The U.S. government is built on four core democratic ideals: natural rights (people have rights that can’t be taken away), a social contract (people give up some freedom to maintain order), popular sovereignty (government gets its power from the people), and limited government (government’s power isn’t absolute). The Constitution and Declaration reflect these—Jefferson restates natural rights and popular sovereignty in the Declaration, while the Constitution creates a social contract and limits government. Limited government is enforced through separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, and republicanism (representative government). Know these terms and be ready to connect them to documents/cases on the AP exam—LO 1.1.A focuses on exactly this (Declaration + Constitution). For a focused review, see the Topic 1.1 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-us-government/unit-1/ideals-democracy/study-guide/OQLRlRV7Y0nYIiTdkhfa). For broader Unit 1 review or practice questions, check the unit page (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-us-government/unit-1) and practice bank (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-us-government).

Natural rights are the individual freedoms people are born with—life, liberty, and property (Locke)—that governments should protect. The Declaration of Independence restates this idea (EK 1.1.A.1.i; LO 1.1.A). Popular sovereignty is about where political power comes from: the people consent to be governed, so government’s authority depends on that consent (EK 1.1.A.1.iii). Put simply: natural rights describe what individuals have; popular sovereignty explains who gives government its power. Both connect to the social contract (you give up some freedoms for order) and limited government—because protecting rights and ruling by consent constrain rulers (EK 1.1.A.1.ii, iv). For AP prep, tie natural rights to the Declaration and popular sovereignty to how the Constitution bases authority on consent (see the Topic 1.1 study guide for examples and practice) (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-us-government/unit-1/ideals-democracy/study-guide/OQLRlRV7Y0nYIiTdkhfa). More practice problems: (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-us-government).

The founders saw limited government as essential because they'd fought a distant, powerful ruler and wanted to prevent new tyranny. Rooted in Locke’s natural rights and the social contract, limited government means power isn’t absolute—it’s granted by the people (popular sovereignty) and constrained so rights are protected. The Constitution builds that limit through separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, and republicanism so no single person or branch can dominate policy. Practically, that protects rights, holds rulers accountable, and makes government more stable and responsive. For AP exam stuff: LO 1.1.A ties the Declaration (natural rights/popular sovereignty) to the Constitution (social contract + limited government). Review this topic in the Fiveable study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-us-government/unit-1/ideals-democracy/study-guide/OQLRlRV7Y0nYIiTdkhfa) and practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-us-government) to prepare.

Separation of powers splits government into three branches—legislative, executive, judicial—so no one branch holds all authority (that’s how the Constitution creates limited government; EK 1.1.A.2). Checks and balances are the tools each branch uses to limit the others: Congress makes laws but the president can veto them and the courts can declare them unconstitutional; the Senate confirms presidential appointments and can remove officials through impeachment; Congress can override vetoes with a two-thirds vote. Together they force compromise, prevent concentration of power, and protect popular sovereignty by making elected and appointed actors accountable. For AP focus, tie this to LO 1.1.A and EK 1.1.A.2 and be ready to give examples (veto/override, judicial review, Senate advice/consent) on the exam. More review: see the Topic 1.1 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-us-government/unit-1/ideals-democracy/study-guide/OQLRlRV7Y0nYIiTdkhfa), unit overview (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-us-government/unit-1), and practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-us-government).

A social contract is the implicit agreement among people to give up some freedoms so a government can maintain order and protect natural rights (life, liberty, property). In AP terms it’s one of the democratic ideals alongside natural rights, popular sovereignty, and limited government (CED EK 1.1.A.1). The Constitution counts as a social contract because it’s the written blueprint that establishes how power is organized, what authority government has, and the limits on that authority (separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism)—all mechanisms that show people consent to a limited national government (CED EK 1.1.A.2, 1.1.A.3). On the exam, be ready to connect “social contract” to popular sovereignty and limited government in short answers or FRQs. For quick review, check the Topic 1.1 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-us-government/unit-1/ideals-democracy/study-guide/OQLRlRV7Y0nYIiTdkhfa) and practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-us-government).

