Foundations of American Democracy Lecture Notes Review

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts from the Foundations of American Democracy lecture notes.

Natural Rights

Inalienable rights that individuals are born with, as proposed by philosophers like John Locke.

Social Contract

An agreement among individuals to create a government to ensure protection of their rights and maintain order.

Popular Sovereignty

The principle that the authority of a government is created and sustained by the consent of its people, through their elected representatives.

Checks and Balances

A system that ensures that no one branch of government becomes too powerful by requiring that powers be divided among different branches.

Federalism

A system of government in which power is divided between a central authority and constituent political units.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the Constitution that outline and protect the rights of individuals.

Representative Democracy

A form of democracy in which elected officials represent a group of people.

Anti-Federalists

Opponents of the Constitution during the ratification debates, who favored stronger state governments.

Federalists

Proponents of the Constitution during the ratification debates, who favored a stronger national government.

Articles of Confederation

The first constitution of the United States that created a weak national government and was replaced by the current Constitution.

Elastic Clause

The clause in the Constitution (Article I, Section 8) that grants Congress the power to pass all laws necessary and proper for carrying out the enumerated list of powers.

Judicial Review

The power of the courts to declare laws unconstitutional.

Electoral College

A body of electors established by the Constitution, which formally elects the President and Vice President of the United States.

Due Process,

The legal requirement that the state must respect all legal rights that are owed to a person, guaranteeing fair treatment.

Civil Liberties

Individual rights protected by law from unjust governmental interference.

Civil Rights

The rights of citizens to political and social freedom and equality.

Pluralism

A theory of democracy that emphasizes the role of diverse and competing interest groups in shaping policy.

Federalist No. 10

An essay written by James Madison that argued for a large republic to control the effects of factions.

Brutus No. 1

An Anti-Federalist paper that argued against the ratification of the Constitution, stating that a large republic would lead to the loss of individual liberties.

Shays' Rebellion

An armed uprising in 1786-87 by American farmers against state and local enforcement of tax collections and judgments for debt.

17th Amendment

Established the direct election of U.S. senators by popular vote.

Majority Rule

The principle that the greater number should exercise greater power.