The Founding and Constitution

Question 1

Regime

Answer 1

a countries organization of political power, both formal and informal, democratic or authoritarian

Question 2

Democracy as a type of regime

Answer 2

The democratic form of government is an institutional configuration that allows for popular participation through the electoral process….reasonably fair elections, the rights of voting, the freedom to be elected, and some surrounding “political freedoms

Question 3

The State

Answer 3

a set of organizations claiming control over people and land, EX: white house, IRS, city council

Question 4

Rule of Law

Answer 4

legal principals which govern the citizens and governments

Question 5

Declaration of Independence

Answer 5

founding documents in defense of revolution and in defiance of abusive authority. Led to national unity, new democratic vision of the world

Question 6

Articles of Confederation

Answer 6

allowed for many states to free ride, served as a written document establishing the national government for the first 13 states.

Question 7

Virginia Plan v. New Jersey Plan

Answer 7

Virginia plan: Representatives based off population per state with a congressional veto over states, New Jersey: equal representation per state

Question 8

Connecticut Compromise

Answer 8

2 legislative chambers appointed differently, no congressional veto, strong executive branch

Question 9

3/5ths Compromise

Answer 9

blacks were counted as 3/5ths of a person for representation based off population for house of reps

Question 10

Bicameralism

Answer 10

2 chambers, house (pop) 2 year terms, Senate (2 per state) 6 year terms

Question 11

Electoral college

Answer 11

used to elect the president, each states gets a number of electorates based off population, smaller states are guaranteed at least 3

Question 12

Necessary and proper clause (also known as “elastic clause”)

Answer 12

power of government to make all laws which are necessary and proper

Question 13

Commerce Clauses

Answer 13

congress has the power to regulate commerce when it involves more than 1 state or foreign powers

Question 14

Supremacy Clause

Answer 14

Laws and treaties of the US are supreme throughout the land

Question 15

Separate institutions sharing power

Answer 15

separation of power and a system of checks and balances

Question 16

Reserved Powers

Answer 16

A political power that is reserved exclusively to a particular political authority.

Question 17

Bill of Rights

Answer 17

anti federalists were upset that the constitution didn’t contain a list of rights, decided to add them as the first 10 amendments.

Question 18

Anti-Federalists vs. Federalists

Answer 18

federalists: approved of the constitution
antifederalists: didn’t approve of the constitution, huge concern about executive branch

Question 19

Mischiefs of Faction

Answer 19

madison was scared about factions (groups of people who gather for a specific interest), believed constitution limited this

Question 20

Ambition counteracting Ambition

Answer 20

federalist paper 51, need for separation of power between branches of government

Question 21

Veto Player

Answer 21

actors empowered to stop stuff, laws; wars, treaties, appointments, senate has absolute veto, president has weaker veto