Ch 2. The Founding and the Constitution Flashcards
Name three political philosphers contributed to the Founder’s Ideas
Thomas Hobbes
John Locke
Baron de la Brede et de Montesquieu
Why did British Taxes Hurt Colonial Economic Interests?
British Taxes Hurt Colonial Economic Interests
- The French and Indian wars (1756-1763) were expensive and the British believed that the colonists should pay taxes to pay for it
- Impose tariffs, duties and other taxes on commerce
1. Stamp Act, Sugar Act of 1760s
2. Heavily affected the New England merchants and the southern planters
1773 - East India _______
1773 - The East India Company gets a tea monopoly on all exported tea
1776 - the ___________
second continental congress
- declared that governments could not abridge certain rights
Articles of Confederation
- what is it?
- what could it not do (name at least one thing)
the united states’ first writte constitution. The country operative consitution for 12 years.
- could not levy taxes or create a military
Define Confederation
a system of government in which states retain sovereign authority except for the powers expressly delegated to the national goverment
What was Shay’s Rebellion and what did it show?
Shay’s Rebellion was a mob of farmers takes over the gogvenrment of massachusettes.
Showed how weak the Articles of Confederation were.
Define the Virginia Plan
a system of representation in the national legislature based on the population of each state or the proportion of each state’s revenue contribution to the national govenrment, or both.
- heavily biased toward large states
Define the New Jersey Plan
- equal state representation int he national legislature regardless of population
Define the Great Compromise
the first Branch of congress (the house of Representatives) would be proportioned according to the number of inhabitants in each state. The senate would have equal votes regardless of population
Define a bicameral legislature
two-chambered legislation
Define the Three-Fifths Compromise
the seats in the House of Representatives would be apportioned according to a “population” in which five slaves would count as three free people, also institutional racism
Define Checks and balances
mechanisms through which each branch of government is able to participate in and influence the activities of the other branches
Define electoral college
presentail electors from each state who meet afte rhte popular election and cast ballots for president and vice president and senators chosen by state legislature
Define bill of rights
the first ten amendments to the constitution, which guarantee certain rights and liberties to the people
Define separation of powers
the division of governmental power among several instutitions that must cooperate in decision making
Define federalism
a system of government in which power is divided, by a constitution, between a central government and regional governments
Which branch was designed to be the most powerful?
The legislative.
What makes up the US congress?
a House of Representatives and a Senate
Define expressed pwoers
specific powers granted to congress in the constitution
Define the elastic clause
Article I section 8 of the constitution gives congress the authority to make all laws necessary and proper to carry out the other powers given tocongress
Define the executive branch
the presidency
Define judical review
The power of the courts to review, and if necessary, declare actions of the legislative and executive branches invalid or unconstitutional
define the supremacy clause
laws passed by the national govenrment and all treaties “ shall be the supreme law of the land “ and superior to all laws adopted by any state or subdivision
Article 5 of the Constitution
estbalishes the process for amendment
Article 7 of the Constitution
its own ratification
amendment
a change added to a bill, law or constitution
Antifederalists
those who favored strong state governments and a weak national govenrment and were opponents of the constitution proposed at the American Constitutional Convention of 1787
Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union
America’s first written constitution; served as the basis for America’s national government until 1789.
bicameral
a two-chambered legislature; opposite of unicameral
Bill of Rights
the first ten amendments to the Constitution, which guarantee certain rights and liberties to the people
checks and balances
mechanisms thorugh which each branch of government is able to participate in and influence the activities of the other branches. Major examples include the presidential veto power over congressional legislation, the power of the Senate to approve presidential appointments adn teh judicial review of congressional enactments
confederation
a system of government with a weak national govenrment but strong states or provinces
elastic clause
a phrase in Article I, section 8, of the constitution (also known as the necessary and proper clause), which provides Congress with the authority to make all laws necessary and proper to carry out the other powers given to Congress
electoral college
the presidential electors from each state who meet after the popular election to cast ballots for president and vice president
expressed power
specific powers given to Congrress in the Constitution
federalism
a system of govenrment in which power is divided, by a constitution, between the central (national) government and the regional (state) government
Federalist Papers
a series of essays written by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and John Jay supporting the ratification of the Constitution
Federalists
those who favored a strong national government and supported the constitution proposed at the American Constitutional Convention of 1787
Great Compromise
the agreement reached at the Constitution Convention of 1787 where representation in the House of Representatives would be apportioned according to the number of inhabitatnts in each state, but in the senate eachs tate would have an equal vote regardless of its population
judicial review
the power of the courts to review and, if necessary, declare actions of the legislative and executive branches invalid or unconstitutional. The supreme Court asserted this power in Marbury v. Madision (1803)
limited government
a govenrment whose powers are defined and limited by a constitution
New Jersey Plan
a framework for the Constitution, introduced by William Paterson, which called for equal state representation in the national legislature regardless of population.
seperation of powers
the division of govenrmental power amogn several institutions taht must cooperate in decision making
supremacy clause
Article VI of then Constitition which states that laws passed by the national govenrment and all treaties “shall be the supreme law of the land” and superior to all laws adopted by any state or subdivision
Three-fifths Compromise
the agreement reached that the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that stipulated that for purposes of the apportionment of congressional seats, five slaves would count as three free persons
tyranny
oppressive and unjust government that employs cruel and unjust use of power and authority
