Test 1 Flashcards
(41 cards)
Power
The ability to get others to do what you want
Sovereignty
Has the final say/the final authority
Articles of Confederation
An agreement among the states; the original constitution of the US, ratified in 1781, which was replaced by the US Constitution in 1789
Monarchy
Rule by one
Tyranny
Unrestrained rule
Democracy
Majority rule
Constitutional Government
Limited rule
Federalism
Government authority shared by national and local governments
Nullification
The doctrine that a state can declare null and void a federal law that, in the state’s opinion, violates the Constitution
Mandates
Terms set by the national government that states must meet whether or not they accept federal grants
Culture
Any learned social behavior comprising one’s way of life
Bill of Attainder
A law that declares a person, without a trial, to be guilty of a crime
Writ of Habeas Corpus
An order to produce an arrested person before a judge
If you are detained, they must provide the evidence and tell you the reason
Ex Post Facto Laws
A law that makes an act criminal even though the act was legal when it was committed
Anti-Federalist
Opposed to the Constitution
Confederation
A confederation is a type of government made up of a league of independent nations or states. Each state is independent and has its own authority and autonomy, but they come together for some sort of shared government
Secession
The withdrawal in 1860–61 of 11 Southern states from the Union to form the Confederacy, precipitating the American Civil War
(In the end, the national government was supreme, and thus the states could not lawfully secede from the Union
Unitary System
A system of government where sovereignty is fully vested in the national government, not the states
The Great Compromise (Connecticut Compromise)
House of Representatives: Based on population
Senate: Equal representation; 2 senators per state
New Jersey Plan
Every state has equal representation
Virginia Plan
Legislature represented by population
Federalist Papers
Written by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay; A collection of “Letters to the Editor” that promoted the ratification of the Constitution of the United States
Democracy in America
Written by Alexis de Tocqueville (Frenchman, 1805-1859)
Highlights the contrast between aristocratic Europe and democratic America; examines liberties like freedom of speech; exposes dangers like the tyranny of the majority; and analyzes the impacts of individualism, decentralization, and slavery on American society.
State Dependence on Federal Money
Conditions of aid, which are terms set by the national government that states must meet if they are to receive certain federal funds, put the states in a difficult position. In theory, accepting these conditions is voluntary—if you don’t want the strings, don’t take the money. But when the typical state depends for a quarter or more of its budget on federal grants, many of which it has received for years and on which many of its citizens depend for their livelihoods, it is not clear exactly how “voluntary” such acceptance is.