unit 1 vocab Flashcards
Direct (Participatory) Democracy
A government in which the people govern themselves and individually vote on matters of policy
Indirect (Representative) Democracy
A model of democracy in which the people are represented by leaders they elected
Elite Democracy
Model of democracy in which a small number of people, usually those who are wealthy or have a large share of influence, control political decisions
pluralist view/pluralism
the belief that effective public policy is the result of competition among multiple different interests and groups
natural rights
rights inherent to all people that are not dependent upon the government
articles of confederation
the constitution that administered america’s first government, which was characterized by a loose league of friendship between states and a weak central government
constitutional convention
meeting of delegates in 1787 that was initially called to revise the articles of confederation, but ultimately led to the formation of the nation’s current constitution
shay’s rebellion
an uprising that brough attention to the weaknesses of the articles of confederation
virginia plan
constitutional convention proposal to create a stronger national government with a bicameral legislature
New Jersey Plan
Constitutional convention proposal that maintained a
unicameral legislature and was preferred by smaller states.
Great Compromise
Agreement to have a popularly elected House based on
state population and a state selected Senate, with equal membership for each state
Three-Fifths Compromise
Agreement that slaves would be counted as three-
fifths of a person for the purposes of representation and taxation
Judicial Review
The power of the courts to declare laws unconstitutional.
Social Contract
Agreement in which the government derives their power from the consent of the governed and in exchange, the people agree to limit their rights
and participate in an ordered society.
Federalism
System in which power is divided between national and state or local governments
Federalist Papers
A collection of essays/articles designed to rally support for the ratification of the Constitution
Faction
A group with distinct political interests; highlighted in Federalist #10
Federalists
Those citizens who favored a stronger national government and generally supported the ratification of the Constitution