Section 1 Flashcards
the right to life, liberty, and property; believed to be given by God; no government may take away
NATURAL RIGHTS
a theory on how people might have lived before societies came into existence
STATE OF NATURE
the requirement that government, when dealing with people, has in place a fair procedure that applies equally to all
DUE PROCESS
a powerful, foundational agreement between people and their government in which citizens consent to be governed so long as the government protects their natural rights
SOCIAL CONTRACT
a form of democracy where people participate personally in making government decisions instead of choosing representatives to do it for them
DIRECT DEMOCRACY
the original document authored principally by Thomas Jefferson that “birthed” the US and started the Revolutionary War; declares independence, lists grievances against the King of England, lists important natural rights
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
collectively the first ten amendments to the Constitution/ ratified in 1791; lists citizens civil liberties and natural rights
BILL OF RIGHTS
a lawmaking body in the legislative branch that consists of two separate chambers or two separately elected groups of officials such as Senators and Representatives like in the VA plan
BICAMERAL LEGISLATURE
period that took place 1650-1800 philosophical project the invention of which was to elevate or increase the influence of reason and science as sources of truth decreasing authority of custom/tradition
AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT
a coherent philosophy about the structure, power, and purpose of a government. include: liberal, moderate, independent, conservative, and liberterian
POLITICAL IDEOLOGIES
the 1st attempt at organizing the government of the US; consisting of a unicameral (one chamber) Congress; did not permit Congress to tax, regulate foreign or interstate commerce, or enforce its laws; failed as it formed an alliance of sovereign state government with too weak a national government
ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION
the outcome of a democratic election in which all qualified voters are eligible to participate and the winner is the person who receives the largest number of individual votes
POPULAR VOTE
a plan posed by the representatives of VA (including James Madison) at the Constitutional Convention for a two house legislature, wherein the number of a state’s representatives in each chamber would be based on the state’s population
VIRGINIA PLAN
a plan proposed by the representatives of New Jersey at the Constitutional Convention that called for a one house legislature in which each state would have one vote
NEW JERSEY PLAN
also known as the Connecticut Compromise, this was a 1787 agreement that created a bicameral legislature in the new U.S. Constitution, with representation based on population in the House of Representatives and equal representation of states in the Senate
THE GREAT COMPROMISE
during the creation of the Constitution an agreement made between northern and southern states that called for counting of all a state’s free population and 60% of it’s enslaved population for the twin purposes of federal taxation and representation in Congress
THREE FIFTHS COMPROMISE
the power of a President to reject a law passed by Congress
VETO
constitutional powers that allow each branch of government to limit the exercise of power of the other two branches or approve their actions
CHECKS AND BALANCES
the division of a government’s powers among three separate branches of government managed by different groups of people
SEPARATION OF POWERS
a form of government in which power is divided between state governments and a national government
FEDERAL SYSTEM
powers given explicitly to the federal government by the Constitution; include regulating interstate and foreign commerce, raising and supporting armies, declaring war, coining money, and conducting foreign affairs
ENUMERATED POWERS
any powers not prohibited by the Constitution or delegated to the national government; powers for states and denied to national government as outlined in 10th amendment
RESERVE POWERS
the action of signing or otherwise officially approving a treaty, contract, or agreement making it legally valid
RATIFICATION
a system of government in which political power is held by the people through their ability to elect representatives who make laws on their behalf
REPUBLIC
meaning in latin “show me the body” this is the right for a jailed citizen to appear before a judge to hear criminal charges; prohibits imprisoning people without due process of law
HABEUS CORPUS
a series of 85 essays written and published by several of the Founders; Hamilton, Madison, and John Jay 1787-88 in favor of ratifying the newly written U.S. Constitution
THE FEDERALIST PAPERS
a group of people who gather to petition government for their special concern; today we would call interest group
FACTION
a process for removing government officials suspected of “high crimes and misdemeanors” including judges and the president; requires majority vote in the House of Reps and the support of 2/3 of the Senate for conviction/removal
IMPEACHMENT
a written direction to a government agency issued by a President, usually in the absence of Congressional action; generally modifies the existing law or the interpretation of it and can be subject to challenge from the courts
EXECUTIVE ORDER
an act of legislature, such as Congress, declaring a person guilty of a crime and levying a punishment without a trial; Constitution prohibits Congress from passing this
BILL OF ATTAINDER
