Unit 1(Chapters1-4) Definitions Flashcards
Limited Government
The idea that government is restricted in what it may do and that every individual has certain rights that government cannot remove
Representative government
The idea that government should both serve and be guided by the will of the people
Magna Carta
The Great Charter signed in 1215 that limited the powers of the English king and guaranteed certain fundamental rights.
Due process
protection against the unjust taking of life,liberty, or property
Petition of Right
a document signed in 1628 that required the English king to obey the law of the land and increased the influence of Parliament.
English Bill of Rights
A document signed in 1689 that required free elections and guaranteed many basic rights,such as due process and trial by jury, to all English citizens.
Ordered government
Local governments should be divided into units and ruled by officers according to law
Limited government
Individual citizens have basic rights and there are limits on government power; gov has only the powers granted by the people in the constitution
Representative Government
Government should serve the will of the people. In other words, people should have a say in what the government does or does not do.
Confederation
A joining of several different groups for a common purpose
Albany Plan of Union
Ben Franklin’s proposal that the 13 colonies form a congress to raise armed forces, regulate trade, and deal jointly with Native Americans(1754). Was rejected by the colonies
Popular Sovereignty
The principle that gov only exists with the consent of the governed; the government must have the consent of the governed
Stamp Act
This law required a stamp to be bought for all legal documents and newspapers
Civil rights and liberties
Seven state constitutions included a bill of rights defining basic freedoms
Articles of Confederation
The agreement, effective in 1781, that first established the first central government of the United States
Framers
Individuals that attended the Philadelphia Convention
Virginia plan
Called for a central gov with three branches, with each state’s representation in a bicameral legislature based mainly on population.
New Jersey Plan
Called for a central government with a unicameral legislature and equal representation of all the states.
Connecticut compromise
An agreement to divide congress into two houses, one with representation based on population and the other based on equal representation for all states.
Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise
An agreement forbidding Congress from taxing state exports or interfering with the slave trade for at least 20 years.
