DC GOV-Unit 1: STUDY GUIDE

Federalist No. 47

Madison argued that separation of powers requires partial agency or overlap so branches can monitor each other.

Federalist No. 48

Warned that parchment barriers fail and the legislative branch is naturally the most dangerous.

Federalist No. 51

Outlined checks and balances ('ambition must counteract ambition') and federalism as double security.

Supremacy Clause

Article VI, Clause 2 establishing the Constitution and federal laws as the supreme law of the land.

Judicial Review

Courts' power to review and declare legislative, executive, or state actions unconstitutional (Marbury v. Madison).

1st Continental Congress

1774 meeting of 12 colonies to coordinate economic boycotts and voice grievances against the Coercive Acts.

2nd Continental Congress

1775 assembly that raised the Continental Army, appointed Washington, and adopted the Declaration of Independence.

3/5ths Compromise

1787 agreement counting three out of every five enslaved people for representation and taxation.

Amendment Process

Article V framework requiring a 2/3 vote in Congress and 3/4 ratification by state legislatures.

Articles of Confederation

First weak governing framework (1781) establishing a unicameral national government without taxation or executive powers.

Articles of the Constitution

Seven distinct sections outlining government powers, limits, and branches (Articles I-III).

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments ratified in 1791 guaranteeing personal liberties and limiting government overreach.

Checks and Balances

Constitutional framework endows each branch with powers to restrain the actions of other branches.

Connecticut Compromise

Blended Virginia and New Jersey plans, creating a bicameral legislature with population-based House and equal Senate.

Convention in Philadelphia 1787

Meeting of 55 delegates that abandoned the Articles of Confederation to draft the U.S. Constitution.

Declaration of Independence

1776 document by Thomas Jefferson articulating popular sovereignty, natural rights, and grievances against King George III.

Democracy

Political system where supreme authority is vested in the populace through direct votes or representatives.

Democratic Theory

Political models explaining democratic governance, including pluralist, elite, and participatory theories.

Dictatorship

Government where a single leader or clique holds absolute, unchecked political power enforced by coercion.

Direct Democracy

System where citizens vote directly on laws and policies without elected representatives.

Federalism

Division of government power between a central national government and regional state governments.

Federalist Papers

85 essays by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay under 'Publius' to persuade voters to ratify the Constitution.

Formal Amendments

Official written changes to the U.S. Constitution via the Article V process (only 27 total).

Government

Formal institutions and officials authorized to make, enforce, and interpret binding laws for a society.

House of Representatives

Lower congressional chamber where state representation is based on population, with two-year terms.

Indirect Democracy

Representative system where citizens elect officials to make laws and manage government affairs on their behalf.

Informal Amendments

Changes to the Constitution's practical meaning via court rulings, laws, or customs without altering text.

Linkage Institution

Structures like political parties, elections, and media that connect citizens to government decision-makers.

Locke and Hobbes

Enlightenment philosophers whose views on social contract and human nature shaped American political thought.

Natural Law / Natural Rights

Fundamental human rights inherent to human nature independent of government statutes or customs.

New Jersey Plan

Small-state proposal at the 1787 convention calling for a unicameral legislature with equal representation.

Political Culture

Deeply rooted shared political values, beliefs, and traditions defining a society's view of government.

Political Ideology

Structured set of core beliefs regarding the proper purpose and scope of government (e.g., liberalism, conservatism).

Politics

Societal process of gaining power, resolving conflicts, and determining resource distribution ('who gets what').

Popular Consent

Democratic principle that government authority is legitimate only when granted by approval of the governed.

Popular Sovereignty

Constitutional principle that ultimate political authority resides in the people ('We the People').

Public Policy

Official laws, regulations, and spending priorities adopted by a government to address societal problems.

Republic

Sovereign system ruled by elected representatives and governed by law to protect minority rights.

Senate

Upper congressional chamber granting every state exactly two senators with staggered six-year terms.

Separation of Powers

Division of government responsibilities into legislative, executive, and judicial branches to prevent tyranny.

Shays' Rebellion

1786-1787 farmer uprising in Massachusetts that exposed weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation.