Foundations of American Democracy and Interactions Among Branches

Flashcards covering the foundational documents, philosophical concepts, and interactions between branches of the U.S. government as discussed in Units 1 and 2.

Natural Rights

The concept that people are given rights by a creator just by existing.

Popular Sovereignty

The principle that the right to govern remains in the hands of the people rather than a monarchy.

Social Contract

An agreement where the people being ruled allow themselves to be governed and retain the right to overthrow the government if it becomes destructive.

Republicanism

A form of government characterized by the separation of political power into legislative, executive, and judicial branches to provide a check against tyranny.

Participatory Democracy

A model of democracy built on the idea that as many people as possible should be involved within the political process.

Elite Democracy

A model of democracy that advocates for a limited number of people to be involved in the political process.

Pluralist Democracy

A model of democracy where multiple interest groups compete to influence policy and laws through negotiation and compromise.

Federalist No. $10$

An essay where James Madison argued that a large republic with many factions would force groups to negotiate and compromise, thereby upholding liberty.

Brutus No. $1$

An anti-federalist paper expressing fear that personal liberties would be reflected poorly in a large republic and that a strong central government could tyrannize the states.

Articles of Confederation

The first governing document of the U.S. that failed due to a lack of an executive or judicial branch, no power for Congress to raise direct taxes, and the requirement of a unanimous vote from all $13$ states for amendments.

Shays's Rebellion

A rebellion by farmer veterans that acted as the catalyst for the Constitutional Convention by exposing the weakness of the Articles of Confederation.

Great Compromise (Connecticut Compromise)

The agreement to create a bicameral legislature consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate to represent the people's voice.

Electoral College

A compromise where each state is given electors equal to their number of representatives to elect the President, serving as an example of elite democracy.

$3/5$ Compromise

An agreement stating that enslaved people would be counted as three-fifths of a person for representation purposes.

Federalism

A system of government characterized by the sharing of political power between the national and state governments.

Exclusive Powers

Powers delegated by the Constitution specifically to the federal government, such as minting currency and declaring war.

Reserved Powers

Powers not explicitly given to the federal government that are kept for the states provided by the $10^{th}$ Amendment, including police powers and education.

Concurrent Powers

Powers that are shared by both the federal and state governments.

Categorical Grants

Federal grants given to states on the condition that they comply with specific federal standards.

Block Grants

Federal money given for a broader purpose, allowing states to use the funds as they see fit with few strings attached.

Necessary and Proper Clause

Also known as the elastic clause, it allows Congress to make any law which upholds their enumerated powers even if that power is not explicitly stated in Article $1$.

McCulloch v. Maryland ($1819$)

A SCOTUS case ruling that the Necessary and Proper Clause implies certain powers and established that federal law is always superior to state law.

United States v. Lopez ($1995$)

A SCOTUS case that ruled carrying guns to school is unconstitutional, illustrating the balance of power between states and the federal government.

Speaker of the House

The leader of the House of Representatives who is elected by the majority or minority party.

Whips

Congressional leaders who render party discipline to ensure members are in line with the party's goals.

Standing Committee

A permanent committee in Congress responsible for evaluating legislation, such as the Senate Committee on the Budget.

Logrolling

An agreement in Congress where members trade votes: "I vote for you, you vote for me."

Trustee Model

A representation model where a representative believes they are trusted to vote according to their best judgment.

Delegate Model

A representation model where a representative believes they must vote with the will of the people, even if it contradicts their own judgment.

Politico Model

A representation model that acts as a blend of the trustee and delegate models.

Gerrymandering

The act of redrawing congressional districts in a way that benefits one specific political party.

Baker v. Carr ($1962$)

A SCOTUS case involving Tennessee's failure to redraw districts, resulting in the ruling of "one person, one vote."

Shaw v. Reno ($1993$)

A SCOTUS case ruling that drawing districts solely based on race was unconstitutional according to the $14^{th}$ Amendment.

Federalist $70$

An essay arguing that a single executive will have more "energy," allowing the President to be decisive and move quickly on matters requiring leadership.

Marbury v. Madison ($1803$)

The landmark case that established the power of judicial review for the Supreme Court.

Judicial Review

The power of the court to decide whether or not a law is constitutional.

Judicial Activism

A philosophy where the court establishes policy and considers the societal impacts of its decisions, such as in the overturning of Plessy v. Ferguson.

Judicial Restraint

The idea that judges should not make policy and should only strike down a law if it violates the written word of the Constitution.

Delegated Discretionary Authority

The authority given to the bureaucracy by Congress that provides them with the power to interpret laws and make specific rules for implementation.