Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence

Vocabulary flashcards covering key historical figures and documents from the provided lecture notes.

Thomas Jefferson

Drafter of the Declaration of Independence. Third president of the United States from 1801-1809. Co founder of the Democratic-Republican Party created to oppose Federalists.

Declaration of Independence

Document drafted mainly by Thomas Jefferson in 1776 that proclaimed the right of the American colonies to separated form Great Britain

Social contract theory

The belief that government exists based on the consent of the governed

Political culture

Commonly shared values on how the government should operate

Articles of Confederation

The compact between the 13 colonies that created a loose league of friendship, with the national government getting its powers from the states.

Shays’s Rebellion

A rebellion where 1500 angry farmers led by Daniel Shay’s marched to Springfield, Massachusetts, and forcibly restrained the state court from foreclosing mortgages on their farms

Constitutional Convention

The meeting in Philadelphia in 1787 that was first intended to revise the Articles of Confederation, but produced the U.S. Constitution

George Washington

Commander of the revolutionary armies, presiding officer of Constitutional Convention, and 1st president of the United States from 1789-1797

Virginia Plan

A proposed framework for the Constitution favoring large states. Called for a bicameral legislature that would appoint executive and judicial officers.

New Jersey Plan

A framework for the Constitution proposed by a group of small states. Called for a one house legislature with 1 vote per state, Congress being able to raise revenue, and Supreme Court appointed for life.

Great Conpromise

The final decision of the Constitutional Convention to create a two-house legislature, with the lower house elected by the people and powers divided between the two houses. Also made the national law supreme.

3/5ths Compromise

Agreement reached at the Constitutional Convention explaining that 3/5ths of the total slave population for each state was used for determining population and representation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Montesquieu

The French political theorist who made the concept of separation of powers and checks and balances.

Federalism

The distribution of constitutional authority between state governments and the national government, with different powers exercised by both

Separation of powers

A way of dividing the power of government among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.

Checks and balances

Gives each of the 3 branches of government some degree of control over the actions of others

Article I: Legislative Branch

Vests all legislative powers in the Congress and established a bicameral legislature. It also sets out the qualifications of holding office in each house, the terms of office, the method of selection, and the system of appointment among the states to determine membership in the House of Representatives.

Enumerated powers

The power of the national government specifically granted to Congress in Article I, section 8 of the U.S. Constitution.

Necessary and proper clause (elastic clause)

The first paragraph of Article I, section 8 of the Constitution, which gives Congress the authority to pass all laws “ necessary and proper” to carry out the enumerated powers.

Implied powers

The powers of the national government derived forms the enumerated powers and the necessary proper clause.

Article II: Executive Branch

Vests the executive power the authority to execute laws, sets presidents term of office at 4 years, explains Electoral College, qualifications for office, and method of replacing president

Inherent powers

Powers that belong to the president because they can be inferred form the Constitution

Article III: Judicial Branch

Established a Supreme Court and defines its jurisdiction

Article IV

Mandates that states honor the laws and judicial proceedings of other states. Also includes the method for admitting new states to the union.

Full faith and credit clause

Sections of Article IV of the Constitution that ensures judicial decrees made in one states will be enforceable in any other state

Article V

Specifies how amendments can be added to the Constitution

Article VI

Contains the supremacy clause

Supremacy clause

Mandates that national law is supreme over all other laws passed by the states

Federalists

Favored a strong national government, supported the proposed U.S. Constitution, and became the 1st U.S. political party

Anti-Federalists

Favored strong state governments and a weak national government, opposed ratification of the U.S. Constitution

James Madison

Key Framer of the U.S. Constitution, co-authored the Federalist Papers, and was the 4th U.S. president from 1809-1817

John Jay

A member of the Founding Generation, 1st Chief Justice of the United States, and co-author of federalist papers

The Federalist Papers

85 political essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay in support of the ratification for the U.S Constitution

Bill of Rights

First 10 amendments of the U.S Constitution which guarantees specific rights

Federal system

System of government where the national government and state government share power and derive all authority from the people.

Unitary system

System of government where the local and regional governments derive all authority from a strong national government

10th amendment

The final part of the Bill of Rights that states that the powers that arent delegated to the national government are reserved to the states or to the people

Reserved powers

Powers reserved to the states by the 10th amendment, giving the states right to legislate for welfare of the citizens

Concurrent powers

Powers shared by the national and state governments

Bill of attainder

A law declaring an act illegal without a judicial trial

Ex post facto law

Law that makes an act punishable as a crime, even if the action was legal at the time it was committed

Privileges and immunities clause

Part of article IV of the Constitution guaranteeing that the citizens of each state have the same rights as citizens of all other states

Extradition clause

Part of article IV of the Constitution that requires states to return criminals to states where they have been convicted

Interstate Compacts

Contracts between states that carry the force of law and are now used as a tool to address multi state policy concerns

Cooperative federalism

The intertwined relationship between the national, state, and local governments that began with the New Deal, referred to as marble-cake federalism

Categorical grants

Grants that appropriate federal funds to states for a specific purpose

Lyndon B. Johnson

36th president, is a democrat, who served from 1964-1969. He led the nation during civil rights era and the Vietnam war.

Great Society

Reform program that began in 1964 by LBJ as an attempt to combat poverty and discrimination through things like education reform to unemployment relief.

Ronald Reagan

40th president, a republican, who served from 1981-1989. Reagan led the nation through the end of the Cold War and his leadership led to a nation shift towards political conservatism.

New Federalism

Federal-state relationships proposed by the Reagan administration during the 1980s and the hallmark was returning administrative powers to state govs

Block grant

A large grant given to a state by the federal government with only general spending guidelines