Unit 1 foundations of gov't Flashcards
participatory democracy
a model of democracy in which citizens have the power to decide directly on policy and politicians are responsible for implementing those policy decisions; public influence
civil society groups
NGOs used for social change
pluralist theory
the theory that power shared between many groups produces the best outcomes in society and government.
elitist theory
suggests a small group of elites holds the majority of power and influence in society, often overshadowing the general population in decision-making processes.
Articles of Confederation
equal representation to all states in congress; unicameral legislative branch; No independent executive or judiciary
GOAL: avoid tyranny
Shays’s Rebellion
uprising against the Articles of confederations lead by Daniel shays; Illustrated the weakness of the Articles and led many skeptics to agree to replace the Articles of Confederation
Constitutional Convention
a convention called to come a consensus on a constitution; created our constitution
writ of habeas corpus
the right of people detained by the government to know the charges against them
bills of attainder
when legislature declares someone guilty without a trial
ex post facto laws
laws punishing people for acts that were not crimes at the time they were committed
Virginia Plan
3-branch government with a bicameral legislature
Larger states had more representation in both chambers
Lower house: elected directly by the people
Upper house: nominated by state legislatures and chosen by lower house
new jersey plan
unicameral legislature where every state gets one vote
Great (Connecticut) Compromise
Bicameral (two house) legislature
Lower House (House of Representatives)
Elected directly by citizens; representation based on population of state
Upper House (Senate)
Selected by state legislatures; 2 per state
Three-Fifths Compromise
An agreement to count three out of every five slaves was counted when determining a state’s total population for legislative representation and taxation.
Compromise on Importation
slave trade not permitted till 1808
expressed or enumerated powers
authority specifically granted to a branch of the government in the Constitution
Borrow money, tax, regulate interstate commerce