Chapter 2: Constitution and Federalism: Setting the Ground Rules for Politics

Question 1

Quartering Act:

Answer 1

Required colonist to house British troops in 1765 and again in 1774 as part of Coercive acts

Question 2

Stamp Act

Answer 2

taxed every legal document like marriage licenses and newspapers

Question 3

Boston Massacre

Answer 3

First mortal conflict between colonist and British troops in Boston.Resulted in death of five colonist

Question 4

Boston Tea Party

Answer 4

Protest against tea act of 1773; fifty colonies dressed as natives boarded trade ships and threw contents over board

Question 5

Coercive Acts

Answer 5

intolerable acts British attempt to clamp down on the colonies following Boston tea party

Question 6

First Continental Congress:

Answer 6

12 of 13 colonies in Philadelphia in 1774 protest Coercive act and chart a unified colonial response

Question 7

Second Continental Congress

Answer 7

gathering of colonies in Philadelphia in 1775, need to coordinate planning Revolutionary War, functioned as first central government in colonial America

Question 8

American Revolution at odds with Colonial Tradition of Self-Rule

Answer 8

The British imposed a series of acts that colonist found restrictive.These actions classes with along colonial tradition of limited self-rule, including the free election of representatives assemblies,and contributed to a growing feeling that something needed to be done—even though separation from Great Britain was far from universally popular.

Question 9

Social Contract

Answer 9

Arrangement in which people agree to give up some liberty to establish government that will protect basic rights that are threatened in state of nature

Question 10

State of Nature

Answer 10

People are free to act on their impulses but where individual rights are afforded no protection

Question 11

Natural Rights

Answer 11

rights inherited to everyone that cannot be taken away by individuals or government and government should be designed to protect

Question 12

Declaration of Independence

Answer 12

Document drafted by Jefferson and approved by Continental Congress stating the reasons for Revolutionary war and declaring a formal break with Great Britain

Question 13

Articles of Confederation

Answer 13

first constitution of US, almost led to melt down of US in social and economic, created a government so weak so it could never threaten peoples rights, it was so weak it couldn’t maintain order in society.

Question 14

Shay’s Rebellion

Answer 14

rebellion by framers in Massachusetts led by Daniel Shay against Boston creditors began in 1786 lasted half a year, threatened economic interest of business elite and contributing to demise of Articles of Confederation

Question 15

PostRevolutionary America established a Confederal System of Government

Answer 15

Colonist were reluctant to give up too much liberty in exchange for security,they established a weak confederal system of government under Articles of Confederation, in which national Government was creation of the states.Articles turned out to be ineffective and US had difficulty conducting foreign policy,regulating commerce, and even settling disputes among the states.

Question 16

Confederal System

Answer 16

:Establish a government out of a set of component states which national government is creation if the states and subservient to them.

Question 17

Unitary System

Answer 17

: national government creates subnational units like states, provinces, and counties. Derive authority from national Government.

Question 18

Federal System

Answer 18

National ad states shares authority over citizens.May act together to do such things such as create school districts levy taxes, powers are revered for national government which is supreme to state laws

Question 19

Constitutional Convention:

Answer 19

Produced the federal system of government outlined in the US constitution

Question 20

Virginia Plan:

Answer 20

proposal for new Constitution that based representation on population and provided for a centralized national government that could overrule the states

Question 21

New Jersey Plan

Answer 21

supported by small states that would have provided for equal representation of large and small states in national legislature, while limiting the power of the national government over the states

Question 22

Connecticut Compromise

Answer 22

Compromise between Virginia and New Jersey that broke deadlock over representation at the Constitutional Convention by providing bicameral legislature.

Question 23

Three-Fifths Compromise

Answer 23

Compromise between northern and southern states that broke the deadlock over how slavery should be counted for purposed of representation. Three-fifths slaves would be included in population totals, benefiting southern states that had the largest concentration of slaves by inflating their representation in the House Of Representatives

Question 24

Separation of Powers

Answer 24

Division of political power among several equal and independent branches of government to prevent power from being consolidated in any one branch

Question 25

Checks and Balances

Answer 25

Designed to prevent power from being consolidated in any one branch. Because any branch can put a check on there others, government can only act when there is a cooperation between the branches

Question 26

Popular Sovereignty

Answer 26

rule by the people based in the consent of the governed.

Question 27

Limited Government

Answer 27

power can be denied to government and the people who serve in it in order to restrict those in positions of authority from infringing upon individual liberty

Question 28

Federalism

Answer 28

Describes the power of relationship between national government and state government under our constitution.

Question 29

Institutional Safeguards to Liberty in The Constitution

Answer 29

Framers built a series of constitutional safeguards including serration of powers,checks and balances, popular sovereignty,limited government,and federalism.These addressed concerns that a string central government would overwhelm persona liberty

Question 30

The federalist

Answer 30

collection off essays written by Alexander Hamilton , James Madison, and John Jay in effort to persuade a reluctant public to support the constitution

Question 31

tyranny

Answer 31

:denial of liberty to individuals thought the actions of a faction or through the actions of government itself

Question 32

Bill of Rights in winning support of Ratification

Answer 32

One of the strongest arguments against ratification was that the new constitution did not contain a Bill of Rights. A federalist promise to add one as soon as the new government was established tipped the balance in favor of ratification.

Question 33

Supremacy clause

Answer 33

relationship between federal and state government. Asserts that any conflict between the federal government and states will be decided in favor of the federal government.

Question 34

Nation-centered federalism:

Answer 34

argues the supremacy of the constitution and federal law over state actions.

Question 35

State-Centered Federalism

Answer 35

constitution and federal government are creations of the states and therefore can be overruled by the states

Question 36

McCulloch vs Maryland:

Answer 36

1819 supreme court case that established federal supremacy over the state government

Question 37

Federalism Evolved

Answer 37

Dramatic changes since then id the relationship between the federal government and states shows how the rules of political game are always evolving—with consequences for who gets what,when,and how.

Question 38

Sugar Act

Answer 38

String of taxes levied by Great Britain on American Colonies. Formally called American Revenue Act if 1764, taxed a number of colonial imports,including sugar