Lesson 7 Flashcards
Legislative supremacy
Legislative body has absolute sovereignty and is supreme over all government institutions
Veto
Nullify
Right to nullify laws that legislature has enacted
States were United only by their common commitment to
Fight the war for independence from Britain
Before the colonies formally declared independence the second continental congress adopted a
Resolution calling on each stage to make a new constitution
Important modifications were made to
These constitutions
State constitutions used basic ideas of
Natural rights
Rule of law
Republicanism
Constitutional government
States experimented with various models in writing their
New constitutions
State constitutions all had same basic principles
Higher law and natural rights Social contract Popular sovereignty Representation and right to vote Legislative supremacy
Representation and the right to vote
Legislatures composed of representatives
Annual legislative elections
Strong legislatures that relied on principle of
Majority rule to protect rights of citizens (legislative supremacy)
Legislative branch is most capable of
Reflecting the will of the people
Executive branch is less accountable to the people and shouldn’t be
Trusted with much power
Judges should not be
Trusted with too much powe r
Executive branches were
Weak and dependent on legislatures
Governors had short terms of office to ensure that they cold not
Amass too much power
Appointments made by the governor had to be
Approved by the legislature
Governors player almost no role in
Lawmaking and had limited power to veto laws enacted by legislature
Houses could check the power of the other by
Defeating a proposal with which it didn’t agree.
Voters could check legislators power by
Electing new representatives
The Massachusetts constitution created a strobe system of
Separation of powers and checks and balances
Massachusetts constitution gave the governor effective checks on the powers of the
Legislature and provided for a judiciary with judges
Structure of the Massachusetts constitution is more like that of the
U.S. Constitution
Two important characteristics of Massachusetts constitution
Strong executive
Representation of various economic classes
Strong executive
Qualified voters elected the governor
Governors salary was
Fixed and couldn’t be changed by the legislature w
Governor had the power to
Revise laws enacted by legislature
Governor had the power to appoint
Officials to executive branch and judges to the judicial branch
Representation of various classes
Complex system of representation to ensure that many groups and interests had a voice
Mixed constitution
Most state constitutions began with a
Preamble and a declaration of rights
Writers of early state constitutions emphasized the importance
Of guaranteeing basic rights
Lists of rights differed slightly from state to state yet all were based on the motion this people have rights that must be
Protected from governmental interference
Virginia declaration was the first protection of
Individual rights to be adopted by the people acting through an elected convention
Virginia declaration expressed the understanding of fundamental
Inalienable rights ans the motion that people create governments to protect such rights
Virginia declaration of rights states that all men are equally
Free and independent and enjoy rights of life and liberty with means of possessing property
Virginia declaration of rights states that all power is derived
From and kept by the people
Virginia declaration of rights states that government is instituted for the
Common benefit
Protection
And security of the people nation or community
Virginia declaration stayed that all men are equally entitled to the
Free exercise of religion
Declarations in other constitutions begin with statements regarding
Natural rights
Popular sovereignty
Purposes of government
Most states declaration included political guarantees such as
Right to vote Free and frequent elections Freedom of speech and of the press Right to petition the government to redress grievances No taxation without representation
All state constitutions contained procedural guarantees of
Due process
Procedural guarantees of due process
Right to trial by jury
Protection from illegal searches and seizures
Protection from forced self-incrimination, excessive bail and fines, and cruel and unusual punishment
Most of the state declarations expressed s fear of military tyranny by condemning
Standing armies in time of peace and the quartering of troops in civilian homes
State declarations of rights would have a tremendous influence on the
Drafting and adoption of the U.S. Bill of rights
Checks and balances
A principle whereby each branch of government has some measure of influence over the other branches and may choose to block procedures of the other branches
