UNIT 1: FOUNDATIONS OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY

What document justified the colonists’ break from Great Britain?

The Declaration of Independence.

What document established federalism and the three branches of government?

The Constitution.

What is the social contract?

A mutual agreement between people and government balancing rights and safety.

Who developed the idea of natural law and what does it mean?

John Locke; people are born free and equal with natural rights.

What are the three natural rights listed in the Constitution?

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

What is popular sovereignty?

The belief that people are the ultimate ruling authority.

What does “consent of the governed” mean?

Government power comes from the people’s consent.

What is republicanism?

A system maintaining popular sovereignty through elected representatives.

What was Brutus No. 1 about?

AntiFederalist argument warning that the national government would gain too much power.

Who wrote Federalist No. 10, and what did it argue?

James Madison; large republics control the effects of factions.

What defines a participatory democracy?

Direct participation by citizens in political decisions.

What defines a pluralist democracy?

Influence of factions or interest groups on decisions.

What defines an elite democracy?

Power is held by wealthy and educated elites.

What is limited government?

A system that restricts government powers through the Constitution.

What did Anti-Federalists believe?

In a small, decentralized republic with state power.

What did Federalists believe?

In a large, strong republic to control factions.

What was the Articles of Confederation?

The first U.S. government system (1776–1789) where states held most power.

What did Shay’s Rebellion expose?

The weaknesses of the Articles, especially the lack of a national military.

Name three weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.

No power to tax, no executive branch, and one vote per state.

What does Article V of the Constitution explain?

The amendment process (⅔ proposal, ¾ ratification).

What was the Great Compromise?

Created a bicameral legislature: Senate (equal) and House (population

What is the Electoral College?

State-chosen electors formally elect the president and vice president.

What was the Three-Fifths Compromise?

Each enslaved person counted as ⅗ of a person for representation and taxation.

Who wrote Federalist No. 51 and what did it argue?

James Madison; separation of powers and checks and balances prevent tyranny.

What are the three branches of government and their roles?

Legislative (makes laws), Executive (enforces laws), Judicial (interprets laws).

What are checks and balances?

Powers that let each branch limit the others to prevent dominance.

What does Article IV ensure between states?

“Full faith and credit” for other states’ laws and federal protection.

What is federalism?

Division of power between national and state governments.

What are delegated powers?

Powers belonging only to the national government.

What are reserved powers?

Powers kept by the states.

What are concurrent powers?

Powers shared by both state and federal governments.

What is a categorical grant?

Federal aid with specific restrictions or rules.

What is a block grant?

Federal aid with broad flexibility.

What is a mandate?

A federal requirement states must meet, sometimes with funding.

What is federal revenue sharing?

Distribution of federal tax revenue to states.

What did McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) establish?

The supremacy clause and Congress’s implied powers.

What did U.S. v. Lopez (1995) rule?

Congress overstepped the commerce clause when banning guns in schools.

What does the Tenth Amendment state?

Powers not given to the federal government belong to states or the people.

What does the Fourteenth Amendment guarantee?

Citizenship, equal protection, and due process for all born in the U.S.

What is the Necessary and Proper (Elastic) Clause?

Allows Congress to make laws needed to carry out its duties.

What is the Commerce Clause?

Gives Congress power to regulate interstate trade.

What does “federalism in action” refer to?

Policy-making that involves both national and state governments.