Unit 1: Foundations of American Democracy Flashcards
(50 cards)
Constitutional Convention
Also called the Philadelphia Convention. A meeting of delegates from 12 of the 13 states to revise or replace the Articles of Confederation with a new Constitution featuring a stronger central government.
limited government
A political system in which the government’s power is restricted by laws or a written Constitution.
natural rights
The right to life, liberty, and property, which no government may take away.
republicanism
The principle of governing through elected representatives.
social contract
An agreement between people and government in which citizens consent to be governed so long as the government protects their natural rights.
John Adams
Massachusetts statesman and leader in the movement for American independence. Adams aided Jefferson in drafting the Declaration of Independence.
Ben Franklin
Pennsylvania statesman and leader in the movement for American independence. Franklin aided Jefferson in drafting the Declaration of Independence.
Alexander Hamilton
New York statesman who promoted replacing the Articles of Confederation with a stronger central government. He coauthored the Federalist Papers, which argued in favor of ratifying the Constitution.
Thomas Jefferson
Principal author of the Declaration of Independence.
James Madison
Virginia statesman and major contributor to the US Constitution. He coauthored the Federalist Papers and wrote the Bill of Rights.
George Washington
Revolutionary War general who presided over the Constitutional Convention.
democracy
A system of government in which the power of the government is vested in the people, who rule directly or through elected representatives.
participatory democracy
A form of democracy that emphasizes broad, direct participation in politics and civil society, in which most or all citizens participate in politics directly.
elite democracy
A form of democracy in which a small number of people, usually those who are wealthy and well-educated, influence political decision making.
pluralist democracy
A form of democracy in which political power rests with competing interest groups so that no one group dominates political decisions.
Articles of Confederation
The first government system of the United States, which lasted from 1776 until 1789. The Articles placed most power in the hands of state governments. Government under the Articles lacked an executive or a judicial branch.
Confederation Congress
The central government under the Articles of Confederation, composed of delegates chosen by state governments. Each state had one vote in the Congress, regardless of its population. The Congress had difficulty legislating as the Articles required nine of the thirteen states to vote to approve any measure, and a unanimous vote in order to amend the Articles themselves.
Shays’ Rebellion
An uprising of Revolutionary War veterans in Massachusetts, who had not been paid for their military service as the federal government lacked the power to raise funds through taxation. Led by veteran Daniel Shays, the rebellion demonstrated the weaknesses of the federal government under the Articles, as it could neither raise the money to pay the veterans nor raise an army to put down the uprising.
Problems with the Articles of Confederation
1) The national government could not tax citizens directly, only request money from the states.The states rarely contributed money, meaning the national government could not pay its debts or fund initiatives.
2) The national government could not regulate international or interstate trade. The national government could not stop states from undermining it by making their own trade agreements with foreign nations.
3) The national government could not raise an army, only request that the states send soldiers. States could refuse to send soldiers, making it difficult to defend the nation.
4) Each state only had one vote in Congress, regardless of its population. The citizens of small states had proportionally more political power than the citizens of large states.
5) The national government had no executive branch. The national government had no way of implementing or enforcing its legislative decisions.
6) The national government had no judicial branch. There was no effective way to resolve disputes between states, such as competing claims to the same territory.
7) Passing laws required the approval of nine states, and amending the Articles required the approval of all thirteen states. It was difficult to get enough consensus to make laws and nearly impossible to fix the Articles themselves.
Article V
The section of the Constitution that details how to amend the Constitution, either through a congressional proposal or a convention of the states, with final ratification from three-fourths of the states.
amendment
A change to the United States Constitution.
Great Compromise
Also known as the Connecticut Compromise, a major compromise at the Constitutional Convention that created a two-house legislature, with the Senate having equal representation for all states and the House of Representatives having representation proportional to state populations.
Electoral College
A body of representatives from every state in the United States who formally cast votes to elect the president and vice president.
Three-Fifths Compromise
An agreement added to the Constitution that would count each enslaved person as three-fifths of a white person for purposes of representation in the House of Representatives.
