justice
Preserve Domestic Order
Provide for the common defense
Promote general welfare
Promote individual freedoms
Constitution Remedies the
Articles of Confederation
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Creates Federalism
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A balance between the national and state governments
National government could tax
Congress could regulate commerce between the
states and foreign nations
Article II created an executive department to
enforce laws
Article III created a national judiciary with a
Supreme Court and lower courts established by
Congress
Constitution Remedies the
Articles of Confederation
• Only the national government could coin
money
• States are represented based on population in
the House of Reps and equally in the Senate
• Bills need a simple majority in the House and
Senate
• 2/3 of Congress and 3/4of the states are
necessary to amend the Constitution
Basic Principles of the Constitution
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Limited government
Popular sovereignty
Separation of powers
Checks and balances
Federalism
Amendments
• The Constitution has been formally amended
27 times.
– Please know all the amendments
• The first 10 amendments are known as the Bill
of Rights
Informal Amendments to the
Constitution
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Legislative action: Judiciary Act of 1789
Executive actions: Executive orders
Judicial review: Marbury v. Madison
Custom and usage: No 3rd term for Presidents
Federalism
• Delegated powers
– Expressed powers given to the national government
• Implied powers
– Powers that may be reasonably inferred from the Constitution
(Necessary and Proper Clause)
• Inherent powers
– Powers that exist from the national government because the
government is sovereign
• Concurrent powers
– Belong to both the states and national governments
• Reserved powers
– Powers that belong to the states (Amendment 10)
Federalism In Practice
• Interstate Relations
– Full faith and credit clause: states are required to
recognize the laws and legal documents of other states
– Privileges and immunities clause: states are prohibited
from unreasonably discriminating against residents of
another state
– Extradition: states may return fugitives to states which
they fled
– Interstate compacts: states may work together to solve
regional problems
National Supremacy
• Article IV Supremacy Clause
– McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) Federal law is
supreme over state law
– Gibbons v. Ogden (1824) National supremacy over
interstate commerce
Federalism Today
• Dual Federalism (1789-1932)
– Layer cake federalism: National and state have
power within their own sphere of influence
• Cooperative Federalism (1932-1968)
– Marble cake federalism: National and state work
together
• New Federalism (Nixon, Reagan, Bush 41)
– Devolution of national power to the states
Fiscal Federalism
• Grant in aid
– Money and resources provided by the national government to
state and local projects and programs
• Categorical grants
– Grants that have specific purpose defined by law
• Block grants
– General grants which can be used for a variety of purposes
• Unfunded mandates
– Requirements which are imposed by the national government on
the state and local governments
Questions?
• Review Jeopardy.
• Get into Five teams.
• Each team will be given a chance to answer
one question if they do not get it correct it will
be opened up to the next team, and so on.
Wrap Up
• What is the overall theme of Unit I? How
would you describe it in 1-2 sentences?