Lecture Notes Flashcards

Flashcards covering vocabulary and key concepts from the lecture notes.

Social Contract

Rights/laws agreed upon by a governing body and society.

Natural Rights

Given human rights you're born with within the state (life, liberty, and property).

Popular Sovereignty

Decisions made by the majority; the people have the power.

Limited Government

Government with limited power.

Authoritarian/Absolute Monarchy

Rejection of plurality, strong central power, preservation of the “status quo”, values order over personal freedom.

Authoritarian Government

Small group, single party, or institution rules.

Monarchy

Single ruler has total power, typically through divine right.

Direct Democracy

Pure democracy where the electorate decides on policy initiatives; citizens directly participate in decision making.

Republic (Representative Democracy)

State in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives as proxies.

Participatory Democratic Theory

Combines elements of direct and representative democracy; citizens decide on policy proposals, and politicians implement them.

Pluralist Democratic Theory

Individuals achieve positions of formal political authority by forming electoral coalitions; social heterogeneity prevents any single group from gaining independence.

Elitist Democratic Theory

Small number of people, usually wealthy and well-educated, influence political decision-making.

Federalists

People who believe there is a need for a strong central government.

What Federalists Believe

Favor central power, representative democracy, believed the Articles of Confederation were weak, and wanted to ratify the Constitution.

Anti-Federalists

People who believe there is a need for a strong state government.

What Anti-Federalists Believe

Opposed Constitutional ratification, feared a large central government would threaten individual liberties, favored state & local governments, and supported the Bill of Rights.

Shay’s Rebellion

Demonstrated the consequence of a weak central government; breaking of the social contract.

Enumerated Powers

Powers from Article I, Section 8 detailing Congressional powers (e.g., collect taxes, regulate interstate commerce, coin money, raise and support armies).

Constitutional Convention

Meeting in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787 where delegates recommended a new government charter to address weaknesses of the central government.

Great Compromises

The Great compromises were The Great (connecticut) Compromise, Electoral college, the Three-fifths Compromise, and the Compromise on the importation of enslaves peoples.

Federalism

The distribution of power within the government (division of powers between central and state governments).

Separation of Powers

Division of governmental responsibilities into three branches (legislative, executive, judicial) to limit any one branch from exercising too much power.

Checks and Balances

System that allows each branch of government to amend or veto acts of the other branches (limits power of each branch).

Bicameralism

Two-house legislative system.

Impeachment

The removal of a public official.

Enumerated Powers (Federalism)

Powers granted to the Federal government, mostly listed in Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution.

Implied Powers

Powers that, although not directly stated in the Constitution, are implied to be available based on previously stated powers. “Necessary and proper”/“Coefficient”/“Elastic” Clause.

Reserved Powers

Powers not specifically granted to the federal government by the Constitution; the Tenth Amendment gives these powers to the states.

Concurrent Powers

Powers shared by both the federal government and state governments.

Supremacy Clause

States that the Constitution and federal laws consistent with it are the supreme law of the land and preempt conflicting state laws.