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A direct democracy is a system in which citizens are permitted to vote directly on laws and policies. American democracy rests on the principle of majority rule, minority rights. Although not as an enduring topic of political controversy in the United States as compared to other countries, the discussion of __________ specifically has risen since the Great Recession. income inequality In a democracy, popular sovereignty is ultimately vested in? the people In a representative democracy, public policies are determined by? officials regularly chosen by the people. If a person believes that an interest group, such as the National Rifle Association (NRA) or Planned Parenthood, has too much political influence and should not have a role in American government, it might be said that this person opposes? pluralism Although American political culture has expressed desire for some form of limited government, it is generally understood that government is needed to provide public goods The U.S. definition of liberty best refers to personal and economic freedom The government of the United States is best characterized as a republic During America’s Founding, if you believed in a unified, centralized government powerful enough to defend its interests, you were mostly likely a(n) Federalist. Which of the following demonstrated the weakness of the Articles of Confederation, leading to the Constitutional Convention? Shays's Rebellion Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison wrote which of the following documents that argued in favor of adopting the Constitution? The Federalist Papers The inspiration behind the focus of the Declaration of Independence's on "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" was most inspired by which political philosopher? John Locke The method of securing, enacting, or maintaining the Constitution's principle of separation of powers is known as checks and balances. If you lived in America in 1783, what type of government would you have lived under? confederation What is the name of the clause that is understood to give Congress the power to pass any law that is necessary to carry out its expressed powers? elastic clause What power does the Supreme Court possess that is not expressly given to it by the Constitution? conducting judicial review What type of tyranny did the Federalists fear the most? tyranny of the majority Which of the following concepts best explains the underlying reason for the Bill of Rights? limited government Which of the following statements is true about the Three-Fifths Compromise? Under this compromise, five slaves would count as three free persons in apportioning seats in the House of Representatives. Both New England merchants and southern planters were harmed economically by which of the following? Stamp and Sugar Acts Federal government shutdowns often occur when the House and Senate cannot agree on the national budget. Although many citizens view this as incompetence, the Founders would likely argue that government shutdowns are a consequence of the necessary function of the theory of separation of powers and checks and balances that the Founders purposely put into the Constitution. As a political value, individual liberty was the most important value for the Constitution's authors. If you were a member of Congress and wanted to change the structure of the U.S. government, what mechanism would you most likely use? Suggest an amendment to the Constitution that addresses the structure of government. Congress' ability to pass laws needed to carry out its expressed powers is known as the __________ clause. necessary and proper If you were asked to advise on how to create a "living" constitution, which of the following judicial powers would you be most likely to recommend? judicial review This clause in the Constitution makes it illegal for the state of Michigan to purposely discriminate against citizens in Michigan from the state of Georgia: comity clause The Bill of Rights eased concerns about an overly powerful central government. The core component of the Virginia Plan was that? it provided for a system of representation in the national legislature based on the population of each state, the proportion of each state's revenue contribution to the national government, or both. The process of amending the Constitution is __________, leading to a __________ proportion of proposed amendments succeeding. difficult; very small Under the terms of the Great Compromise, the House of Representatives was based on proportional representation. A direct democracy is a system in which citizens are permitted to vote directly on laws and policies. American democracy rests on the principle of majority rule, minority rights. Although not as an enduring topic of political controversy in the United States as compared to other countries, the discussion of __________ specifically has risen since the Great Recession. income inequality In a democracy, popular sovereignty is ultimately vested in? the people In a representative democracy, public policies are determined by officials regularly chosen by the people. If a person believes that an interest group, such as the National Rifle Association (NRA) or Planned Parenthood, has too much political influence and should not have a role in American government, it might be said that this person opposes pluralism Although American political culture has expressed desire for some form of limited government, it is generally understood that government is needed to provide public goods The U.S. definition of liberty best refers to personal and economic freedom The government of the United States is best characterized as a republic Struggle over power or influence within organizations or informal groups that can grant pr withhold benefits or privileges Politics In favor of the adoption of the