Exam 1 Flashcards
(47 cards)
habeas corpus
check on unlawful imprisonment
can be suspended temporarily in the event of insurrection (ex: Lincoln during civil war)
The Virginia Plan
Madison used Randolph to kill the Articles of Confederation and introduce the VA Plan
- bicameral (lower house elected by people, upper chosen by lower)
- “national executive” chosen by legislature
- ‘national judiciary” chosen by legislature
- large states preferred VA plan
New Jersey Plan
Patterson
- unicameral with equal representation
- more than one person as executive, chosen by legislature
- supreme court chosen by executive
- smaller states preferred NJ plan
Connecticut Plan (Great Compromise)
- Bicameral
- -lower- HoR, elected by people, 2 year terms, population based
- -upper- Senate, equal (2/state), 6 year terms, state legislature (until 1914)
Three-fifths Compromise
Slave owning states wanted slaves to be counted as a whole person (like a white man) for tax and representative purposes. Non-slave owning states did not want to count slaves at all. Eventually they compromised at 3/5 which satisfied the south
Amendment Process (article 5)
- Congress (2/3 both houses)> states (3/4 of states)
2. 3/4 states>congress (2/3 each)
Constitutional powers of Senate
- Convict during Impeachment
- Advice and consent
- 6 year terms, 1/3 is up for re-election every 2 years
Constitutional powers of House
- power of the purse
- Impeachment
- 2 year terms
Constitutional powers of the President
- commander in chief
- appoint government officials
- enter into treaties (congress approves)
- 4 year terms (initially no # of term limit)
Criteria for Presidential Impeachment
treason
bribery
other high crimes and misdemeanors
Checks and Balances
-president may veto law passed by congress which can then by overridden by a 2/3 majority vote in both houses
Cycles of political system
supports, demands, outputs, feedback
Democracy
given by the Greeks
ruled by the people
Politics
nothing more than pursuit and exercise of power
government, democracy, and power come together in politics
possession and distribution o power
Republic v. Democracy
republic= constitution of rights to the individuals democracy= majority can impose its will on minority
Natural Rights & Social Contract
all individuals are born with inalienable rights
the thought people would give up a few things to live in a civil society
Magna Carta
“the individual has rights the king must respect”
took away some of the king’s powers
-habeas corpus, due process
Mayflower Compact
committed the pilgrims to a body politic (civil self- government)
Fundamental Orders of Connecticut
1st written US constitution
Articles of Confederation
- unicameral congress
- each state had one vote
- 9/13 states for approval
- states retained sovereignty
- congress could not tax
- congress powers
- -foreign policy, declare war, court of disputes
- problems
- -no foreign policy, state coined their own money
Shay’s Rebellion
economy bottomed out and farmers had a hard time paying back their creditors so the creditors got fed up and got the law enforcement to go to the debtors to get their payments and the farmer’s revolted by tarring and feathering the law enforcement. they also attempted to over take the armory but when it failed they ran and the militia could not do anything
Civil Liberties
specific rights guaranteed by the constitution that cannot be denied to citizens by government, most are in the bill of rights
James Madison’s role at Constitutional Convention
“Father of the Constitution”
he did not want the AoC, came up with the Virginia plan
persuaded Washington to attend
George Washington’s role at Constitutional Convention
intervened to break up arguments and to vote on the proposed articles
