chapter 1.1-1.3 Flashcards
Hobbes, Thomas (The Leviathan)
reality is harsh, in our natural state we are chaotic, we need an “absolute sovereign” to lead us
Locke, John (Second Treatise of Civil Government)
Natural Law (right to life, liberty, property), comes together to protect these rights using a social contract that forms government, can take power away from the government if they abuse it
Montesquieu, Baron de (The Spirit of the Laws)
Republicanism, checks & balances because “power corrupts absolutely”, popular sovereignty
Rousseau, Jean-Jacques (The Social Contract)
forming a social contract in society that is government (giving away some of our executive powers and freedom to protect our fundamental rights), popular sovereignty
limited government
there are certain rights that the government can’t take away; the Constitution sets up the limited powers of the government
natural rights
rights that everyone is inherently born with (life, liberty, property)
popular sovereignty
“people power”, or rule by the people in a government (the people give power to the government, and they can take it away)
representative republic
collection of sovereign states gathered for national interest, needs, defense
republicanism
the political belief that the best form of government is one in which citizens choose their representatives and leaders through free elections
Adams, John
founding father, federalist
Declaration of Independence
the founding document of the US
Franklin, Benjamin
main founder of the DOI, drafted and signed the Declaration of Independence
Hamilton, Alexander
founding father of the US, Federalist
Jefferson, Thomas
main author of Declaration of Independence, founding father, anti-federalist
Madison, James
founding father, Federalist
US Constitution
The document that outlined the law of the United States (federal government); anything not listed in the Constitution is up to the states
Washington, George
the first president of the US; non-partisan (federalist/non-federalist)
elite democracy
elected representatives make decisions and act as trustees for the people who elected them; people with resources, wealth, and education dominate
participatory democracy
direct participation of the people in government (voting for laws, policies, etc.)
interest group
a group of people with common political beliefs/interests that rally together to persuade policymakers (e.g. National Rifle Association)
pluralist democracy
people form non-governmental interest groups to persuade policymakers in a certain direction (e.g. National Rifle Association)
representative democracy
democracy where the people elect representatives to make decisions on laws (instead of directly participating)
Anti-Federalists
people who opposed the strong central government structure proposed in the Constitution, preferring the states have the most power; Robert Yates & William Lansing are notable anti-federalists
Federalists
people who supported the strong central government structure proposed in the Constitution; Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay are notable federalists
initiative
give people the power to bypass their state legislature by placing proposed statutes and, in some states, constitutional amendments on the ballot (basically voting directly on some important policies/laws like in a participatory democracy)
referendum
allows citizens to contest the vote of the legislature (if they passed a law the citizens don’t like) by gathering support through signatures, petitions, etc. to call for a vote to overturn the law/policy
factions
a group of people with a common political interest (like an interest group)
Federalist No. 10
Hamilton, Madison, Jay took the pen name Pluribus and published 85 essays supporting Federalism, a notable one being Federalist No. 10
Brutus No. 1
Yates & Lansing took on the pen name Brutus and published 16 anti-federalist papers in counterargument to the Federalist papers, a famous one being Brutus No. 1
Electoral College
states electing representatives that then vote for president/vice-president
Legislative branch
Congress, manages taxes and borrowing money, regulates commerce
Executive branch
President (commander-in-chief of the US military) and their cabinet
Judicial branch
Supreme Court, above all other courts, evaluates the law and cases
Enlightenment thinking
championed natural, God-given rights that no monarch could take away, and the right to self-rule through a social contract that formed a government benefiting of all
Declaration of Independence
document that provided the foundation for a government ruled not by monarchs, but by the people; was later finalized into the Constitution; inspired by Enlightenment thinking
Natural Law
the law of God, acknowledged through human sense and reason (in a state of nature, people are born free and equal, executives of their lives)
