Constitutional Underpinnings

Natural Rights

The rights possessed by all humans as gift from nature, or God, including the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (unalienable rights)

Natural Law

The assertion that standards that govern human behavior are derived from the nature of humans themselves and can be applied universally.

Social Contract Theory

The idea that individuals possess free will, and every individual is equally endowed with the God-given right of self-determination and the ability to consent to be governed.

Direct Democracy

A structure of government in which citizens discuss and decide policy through majority rule.

Indirect Democracy

Sometimes called a representative democracy, a system in which citizens elect representatives who decides policies on behalf of their constituents.

Pluralism

Belief that power in policy making is spread among groups that ensure representation of individual interests.

Representative Dem.

a system in which citizens elect representatives who decides policies on behalf of their constituents.

Participatory Democracy

is a model of government where ordinary citizens have a direct and active role in political decisions and policy-making, rather than relying solely on elected representatives

Elite Democracy

a political model where a small, wealthy, or well-educated group holds most of the actual political power and makes major decisions for the public (modern)

Pluralist Democracy

Pluralist democracy is a political system where power is spread across many diverse groups and organizations rather than concentrated in a single central authorit

Republic

A government that derives its authority from the people and in which citizens elect government officials to represent them in the processes by which laws are made; a representative/indirect democracy

Oligarchy

a government in which an elite few hold power (selfish, self-interest)

Aristocracy

a form of government or social system where power rests with a small, privileged elite class rather than the general public (traditional)

Elastic Clause

a clause in article 1 section 8 that gives Congress the power to do whatever it deems necessary and constitutional to meet its enumerated obligations

Expressed Powers

the specific authority and duties explicitly granted to a government branch and written directly in a constitution or legal document

10th Amendment

Establishes the principle of federalism by reserving all powers not granted to the federal government—nor prohibited to the states—to the states or to the people

“No Taxation Without Representation”

A political slogan form the 1760s meaning that a government sould not tac its people if those people have no elected voice in the government

Articles of Confederation

The first written constitution of the United States

Shay’s Rebellion

An armed uprising in Western Massachusetts by debt-ridden farmers protesting high taxes and property foreclosures

Constitutional Convention

A historic meeting held in Philadelphia where delegates gathered to frame the constitution

Constitution

The supreme law of the land

Qualifications of the House

Must be at least 25 years old, a US citizen for 7 years, and a resident of the state they represent.

Qualifications for the Senate

Must be at least 30 years old, a US citizen for 9 years, and a resident of the state they represent

Presidential Veto

The President has 10 days to decide whether or not to veto a bill. If vetoed, it goes back to the chamber of its origins for revision or congress can override the veto with a 2/3 vote in both chambers.

Pocket Veto

If congress adjourns in the 10 day period and the President chooses not to sign the bill, it automatically dies.

Powers of the President

Ensure laws are faithfully executed, appoint people in administering the laws, negotiate treaties, and command the military

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments

Bill of Attainder

is a legislative act that declares a person or a group guilty of a crime and punishes them without a judicial trial

Declaration of Independence

The historic document that declared the colonies’ political separation from Great Britain

Virginia Plan

A proposal for a strong central government with three distinct branches and proportional representation based on population

New Jersey Plan

a 1787 Constitutional Convention proposal that favored small states by giving every state an equal vote in a single-house congress

The Great Compromise

A compromise between the Virginia and the New Jersey Plan to create a two part legislature with one chamber having representative proportional to the population and one having two in the chamber per state.

The 3/5ths Compromise

Counted three out of every five enslaved people for political representation

Compromise on Importation of Slaves

an agreement reached during the 1787 Constitutional Convention stating that Congress could not prohibit the international slave trade until the year 1808

Separation of Powers

constitutional design that divides the core responsibilities of government into distinct branches to prevent any single group or person from holding absolute power

Checks & Balances

a system that divides government power so no single branch can become too powerful

Efficacy

Citizen’s belief that they have the ability to achieve something desirable and that the government listens to them

Judicial Review

Court authority to determine that an action taken by any government official or government body violates or does not violate the constitution

Popular Sovereignty

the core political principle that a government's legitimacy and moral authority are granted solely by the consent of its people

Federalism

The US government structure of two levels of governing, involving both national and state governments.

Limited Government

Government that is restricted in what it can do so that the rights of the people are protected.

Linkage Institutions

a channel or structure that connects everyday citizens to their government and policymakers

Federalists

Individuals who supported the new constitution that was proposedA in the Constitutional Convention.

Anti-Federalists

Individuals who opposed the ratification of the constitution, suspicious of the powers it gave to the national government.

Federalist Papers

A series of essays written by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay, that argued for the ratification of the constitution

Brutus No. 1

A famous anti-federalist essay

Federalist 51

xplains how the structure of the U.S. Constitution creates a system of checks and balances to prevent any single branch from gaining too much power

electoral college

the official system used to indirectly elect the president and vice president of the United States

The Stamp Act

a direct tax passed by the British Parliament that required all American colonists to pay a tax on every piece of printed paper they used

Unfinished Portions Committee

a specialized group formed toward the end of the 1787 Constitutional Convention. Its purpose was to finalize unresolved institutional details and resolve intense gridlock among the delegates

Hobbs/Locke/Rousseau

are the main creators of Social Contract Theory, which explains why governments exist and how people get political authority

Principle vs. provision

A principle is a fundamental truth, rule, or value that guides thought and behavior, while a provision is a specific stipulation, clause, or measure put into effect for a particular purpose

Bicameral Legislature

a lawmaking body divided into two separate houses or chambers