chapter 2 Flashcards
(36 cards)
What is divine right?
The idea that the power that rulers held was given by god
- What were Locke and Hobbes ideas of authority? Where did it come from? What happened after authority was given?
Authority came from people, if rights were not protected, people would make a new government.
- What did the Declaration of Independence do?
Declared that the colonies were leaving the rule of Britain
- What were some of the claims made by Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence? Where did rights come from? How did governments gain authority? What had King George III claimed about this?
Rights came from nature or nature’s god
governments gained authority from the people
- What was the first system of government after the revolution?
confederacy
- What were the features of that government?
A “League of Friendship” between states. Almost no federal power
- What issues occurred?
Economic problems, drought, and crop failures, states were responsible for relief
- What happened in Shay’s Rebellion? How did it affect the Articles of Confederation?
A march of farmers demanding relief in Massachusetts. Driving some of the founders to fix the articles
- What were the big three compromises at the time of the Constitution your text discusses?
Great (house (population) and senate (equal), three-fifths (yikes), federalism
- What was the Virginia Plan?
Congressional representation based on population (house)
- What was the New Jersey Plan?
Congressional representation equal for all states (senate)
- What were the ideological differences between the federalists and the anti-federalists? Which plan was associated with each group?
Federalists favored national government, favored virginia. Anti-federalists, new jersey
- What did Anti-federalists fear? Be careful here – this is after the Articles and this is a big state – little state issue.
They feared that big states would have an unfair advantage.
- What was the Great Compromise? What did it decide?
Decided house (population) and senate (equal)
- Did the Constitution seek to limit or restrict slavery? What did it say about slavery?
It used to be decided by states
- What was the 3/5ths compromise and what was the argument?
That each slave was worth 3/5ths of a person for the purposes of counting state populations for the house. This would give southern states a boost to their populations. It was agreed to in order to get southern states top ratify the constitution.
- Who wrote the Federalist Papers and what was their purpose?
Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay, under Publius, wrote them to promote federalism and ratification of the new U.S. constitution
- What were James Madison’s points about factions in Federalist 10? Why were they a danger? Could one stop them?
He believed factions were a major problem. He believed they could be held back by distance
- What were Madison’s points in Federalist 51 about the composition of the new government?
He asserts that checks and balances are important because people are not by nature virtuous
- Alexander Hamilton wrote Federalist 54 explaining why attaching a Bill of Rights to the original Constitution was a bad idea. What was his argument?
That if there were specific limits on what government could do, it would try to get as close to those limits as possible.
- Who wanted a Bill of Rights?
Anti-federalists
- How is the Constitution amended? How many states have to ratify an amendment for it be included?
either by 2/3 of both houses of congress or national convention called by 2/3 of state legislature. Then either ¾ of states agree or ¾ of states hold ratifying conventions.
- Which Articles gives each branch powers?
I, II, & III
- What does the phrase “enumerated powers” mean? What does the phrase “implied powers” mean?
Enumerated powers – congressional powers specifically named in the constitution
Implied powers – any powers not taken by the federal government are given to the states
