GOVT 421 Exam 3

The American political tradition is highly "peculiar" for at least three reasons - what are these?

Defined by its use of written constitutions, its exceptional longevity, and its unique federal structure that diffuses power between state and national governments.

Founding Document

A people is formed, a government is created, people become self-defined as to shared values and goals including posterity and often found in the bill of rights, and a form of government is specified institutionally.

Political undergirded by Ecclesiastical Covenant

A formal agreement witnessed by God or a king, creates a people with consent and shared identity i.e. the The Agreement of the settlers at Exeter in New Hampshire.

Combination

Mutual agreement or alliance, interchangeable with compact or covenant, creates unified action i.e. Mayflower Combination.

Charter

Grant from a sovereign confirming rights and privileges to a people or entity i.e. Charter of Massachusetts Bay (1629).

Frame

Plan or system of government, often used in refounding or restructuring i.e. Frame of Government of Pennsylvania (1682).

Constitution

Legal document that organizes and limits civil or ecclesiastical authority, defines sovereignty, and establishes institutions.

Relationship between Political Covenants and Church covenants

Created/adapted from Church Covenants, primarily called upon God as a witness; a King could also be invoked as witness, making such a true civil covenant.

Mayflower Combination

The first American political covenant that followed a church covenant pattern and created the earliest form of self-governing civil polity in the New World.

Pilgrim Code of Law

The first American constitution that included a bill of rights and established a federal system among Plymouth towns, reaffirming the binding nature of the Mayflower Compact.

The American War for Independence can be understood as part of an Imperial Struggle between what two European Nations? With this, what British Dynasty ruled Great Britain during America's War for Independence?

Part of the broader imperial conflict between France and England, fought during the reign of the Hanoverian dynasty, specifically under King George III.

What is the nature and significance of the British Stamp Act, passed March 22, 1765? The 'nature' relates to the actual purpose and elements of the Act, while its 'significance' relates to its consequences.

A direct tax imposed on the American colonies requiring payment in British sterling for all printed materials, provoking widespread resistance as a violation of the rights of Englishmen, and sparking the philosophical phase of the American Revolution.

How did the American Colonists argue against the British Stamp Act (1765)?

Argued that the Act violated their chartered liberties given to them by the Crown and the British Constitution by imposing taxes without consent from their local legislatures, undermining no taxation without representation.

What did Sir Edmund Burke of the British House of Commons mean by 'Salutary Neglect' in his famous March 22, 1775 - Oration in Parliament On Moving His Resolutions for Conciliation with the Colonies?

Burke described 'Salutary Neglect' as the beneficial non-interference by Britain that allowed the American colonies to flourish independently, and he warned that ending this practice and forcing imperial control would provoke rebellion and undermine liberty.

Declaration of Rights

Resolutions that affirmed colonial allegiance to the Crown while asserting that colonists were entitled to the same rights as natural-born English subjects, especially the right to be taxed only by their own representatives.

Virginia Stamp Act Resolutions

The resolutions declared that Virginians brought with them the rights of Englishmen, including the right to be taxed only by their elected representatives.

Declaratory Act

An Act that asserted Parliament's right to legislate for the colonies 'in all cases whatsoever,' signaling that repeal of the Stamp Act did not mean Britain had renounced its claim to supreme authority.

Natural Law

The concept that American rights were derived from natural law, not royal favor.

Scripture was frequently employed for

literary, rhetorical, and political purposes, in addition to spiritual and theological utilization.

Common Language

The Bible was used to enrich a common language among the populace.

Rhetoric Enhancement

The Bible was used to enhance the power and weight of rhetoric in political arguments.

Standards Definition

The Bible was used to identify and define standards in political discourse.

Role of Providence

The Bible was used to illuminate the role of providence in the affairs of men and nations.

Character of God

The Bible was used to reveal the character and designs of God.

Political Ideas

The Bible shaped American political ideas, especially on law, liberty, and virtue.

Biblical Influence on Republicanism

The Bible promoted civic virtue essential to a self-governing republic.

George Washington and the Bible

Washington used biblical language to promote national unity and virtue.

Thomas Jefferson and Scripture

Jefferson valued Jesus' moral teachings, though he rejected miracles.

John Adams on the Bible

Adams called the Bible the most republican book, vital for public morality.

Biblical Literacy in the Colonies

High biblical literacy made scriptural references politically powerful.

Covenant

The agreement of the settlers at Exeter in New Hampshire.

Combination

Mayflower Compact

Charter

Charter of Massachusetts Bay (1629)

Frame

Frame of Government of Pennsylvania (1682)