U.S. Constitution and the creation of a federal union with a strong central government Federalism Political system in which states or regional governments retain ultimate authority except for those powers they expressly delegate to a central government Confederation Centralized governmental system in which ultimate governmental authority rests in the hands of the central government Unitary System Rights not dependent on the laws, customs, or beliefs of any particular culture or government Inalienable Rights Concept to denote the hypothetical conditions of what the lives of people might have been like before societies came into existence State of Nature Philosophy that certain rights or values are inherit by virtue of human nature and universally cognizable through human reason Natural Law Aggregate of non-governmental organizations and institutions that manifest interests and will of citizens Civil Society Voluntary agreement among individuals to secure their rights and welfare by creating a government and abiding by its rules Social Contract/Compact Wrote Two Treaties of Government he argued that all people possess certain natural rights, including the rights to life, liberty, and property. Primary purpose of government was to protect those rights. Government was established by the people through a social contract. John Locke Plan to creat a unified government for the 13 colonies Albany Plan Meeting of 12 delegates from 5 states that called for a constitutional convention Annapolis convention Adopted by the continental congress on November 15, 1777; Served as the United States first constitution Articles of Confederation Series of protests in 1786 and 1787 by American farmers against state and local enforcement of tax collections and judgements for debt Shay's Rebellion Convention used to discuss possible improvements to the Articles of Confederation; May 14, 1787 Philadelphia Convention Proposal by Virginia delegates for a bicameral legislative branch; drafted my James Madison Virginia Plan Proposal for the structure of the United States government presented by William Paterson on June 15, 1787 New Jersey Plan Agreement that large and small states reached during the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that in part defined the legislative structure and representation that each state would have under the United States Constitution Connecticut Compromise Major principle of the American system of government whereby each branch of the government can check the actions of the others Checks and Balances The principle of dividing governmental powers among different branches of government Separation of Powers Division of a legislature into two separate assemblies Bicameral Only one legislative chamber as opposed to bicameral, such as the U.S. Congress Unicameral Established judicial review Marbury v. Madison First Supreme Court decision to develop the concept of implied powers McCulloch v. Maryland Grants congress the power to do whatever is necessary to execute its specifically delegated powers Necessary or proper clause Theory that describes a general approach which the judiciary uses to interpret the law, particularly constitutional documents and legislation Judicial Interpretation Powers specifically granted to the national government by the constitution Enumerated Powers Powers which are not written down Residual (reserved) Powers Powers not explicitly named in the Constitution but assumed to exist due to their being necessary to implement the expressed powers that are named in Article I Implied Powers The rights and powers held by individual US states rather than by the federal government States Rights All laws made furthering the Constitution and all treaties made under the authority of the United States are the "supreme law of the land" National Supremacy An electoral system in which parties gain seats in proportion to the number of votes cast for them Proportional Representation Compromise reached between delegates from southern states and those from northern states during the 1787 US Constitutional Convention Three-Fifths Compromise An individual who was in favor of the adoption of the U.S. Constitution and the creation of a federal union with a strong central government Federalist And individual who opposed the ratification of the new Constitution in 1787. The Anti-Federalists were opposed to a strong central government Anti-Federalist The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution Bill of Rights Personal freedoms including freedom of religion and of speech, that are protected for all individuals in a society Civil Liberties Doctrine adopted by Supreme Court of the US to determine under what circumstances limits can be placed on First Amendment freedoms of speech, press, or assembly Clear and Present Danger Expression made through articles of clothing, gestures, movements, and other form sod nonverbal communication Symbolic Speech Generally, all rights rooted in the Fourteenth Amendments guarantee of equal protection under the law Civil rights Discrimination against individuals who are not members of a minority group Reverse Discrimination Legalized segregation between blacks and whites Jim Crow laws Test administered as a precondition for voting, often used to prevent African Americans from exercising their right to vote Literacy Test Special tax that had to be paid as a qualification for voting. Poll Taxes Device used by southern states to disenfranchise African Americans. Restricted voting to those whose grandfathers had voted before 1867 Grandfather Clause Legal doctrine in the US that requires government officials to follow fair procedures before depriving a person of life, liberty, and property. Procedural Due Process Principle that allows courts to protect certain rights deemed fundamental from government interference under the authority of the due process clauses Substantive Due Process |