Untitled Deck Flashcards
(14 cards)
What is Limited Government?
A principle that restricts government power to protect individual liberties
It ensures that governmental authority is limited by law.
What does Separation of powers refer to?
The division of government responsibilities into distinct branches
Typically, these branches are the executive, legislative, and judicial.
What is the purpose of Checks and balances?
To prevent any one branch of government from becoming too powerful
Each branch has the ability to limit the powers of the others.
Define Federalism.
A system of government in which power is divided between a central authority and constituent units
In the U.S., this refers to the division between national and state governments.
What is Republicanism?
A political ideology centered on the belief that government should be based on the consent of the governed
It emphasizes a system of representative government.
What does Popular sovereignty mean?
The principle that the authority of a government is created and sustained by the consent of its people
This is often expressed through voting.
What is the Executive branch?
The branch of government responsible for implementing and enforcing laws
It is headed by the President in the United States.
What is the Legislative branch?
The branch of government responsible for making laws
In the U.S., this consists of Congress, which is divided into the House of Representatives and the Senate.
What is the Judicial Branch?
The branch of government responsible for interpreting laws and administering justice
It includes the Supreme Court and other federal courts.
What was the Great Compromise?
An agreement that established a bicameral legislature in the United States
It combined elements of the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan.
What is the Connecticut plan?
Another name for the Great Compromise
It resolved disputes between large and small states during the Constitutional Convention.
What did the Virginia Plan propose?
A plan for a bicameral legislature with representation based on population
It favored larger states.
What was the New Jersey Plan?
A proposal for a unicameral legislature with equal representation for each state
It favored smaller states.
Fill in the blank: The _______ compromise determined how slaves would be counted for representation purposes.
3/5ths compromise
It stipulated that each slave would count as three-fifths of a person for taxation and representation.
