American Foundations Flashcards
Government
the decision making bodies of a nation, state , or community
Politics
the methods used by the government to reach their decisions
Monarchy
a system of government where the power belongs to a monarch
Theocracy
a system of government in which the power belongs to religious leaders who rule in the name of God
Oligarchy
a system of government in which the power belongs to a small group of people
Democracy
a system of government where the power to govern comes from the people - either directly or indirectly - through elected officials
Direct Democracy
a government in which people vote directly on laws and government officials
Referendum
a direct vote by the electorate
Initiatives
a petition signed by a certain number of registered voters that can force the government to enact a law
Recall Election
occurs when the electorate votes to remove a politician from office
Representative Democracy
also known as a republic; a government in which citizens choose government officials to make decisions on their behalf
Constitutional Democracy
a government that forces recognized limits on government officials and allows the people to participate in free and fair elections
Popular Sovereignty/ Popular Consent
when the government only derives its power and ability to govern from the people
Personal Liberty/ Self-Determination
when all individuals have the opportunity to realize their own goals
Individualism
the idea that individuals and the collective have rights - focus is specifically placed on the individual
Equality
the concept of every individual having the right to equal protection under the law and equal voting power
American Dream
the concept of American being the land of opportunity and that hard work will bring economic success
Capitalism
an economic system based of private property, competitive markets, and limited government involvement
Free and Fair Elections
the concept of elections being free, fair, and frequent enough to impact policy choices
Majority Rule
the candidate with over half the vote
Plurality Rule
the candidate - out of 3 or more - with the most votes
Freedom of Expression
non-government newspapers and other publications must be able to present facts and opposing opinions and view without fear of retribution
Right of Assembly and Protest
citizens must be free to gather together for political purposes - including forming opposing political parties to challenge those in power
Rule of Law
the government is based on a body of laws that are applied equally to everyone
An Educated Citizenry
without educated masses participating in government, power is wielded by the “uneducated masses”
Economic Opportunity
massive inequity in wealth in society can lead to a more unstable democracy
Social Cohesion
people interacting in government must have multiple overlapping beliefs/ groups that bind people together
Ideological Commitment
people must believe in the system and be committed to maintaining a democratic system
Thomas Hobbes
Believed that human nature was inherently self-serving and violent; wrote Leviathan
John Locke
Believed in a social contract between the government and its people and natural rights (life, liberty, and property); wrote The Second Treatise of Civil Government
Baron de Montesquieu
Believed in the separation of powers; wrote Spirit of Laws
Jean Jaques Rousseau
Believed in popular sovereignty - people should form/ choose their own system; wrote Social Contract
English Bill of Rights
a codified list of the individuals’ rights that no entity could take away
Declaration of Independence (1776)
a list of grievances and wrongs perpetrated by the British government; written by Thomas Jefferson
Unitary Government
a government in which there is only a single government - the national government - and no state or provincial governments
Advantages of a Unitary Government
- no disagreement within
- a central government can move quickly
Disadvantages of a Unitary Government
- can’t respond to local needs
- easier to over power
Confederate Government
a confederation; the alliance of powerful state governments that are tied together by a weak central government
Advantages of a Confederation
- different states are better able to represent/ govern themselves
- easier to handle state and local issues
Disadvantages of a Confederation
- weak central government
- encouraged disunity because each state is able to manage itself
Articles of Confederation (1781)
the first document to govern the entire country; it created a confederation among the original 13 states and required unanimous consent for any government action
Weaknesses in the Articles
- no president
- no power to tax the states
- no federal court system
- could not regulate trade between the states
- required unanimous consent to pass anything
What was the one benefit of the Articles of Confederation?
the Northwest Ordinance (1787)
Northwest Ordinance (1787)
established a way to add new states to the country and guaranteed that new states admitted would be equal under the law to the original 13 states
Shay’s Rebellion
a series of armed attacks across western Massachusetts to prevent judges from foreclosing on farms
What was the cause of Shay’s Rebellion?
the states were taking farmer’s land because they could not pay taxes
How did Shay’s rebellion impact the government?
it showed that the Articles of Confederation were an ineffective form of government and that the national government needed to be stronger
What was the result of Shay’s rebellion
privately funded armed forces (citizens) gathered and put a stop to the rebels
Aborted Annapolis Meeting (1786)
was purposed with discussing potential changes to the Articles of Confederation
What was the result of the Aborted Annapolis Meeting
because only 12 delegated from five states appeared was adjourned; the Constitutional Convention (1787) took its place
What demographic made up the Constitutional Convention?
wealthy, educated, white men
Concepts agreed upon at the Constitutional Convention
- the government must play some role in limiting people’s natural self-interest
- the government must prevent one faction from running the entire government
- voting rights should be limited in order to minimize the threat of the majority
- there must be separate branches of government designed to limit/ check the other branches
Equality Issues
- Representation
- Slavery
- Suffrage
Proposed plans for Equality Issue I: Representation
- New Jersey Plan
- Virginia Plan
New Jersey Plan
all states should have equal representation in Congress
Virginia Plan
representation should be based on population
Result of Equality Issue I: Representation
the Connecticut Compromise
Connecticut Compromise
legislature is bicameral (two houses); one house is based on population and the other is based on equal representation
What was Pennsylvania’s view on slavery?
decried slavery and viewed that it should not be allowed to persist
What was South Carolina’s view on slavery?
pro-slavery; it was the lifeblood of Southern economy
Result of Equality Issue II: Slavery?
- no new slaves could be imported into the U.S. after 1808
- runaway slaves must be returned to slave states
- Three-Fifths Compromise
Three- Fifths Compromise
a slave counted as 3/5 of a person toward a states representation in Congress
Equality Issue III: Suffrage
how far should the right to vote extend under America’s new government?
Result of Equality Issue III: Suffrage
everyone agrees that there was no national solution; states should decide for themselves
Separation of Powers
branches are relatively independent of the others, so no single branch controls the government
Checks and Balances
for most government actions, each branch needs the consent of other branches
Marbury v. Madison (1803)
establish judicial review
Federalists
supported the new Constitution and wrote the Federalist Papers to defend their views; James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, John Hay
Anti-Federalists
opposed the new Constitution because they believed it to be an enemy of freedom; Patrick Henry, Samuel Adams
Compromise between Federalists and Anti-Federalists
the Bill of Rights
