vocab 1 Flashcards
Participatory democracy
A system that emphasizes broad participation by citizens in politics
Representative democracy
a form of government in which leaders are selected to represent the people
Amendment process
step 1: amendment proposed by 2/3 vote of both houses of congress THEN amendment ratified by 3/4 of the 50 state legislatures
Federalists
supporters of the constitution
Antifederalists
Opponents of the ratification of the constitution and of a strong government, generally
declaration of independence
a 1776 statement, containing the topics of egalitarianism, popular sovereignty, and the right of citizens to rebel against governments that failed to protect natural rights
Brutus I
Main concerns about the constitution: Gov w/ uncontrollable power, Necessary & proper clause, Supremacy Clause. Federal government takes away from state power. Not enough communication in a large republic. Taxing is the biggest power and should belong to the states.
Preamble to the constutution
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
Pluralist democracy
a system that recognizes group-based activism by citizens as the main form of participation
elite democracy
a system that emphasizes limited participation in politics by average citizens
limited government
a philosophy that a government must be designed so that it is not all-powerful
natural rights
the philosophy of john locke that people were born with the right to life, liberty, and property
popular sovereignty
the concept that the power to rule comes from the people
social contract
An arrangement in which citizens give up some freedom to the government, who in turn must protect their natural rights.
shays rebellion
threat to the government in Massachusetts that pointed to the need for a stronger government.
articles of confederation
1st Constitution of the U.S. 1781-1788 (weaknesses-no executive, no judicial, no power to tax, no power to regulate trade)
great compromise
1787; This compromise was between the large and small states of the colonies. The Great Compromise resolved that there would be representation by population in the House of Representatives, and equal representation would exist in the Senate. Each state, regardless of size, would have 2 senators. All tax bills and revenues would originate in the House. This compromise combined the needs of both large and small states and formed a fair and sensible resolution to their problems.
electoral college
the body of electors that formally elect the US president and vice president
three-fifths compromise
the agreement by which the number of each state’s representatives in Congress would be based on a count of all the free people plus three-fifths of the slaves
slave trade compromise
In 1787 some northern states had banned slave trade in their borders, urged that slave trade should be banned in the entire nation, southerners-no, Compromised that congress could not outlaw slave trade for at least 20 years. Northerners agreed that no state could stop a fugitive slave from being returned to someone who claimed that slave
impeachment
charges against the president approved by a majority of the house of representatives
federalist papers
a series of 85 essays written by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay published in NY newspapers and used to convince readers to adopt the new constitution
separation of powers
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
federalist no 51
argues that the separation of powers within the national government is the best way to prevent the concentration of power in the hands of one single person or group
federalist no 10
An essay composed by James Madison which argues that liberty is safest in a large republic because many interests (factions) exist to balance each other. Such diversity makes tyranny by the majority more difficult since one unchallenged faction will be unlikely to dominate.
