REQUIRED DOCS Flashcards
(10 cards)
Declaration of Independence
Author
Thomas Jefferson, authorized by Second Constitutional Congress
Main ideas
Declared Independence from Britain - justification for “divorce”
Identified Natural Rights - life, liberty, pursuit of happiness, and government’s job to protect them
Influenced heavily by John Locke
Consent of the Governed, Popular Sovereignty, Social Contract Theory
Limited Government
Articles of Confederation
Main ideas
Confederal government (state sovereignty);
Weak - Congress not given many powers to prevent tyranny
Unicameral Legislature
Each state has one vote; 9/13 votes needed to pass laws
No executive/no judicial (cannot settle interstate disputes)
No power to tax citizens
No power to raise and army
US Constitution
Main ideas
Article 1: Legislative
Section 8: Enumerated powers (Lists certain powers, commerce clause, necessary and proper clause)
Article 2: Executive
Article 3: Judiciary
Article 4: Relationship between the states, how to acquire new states
Article 5: Amendment process (proposal, ratification)
Article 6: Supremacy clause, (Supremacy of US of state gov)
Article 7: Ratifying the Constitution
Federalist 10
Author
James Madison
Main ideas
Factions are inevitable - cannot destroy them, so must manage them
Large Republic is the best form of government to address factions - too difficult for any one faction to gain power; less likely for corruption
Pluralism - many factions competing for influence leads to only the best ideas being enacted
Prevents tyranny of the majority
Views of the people will be “refined and enlarges’ by their elected representatives
Brutus #1
Author
Brutus #1 (Robert Yates Anti- Federalist)
Main ideas
Constitution gives too much power to the central government
Necessary and Proper Clause (Elastic Clause) is a blank check to Congress
Supremacy Clause - state governments will be obsolete; impotent
Too large a country for congress to represent local concerns; ineffective because too many views (factions) to form consensus
Standing army in peacetime is a destruction of liberty
Once you give up power, the only way to get it back is by force
Federalist #51
Author
James Madison
Main ideas
Checks and balances
Power is divided between:
3 branches of gov, each with little control over the other
National and state government; House and Senate are divided and elected in different ways (back then)
Checks and balances - government must be powerful enough to control the people, but also to control itself - separate but equal powers
All keep power from becoming too centralized - prevent one person/one group from taking over the government
“If men were angels, no government would be necessary”
Federalist #78
Author
Alexander Hamilton
“Least dangerous branch” - cannot enforce its decisions (no influence over “sword or purse”)
Judiciary must be independent
Life terms ensure justices are (otherwise they will be beholden to their appointers)
Qualified men won’t do the job if it’s temporary
Judicial review: job is to interpret the Constitution
Letter from Birmingham Jail
Author
MLK Jr.
Main ideas
Wrote the letter in 1963 while imprisoned for participating in nonviolent demonstrations against segregation
Justice delayed is justice denied; Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere
Individuals have a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws
All people should be treated the same under the law (14th amendment equal protection clause)
Nonviolent direct action seeks to create an urgency for legislative action
Bill of Rights (Part of Constitution)
Main ideas
10th amendment: reserved powers to the states
14th amendment: citizenship for people born in the US, equal protection clause, due process clause (STATES must treat people fairly under the law)
15th amendment: cannot deny the right the vote based on race, universal male suffrage
17th amendment: direct election of senators
19th amendment: cannot deny the right to vote based on sex, women’s right to vote
22nd amendment: 2-term limit for president
23rd amendment: gave electoral college votes to DC (3 votes)
24th amendment: eliminated poll tax
25th amendment: presidential succession, what happens if the president is incapacitated/unable to perform duties
26th amendment: lowered voting age to 18
Federalist 70
Author
Alexander Hamilton
Main ideas
Argued in favor of a single executive
Hamilton argues that giving on person executive power is actually safer than giving it to a group of people
Protection against foreign attacks, steady administration of laws, protection of property, security of liberty
One person will take the blame for bad descions