Short answer: no—federalism is more than just “state vs. federal” power. It’s the constitutional principle that divides authority vertically between national and state governments to ensure limited government (EK 1.1.A.2). That division creates different types of powers: enumerated (national), reserved (states), and concurrent (both). Federalism also covers how those levels interact—think dual vs. cooperative federalism, the commerce and supremacy clauses, grants-in-aid, and federal standards that shape state policies (like education spending differences shown in the unit maps). Why it matters for the AP exam: federalism is one of the listed mechanisms that ensure limited government (EK 1.1.A.2.iii) and appears in multiple-choice and FRQ prompts (Unit 1 content; Unit 1 is 15–22% of the MC). For a quick review, see the Topic 1.1 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-us-government/unit-1/ideals-democracy/study-guide/OQLRlRV7Y0nYIiTdkhfa) and practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-us-government).

Start with a clear thesis that answers the prompt (LO 1.1.A): which document emphasizes which democratic ideals and how they relate. Use a simple structure: thesis → 2–3 body paragraphs (each on one ideal) → short conclusion. Pick 3–4 ideals from the CED (natural rights, popular sovereignty, social contract, limited government → separation of powers, checks & balances, federalism, republicanism). For each paragraph: - Say how the Declaration expresses the ideal (e.g., Jefferson: natural rights & popular sovereignty). - Say how the Constitution implements or limits it (e.g., social contract formalized; limited government through separation of powers/checks and balances; federalism divides power). - Use one specific quote or clause (name it) and then explain—don’t just summarize. Compare and contrast explicitly (similarity: both ground government legitimacy in the people; difference: Declaration is philosophical, Constitution is procedural). Tie examples to AP language from the CED. For practice, review the Topic 1.1 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-us-government/unit-1/ideals-democracy/study-guide/OQLRlRV7Y0nYIiTdkhfa) and try practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-us-government).

Locke argued three big ideas the founders used a lot: people have natural rights (life, liberty, property) that government must protect; governments exist by a social contract—they get their power from the consent of the governed (popular sovereignty); and if a government violates rights, people can withdraw consent (right to revolt). Those ideas support limited government—they shouldn’t be absolute—and influenced Jefferson’s wording in the Declaration (natural rights/popular sovereignty) and the Constitution’s social-contract design for constrained power (separation of powers, checks and balances). For AP purposes, link Locke to the CED keywords: natural rights, social contract, popular sovereignty, and limited government (LO 1.1.A). If you want a quick review, check the Topic 1.1 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-us-government/unit-1/ideals-democracy/study-guide/OQLRlRV7Y0nYIiTdkhfa) and practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-us-government).

Jefferson used natural-rights philosophy (mainly John Locke’s ideas) in the Declaration to do two AP-important things: justify rebellion and ground a new political order in popular sovereignty and limited government. By saying people have inalienable rights (life, liberty, pursuit of happiness), he framed British rule as violating the social contract—so the colonies could legitimately withdraw consent and form a government that protects those rights (EK 1.1.A.1; EK 1.1.A.3). That language connects directly to AP concepts you need: natural rights, social contract, popular sovereignty, and limited government. On the exam, you might be asked to explain how the Declaration reflects those ideals (LO 1.1.A). For a concise review of these links, check the Topic 1.1 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-us-government/unit-1/ideals-democracy/study-guide/OQLRlRV7Y0nYIiTdkhfa). For more practice applying these terms to prompts, use Fiveable’s AP practice problems (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-us-government).

In the Constitution, “democracy” (more precisely popular sovereignty) means government gets its power from the people—citizens consent to be governed and have rights (natural rights, limited government). Republicanism is the specific form that consent takes: instead of direct rule by all citizens, people elect representatives to make laws and govern for them. So the Constitution mixes both: popular sovereignty supplies legitimacy, and republicanism structures how that will actually work (representative elections, indirect mechanisms like the Electoral College and staggered terms). Republicanism also supports limited government through separation of powers and checks and balances (EKs 1.1.A.1–1.1.A.2). For the AP exam, be ready to explain both the philosophical roots (Locke/social contract) and how the Constitution implements them (LO 1.1.A). Review Topic 1.1 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-us-government/unit-1/ideals-democracy/study-guide/OQLRlRV7Y0nYIiTdkhfa) and practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-us-government).

