Unit 1 Flashcards
Limited government
a government’s power cannot be absolute; The ideal of limited government is ensured by the interaction of these principles: i. Separation of powers ii. Checks and balances iii. Federalism iv. Republicanism
Natural Rights
all people have certain rights that cannot be taken away
Popular Sovereignty
all government power comes from the consent of its people
Republicanism
the democratic principle that the will of the people is reflected in government debates and decisions by their representatives
Social Contract
an implicit agreement among the people in a society to give up some freedoms to maintain social order
Representative democracy
a system of government in which all eligible citizens to vote on representatives to make public policy for them ; can take several forms including the following models: i. Participatory democracy, ii. Pluralist democracy, iii. Elite democracy
Participatory Democracy
emphasizes broad participation in politics and civil society
Pluralist Democracy
emphasizes group-based activism by nongovernmental interests striving for impact on political decision making.
Elite democracy
emphasizes limited participation in politics and civil society
Declaration of Independence
drafted by Thomas Jefferson (with help from Adams and Franklin), restates the philosophy of natural rights, and provides a foundation for popular sovereignty
U.S. Constitution
an example of a social contract and establishes a system of limited government; provides the blueprint for a unique form of democratic government in the United States
Federalist 10
focused on the superiority of a large republic in controlling the “mischiefs of faction,” delegating authority to elected representatives and dispersing power between the states and national government
Brutus 1
adhered to popular democratic theory that emphasized the benefits of a small, decentralized republic while warning of the dangers to personal liberty from a large, centralized government
Articles of Confederation
Specific incidents and legal challenges that highlighted key weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation are represented by the: i. Lack of centralized military power to address Shays’ Rebellion ii. Lack of an executive branch to enforce laws, including taxation iii. Lack of a national court system iv. Lack of power to regulate interstate commerce v. Lack of power to coin money
Anti-Federalist
opposed the ratification of the Constitution and wanted more power reserved to state governments rather than a strong central government
Federalist
supported ratification of the Constitution and a strong central government
Democracy
a system of government in which power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or through freely elected representatives
Faction
a party or group that is often contentious or self-seeking
Shays’s Rebellion
an armed uprising in western Massachusetts in opposition to high taxation and insufficient economic policies that exposed concern over the weaknesses of the national government under the Articles of Confederation
Great (Connecticut) Compromise
created a dual (bicameral) system of congressional representation with the House of Representatives based on each state’s population and the Senate representing each state equally
Electoral College
created a system for electing the president by electors from each state rather than by popular vote or by congressional vote
3/5ths Compromise
provided a formula for calculating a state’s enslaved population for purposes of representation in the House and for taxation
Constitutional Convention
a meeting of delegates from the several states in 1787 intended to revise the Articles of Convention and ultimately drafted the United States Constitution in establishing a stronger central government
Article V / Amendment process
entailed either a two-thirds vote in both houses or a proposal from two-thirds of the state legislatures, with final ratification determined by three-fourths of the states
Ratification
the act of consenting to the U.S. Constitution through state ratification conventions, requiring 9 of the 13 states to ratify per Article VII of the U.S. Constitution
Separation of powers
specific and separate powers delegated to Congress, the president, and the courts allow each branch to check and balance the power of the other branches, ensuring no one branch becomes too powerful ; creates multiple access points for stakeholders and institutions to influence public policy
Checks and balances
allow legal actions to be taken against public officials deemed to have abused their power
Federalist 51
explains how constitutional provisions of separation of powers and checks and balances control potential abuses by majorities
Impeachment
the House formally charges an official with abuse of power or misconduct
Removal (impeachment process)
if the official is convicted in a Senate impeachment trial
Federalism
the system of government in the United States in which power is shared between the national and state governments
Enumerated powers
powers written in the Constitution to a specific place
Implied powers
not specifically written in the Constitution but are inferred from the Necessary and Proper Clause
Reserved powers
those not delegated or enumerated to the national government but are reserved to the states, as stated in the Tenth Amendment
Concurrent powers
shared between both levels of government such as the power to collect taxes, the power to make and enforce laws and the power to build roads
Revenue sharing
national funding with almost no restrictions to the states on its use and is the least used form of funding
Categorical grants
national funding that is restricted to specific categories of expenditures, is preferred by the national government, and is the most commonly used form of funding
Block grants
national funding with minimal restrictions to the states on its use and is preferred by the states
Mandates
requirements by the national government of the states
Tenth Amendment
the last of the Bill of Rights to define the balance of power between the federal government and the states ; establishes reserved powers of the states
Fourteenth Amendment
Due Process Clause and Equal Protection Clause as applied to the states
Commerce clause
gives the national government the power to regulate interstate commerce, but Supreme Court interpretations can influence the extent of this power
Necessary & Proper clause / Elastic clause
gives Congress the power to make laws related to carrying out its enumerated powers, but Supreme Court interpretations can influence the extent of these powers.
Supremacy Clause
gives the national government and its laws general precedence over states’ laws, but Supreme Court interpretations may affect when specific actions exceed this constitutional power
