Unit 1A Flashcards
Pluralist Democracy
a model of democracy in which no one group dominates politics and organized groups compete with each other to influence policy
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
Elite Democracy
a model of democracy in which a small number of people, usually those who are wealthy and well-educated, influence political decision making
John Locke’s Social Contract Theory
the obligation to obey civil government under the social contract was conditional upon the protection of the natural rights of each person, including the right to private property
Natural Rights
those that are not dependent on the laws or customs of any particular culture or government, and so are universal, fundamental and inalienable
Limited Government
a theory of governance in which the government only has those powers delegated to it by law, often through a written constitution
Popular Sovereignty
government based on consent of the people
Republicanism
a political ideology centered on citizenship in a state organized as a republic; historically, it emphasizes the idea of self-rule and ranges from the rule of a representative minority or aristocracy to popular sovereignty
Declaration of Independence
“we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”
Weakness of the Articles of Confederation
congress commanded little respect and no support from state governments anxious to maintain their power; congress could not raise funds, regulate trade, or conduct foreign policy without the voluntary agreement of the states
Features of the Articles of Confederation
under the Articles, the states, not Congress, had the power to tax. Congress could raise money only by asking the states for funds, borrowing from foreign governments, or selling western lands; in addition, Congress could not draft soldiers or regulate trade. there was no provision for national courts
Great Compromise
the Connecticut Compromise (also known as the Great Compromise of 1787 or Sherman Compromise) was an agreement reached during the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that in part defined the legislative structure and representation each state would have under the United States Constitution - how many votes each state would get (HOR and Senate)
3/5 Compromise
the Three-Fifths Compromise was reached among state delegates during the 1787 Constitutional Convention. It determined that three out of every five slaves was counted when determining a state’s total population for legislative representation and taxation
Compromise on Importation of Slaves
the Convention passed a compromise on the issue of foreign trade—the importation of enslaved Africans being the most fraught part of the issue. Congress would be unable to ban the slave trade prior to the year 1808, although it could tax enslaved Africans as property
Federalist
supported Hamilton’s vision of a strong centralized government and agreed with his proposals for a national bank and heavy government subsidies
