Midterm American polotics Flashcards
What were the Articles of Confederation?
The Articles of Confederation were the first governing document of the U.S., creating a weak central government.
What is the Declaration of Independence?
The Declaration of Independence was the 1776 statement declaring the American colonies’ independence from Britain.
What was the Constitutional Convention?
The Constitutional Convention was the 1787 meeting where the U.S. Constitution was drafted.
What is the U.S. Constitution?
The U.S. Constitution replaced the Articles of Confederation and established the framework of the U.S. government.
What is the Bill of Rights?
The Bill of Rights consists of the first ten amendments to the Constitution, guaranteeing personal liberties.
What are Amendments to the Constitution?
Amendments are changes made to the U.S. Constitution to address evolving issues.
What was the Virginia Plan?
The Virginia Plan proposed a bicameral legislature with representation based on population.
What was the New Jersey Plan?
The New Jersey Plan proposed a unicameral legislature with equal representation for each state.
What is the Connecticut Compromise?
The Connecticut Compromise created a bicameral legislature, blending the Virginia and New Jersey Plans.
What was the Boston Massacre?
The Boston Massacre was an incident in 1770 where British soldiers killed five colonists, escalating tensions.
What was the Boston Tea Party?
The Boston Tea Party was a 1773 protest against British taxation, where colonists dumped tea into Boston Harbor.
What were the Coercive (Intolerable) Acts?
The Coercive Acts were punitive measures by Britain in 1774 in response to the Boston Tea Party, further fueling colonial resistance.
What was the Stamp Act?
The Stamp Act was a 1765 British law taxing American colonists on printed materials.
What was the Stamp Act Congress?
The Stamp Act Congress was a meeting of colonial representatives in 1765 protesting the Stamp Act.
What was the Sugar Act?
The Sugar Act was a 1764 British tax on sugar and molasses imported to the colonies.
What were the Townsend Acts?
The Townsend Acts were a series of British laws imposing taxes on goods imported to the colonies in 1767.
What was Shay’s Rebellion?
Shay’s Rebellion was a 1786 uprising by struggling farmers, highlighting the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.
What was the Revolutionary War?
The Revolutionary War was the 1775–1783 conflict between the American colonies and Britain that resulted in American independence.
What is democracy?
Democracy is a system of government in which power lies with the people, often exercised through voting.
What is direct democracy?
Direct democracy is a form of democracy where citizens directly vote on laws and policies.
Direct democracy is a form of democracy where citizens directly vote on laws and policies.
Representative democracy is a system in which citizens elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf.
What is the delegate model?
The delegate model is where elected officials act in accordance with the preferences of their constituents.
What is the trustee model?
The trustee model is where elected officials use their judgment to make decisions, even if those decisions differ from their constituents’ preferences.
What is the separation of powers?
The separation of powers is the division of government into branches (legislative, executive, and judicial) to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful.