Montesquieu’s idea is simple: don’t put all government power in one place. He argued government should be split into separate branches with different jobs so no one person or group can become absolute. In practice that became the U.S. system—legislative (makes laws), executive (enforces laws), and judicial (interprets laws). Separation of powers supports limited government and popular sovereignty by creating competing centers of power; each branch checks the others (checks and balances) so mistakes or abuses are harder to happen. On the AP exam, this shows up in LO 1.1.A and EK 1.1.A.2 (separation of powers + checks and balances). For a quick review, see the Topic 1.1 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-us-government/unit-1/ideals-democracy/study-guide/OQLRlRV7Y0nYIiTdkhfa) and practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-us-government).

They built limits into the Constitution so no one person or level of government could have absolute power. At the Convention Madison and others designed separation of powers (three branches with different jobs) and checks and balances (ways each branch can constrain the others) to prevent concentration of power. They used federalism—dividing authority between national and state governments—so some powers stayed local. Republicanism (representative elections) tied government legitimacy to popular sovereignty and the social contract, meaning rulers rule with consent and can be changed. Together these features—separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, and republicanism—are how the Convention created a system of limited government (LO 1.1.A; EK 1.1.A.2). For more review, check the Topic 1.1 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-us-government/unit-1/ideals-democracy/study-guide/OQLRlRV7Y0nYIiTdkhfa) and Unit 1 overview (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-us-government/unit-1). Practice with 1,000+ questions at (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-us-government).

Checks and balances are how the Constitution’s idea of limited government actually stops abuse today. Quick examples: the president can veto Congress’s bills, but Congress can override with a 2/3 vote—so neither branch gets absolute lawmaking power. The Senate’s advice-and-consent role (confirming judges, cabinet members) checks presidential appointments; judicial review (Marbury v. Madison) lets courts strike down laws or executive actions that violate the Constitution. Congress uses oversight, subpoenas, and impeachment to investigate or remove executive officials who abuse power (impeachment is initiated in the House and tried in the Senate). Federalism also helps: states can challenge federal overreach in court and make their own policies. These are all illustrations of EK 1.1.A.2 (separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism) and tie directly to LO 1.1.A on limited government. For a concise refresher on these ideals, see the Topic 1.1 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-us-government/unit-1/ideals-democracy/study-guide/OQLRlRV7Y0nYIiTdkhfa). Practice related questions at (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-us-government).

Thomas Hobbes helps explain why we need government by describing the "state of nature"—a situation with no political authority where life would be "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short." Without rules or a neutral enforcer, people compete and conflict, so Hobbes argues individuals agree to a social contract: they give up some freedoms to a sovereign who keeps order and protects security. For AP Topic 1.1, tie this to the CED keywords: Hobbes’s view motivates the need for a social contract and shows why people accept limited government (to avoid anarchy), though his strong sovereign contrasts with Locke’s emphasis on natural rights and popular sovereignty. On the exam, you might use Hobbes as a supporting example when explaining why the Constitution creates institutions that maintain order. Review this topic on the Fiveable study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-us-government/unit-1/ideals-democracy/study-guide/OQLRlRV7Y0nYIiTdkhfa) and practice related questions at (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-us-government).

The Mayflower Compact (1620) is an early example of a social contract in America because settlers voluntarily agreed to form a government and follow its rules for the common good. Rather than accepting rule from a distant monarch, the pilgrims consented to self-government—showing popular sovereignty (power from the people) and the idea that people give up some freedoms to maintain order. That compact echoes CED ideals: it’s about a social contract and limited government created by consent, and it protects communal order while recognizing the colonists’ rights. For the AP exam, link the Compact to later documents (Declaration/Constitution) when asked about origins of American political thought. Want a quick review? Check the Topic 1.1 study guide on Fiveable (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-us-government/unit-1/ideals-democracy/study-guide/OQLRlRV7Y0nYIiTdkhfa) and practice questions at (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-us-government).