AP US Government: Foundational Documents

-Argued that the establishment of a representative democracy is effective against partisanship and factionalism -Shows why founding fathers rejected direct democracy and factionalism (party politics)

-Argued that a free republic cannot govern over a country as large as the United States -States that the government officers would control the people and abuse their power

-States the principles on which the American government is based -Gave reasoning behind a separation from Britain -Establishes that all people are created equal

-First written Constitution of the US -Faults included: 1) Could not collect taxes 2) Could not regulate trade 3) Could not enforce laws 4) Needed approval from 9-13 states in order to pass laws 5) Amending the document had to have unanimous approval 6) No executive branch 7) No national court system

-Supreme law of the US -Contains seven articles & twenty-seven amendments -Creates the framework of the US government

-Series of amendments to the Constitution that guarantees individual freedoms and due process

-Addresses means by which appropriate checks and balances can be created in government -Advocates a separation of powers within the national government

-Defends the strategy of nonviolent resistance to racism. -States that people have a moral responsibility to break unjust laws -Message: take direct action rather than waiting potentially forever for justice to come through the courts

-Argues the purpose of having a single executive (president) in government -States that an executive brings the government both the energy of one person & the safety of an accountability to the people

-Discusses the power of judicial review -Argues that the federal courts have the duty to determine whether acts of Congress are constitutional -Justifies the structure/function of the Judicial Branch