POLS 1101: Intro to American Politics Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering political theory, social contract philosophy, the Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, and the Constitutional Convention based on lecture notes.

Government

Formal institutions that guide political decisions.

Politics

Conflict over 'who gets what, when, and how?' or making a common decision for a group of people.

Anarchy

A condition on the spectrum of government characterized by having no government.

Tyranny

A state of total government, or according to Aristotle, a bad form of government where an individual rules in self-interest.

Democracy

A system of government that gives power to the people, whether directly or indirectly.

Direct Democracy

A type of democracy in which citizens create laws themselves.

Republic

A system of government where citizens vote for representatives to make laws on their behalf.

Politeia

According to Aristotle, a good form of government where the majority rules in behalf of all.

Aristotle's Classification of Government

A system categorizing governments by who rules (Individual, Few, Majority) and whether they rule in self-interest (Tyranny, Oligarchy, Democracy) or in behalf of all (Monarchy, Aristocracy, Politeia).

Gaius Julius Caesar

Roman military commander appointed 'temporary' dictator in 49 BC whose victory over Senate opposition won popular support and weakened the Senate before Rome transitioned to an Empire in 27 BC.

Social Contract

An agreement between people and their government signifying their consent to be governed.

Thomas Hobbes

Social contract philosopher who wrote 'Leviathan' (1651), asserting that life in a state of nature is 'solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short' and that government exists to provide security.

John Locke

Social contract philosopher who wrote 'The Two Treatises of Government' (1689), advocating natural rights, power derived from consent of the governed, legislative power, and private property rights.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Social contract philosopher who wrote 'The Social Contract' (1762), stating 'Man is born free yet we see him everywhere in chains' and arguing people should surrender rights to the 'general will.'

Classical Liberalism

An ideology and philosophy of limited government, constitutionalism, rule of law, due process, individualism, individual liberties, and free markets.

Liberty

A core American political value defined as individual freedom from government interference.

Equality

A core American political value holding that all citizens are the same under the law, regardless of social status.

First Continental Congress

A meeting held in September 1774 that formed formal opposition to the British Coercive Acts.

Second Continental Congress

A convention of delegates meeting from 1775 to 1776 during which American independence was declared and the Declaration of Independence was written.

Declaration of Independence

A 1776 document written by Thomas Jefferson establishing natural rights, social contract theory, grievances against Great Britain, and justification for revolution.

Join, or Die

A famous political cartoon featuring a cut-up snake representing colonial disunity prior to the American independence movement.

Richard Henry Lee's Resolution

The resolution introduced in the Second Continental Congress stating that the United Colonies are free and independent states, serving as the basis for the Declaration of Independence.

Articles of Confederation

The first government framework for the U.S. where the national government derived power from the states, featured no executive branch, and produced a weak, non-responsive central government.

James Madison

Delegate known as the 'Father' of the Constitution who proposed the Virginia Plan favoring a strong national legislature.

Alexander Hamilton

Constitutional Convention delegate who advocated for a strong federal government, strong executive, and strong judiciary.

Virginia Plan

A nationalist plan at the Constitutional Convention proposing a bicameral legislature with state seats allocated based on population in both houses.

New Jersey Plan

A proposal presented by William Paterson for a unicameral legislature with one vote per state and a federal supremacy clause.

Great Compromise (Connecticut Plan)

A convention compromise establishing a bicameral legislature with House seats allocated by population and equal representation in the Senate.

Three-Fifths Compromise

A compromise counting 3/5ths of the slave population toward House representation, leaving Southern states with 47% representation in the House.

17th Amendment

A constitutional amendment passed in 1913 establishing the direct election of U.S. Senators by voters.

Federalist No. 68

An essay written by Alexander Hamilton arguing against direct popular election of the President to avoid manipulation of public opinion and executive consolidation of power.

Electoral College

The constitutional mechanism under Article II where states receive electoral votes equal to their total Congressional seats (House + Senate), currently requiring 270 votes to win the presidency.

22nd Amendment

A constitutional amendment establishing a two-term limit for the President of the United States.

Impeachment Process

A two-stage removal process where a simple majority of the House votes to impeach for treason, bribery, or high crimes and misdemeanors, and a 2/3rds Senate vote is required for removal.