Foundational Documents and Federalist Papers

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms and concepts from foundational documents in American governance and essential essays such as the Federalist Papers and the Letter from a Birmingham Jail.

Natural Rights

People are born with rights that the government is meant to protect.

Popular Sovereignty

The concept that the people are the source of government power.

Social Contract

An implicit agreement among individuals to form a government.

Articles of Confederation

The first governing document that established a weak national government with states retaining sovereignty.

Separation of Powers

The division of government responsibilities into distinct branches to limit any one branch from exercising the core functions of another.

Checks and Balances

A system that ensures that no one branch of government becomes too powerful.

Federalism

A system of government where power is divided between a central authority and constituent political units.

Factions

Groups of individuals that prioritize their own interests over the common good, identified by Madison as a threat to the republic.

Brutus #1

An essay advocating for a small republic and warning against the potential tyranny of a powerful central government.

Federalist #51

A statement emphasizing the necessity of government to control ambition and the importance of separation of powers to prevent corruption.

Federalist #70

An argument for a strong and energetic unitary executive in contrast to a slower-moving legislative body.

Federalist #78

A defense of the judiciary, highlighting its lack of law-making power and importance of judicial review.

Civil Disobedience

The active refusal to obey certain laws or demands of a government as a form of protest.

Letter from a Birmingham Jail

A letter asserting that rights must be actively demanded rather than handed over, highlighting grievances similar to those in the Declaration of Independence.