unit 1 vocabulary Flashcards
This work by a prominent Anti-Federalist argued that the new federal government would be too powerful. In particular, he pointed to the necessary-and-proper clause and the supremacy clause. In addition, he objected to Congress’s power to tax and raise a standing army and to the vast size of the proposed republic. He felt this powerful new government would replace the states.
Brutus No. 1
An essay composed by James Madison who argues that liberty is safest in a large republic because many interests (factions) exist. Such diversity makes tyranny by the majority more difficult since ruling coalitions will always be unstable.
Federalist #1
Groups such as parties or interest groups, which according to James Madison arose from the unequal distribution of property or wealth and had the potential to cause instability in government.
Factions
Created the basic framework for the U.S. Constitution and helped write the Bill of Rights, Father of the Constitution, fourth U.S. president.
James Madison
The first ten amendments to the Constitution designed to preserve the individual rights and liberties of American citizens.
Bill of Rights
The first ten amendments to the Constitution designed to preserve the individual rights and liberties of American citizens
Declaration of Independence (1776)
Farmers in western Massachusetts failed to pay their taxes and debts and saw their properties foreclosed, highlighted the need for a strong national government
Shays’ Rebellion
1st Constitution of the U.S. 1781-1788 (weaknesses-no executive, no judicial, no power to tax, no power to regulate trade, v. weak central government)
Articles of Confederation
The meeting of state delegates in 1787 in Philadelphia called to revise the Articles of Confederation. It instead designed a new plan of government, the US Constitution.
Constitutional Convention
A political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them, as opposed to a king or monarch
republic
Group of delegates who drafted the United States Constitution at the Philadelphia Convention in 1787
Framers
The big states called for a two-house Congress with each state’s representation based on the state population. The small states called for a one-house Congress in which each state had equal representation.
Virginia and New Jersey Plans
Plan to have a popularly elected House based on state population and a state-selected Senate, with two members for each state (bicameral)
Great (Connecticut) Compromise
A system in which power is divided between the national and state governments
Federalism
Constitutional division of powers among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, with the legislative branch making law, the executive applying and enforcing the law, and the judiciary interpreting the law
Separation of powers
A belief that ultimate power resides in the people.
Popular sovereignty
A system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power
Checks and balances
Allows the court to determine the constitutionality of laws/ validity of a legislative act
Judicial review
Established judicial review, established the authority of American courts to overturn laws and invalidate government actions that violate the Constitution.
Marbury v. Madison (1803)
Formal approval, final consent to the effectiveness of a constitution, constitutional amendment, or treaty
Ratification
Allowed the southern states to increase their political power by counting slaves as part of their population, while denying those same slaves any political rights or representation.
3/5ths Compromise
Powers given to the national government/ Congress alone
Enumerated powers
Powers directly stated in the constitution
Expressed powers
Powers that congress has that are not stated explicitly in the constitution
Implied powers
Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution, which allows Congress to make all laws that are “necessary and proper” to carry out the powers of the Constitution.
Elastic clause
State governing its territory free from control of its internal affairs by other states (supreme or ultimate political authority)
Sovereignty
A government that gives all key powers to the national or central government
Unitary system
A system of government with a very weak central government and strong states.confederate system
Confederate system
A system of government in which power is divided between a central authority and a number of individual states
Federal system
The transfer of powers and responsibilities from the federal government to the states
Devolution
Where funding is appropriated by the federal government to the states with specific conditions attached.
Fiscal federalism
Funds given by congress to state and local governments (important form of federal influence)
Grants-in-aid
Money given for a fairly broad purpose with few strings attached
Block grants
Money given for a specific purpose that comes with restrictions concerning how the money should be spent.
Categorical grants
Terms or goals set by the national government that the states have to meet.
Mandates
Terms or goals set by the national government that the states have to meet, without money from government
Unfunded mandates
The court decided that the Federal Government had the right and power to set up a Federal bank and that states did not have the power to tax the Federal Government. (REGARDING FEDERAL POWER)
McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)
Powers not delegated to the federal government are reserved to the states.
10th Amendment
A doctrine and strategy in which the rights of individual states are protected by the Constitution from interference by the federal government.
States’ rights
Supporters of ratification of the Constitution and of a strong central government.
Federalists
Opponents of ratification of the Constitution and of a strong central government, generally.
Anti-federalists
The Supreme Court ruled that Congress had exceeded its constitutional authority under the Commerce Clause when it passed a law prohibiting gun possession in local school zones. The Commerce Clause included the power to regulate local activities so long as those “significantly affect” interstate commerce.
final decision: struck down a federal law creating gun-free school zones, which limited the power of the federal government in relation to the states.
U.S. v. Lopez (1995)
Small group of wealthy individuals dominate government’s policy-making.
Elite model/theory
Citizens have the power to decide directly on policy and politicians are responsible for implementing those policy decisions.
Participatory model/theory
No one group dominates politics and organized groups compete with each other to influence policy.
Pluralist model/theory
