Government and Constitutional Foundations

Vocabulary flashcards covering the functions of government, pluralist theories, and the structural compromises of the U.S. Constitution.

$3$ points of government

The primary roles of government are to preserve order, provide public goods, and protect individual rights.

$3$ fundamental questions of government

What is more important society or individual, what is the true nature of human beings, and do people have rights?

Renaissance and Enlightenment Era Context ($1804$)

A period associated with new improved life, money, and the rise of the middle class.

Robert Dahl's criteria for democracy

Includes equality in voting, effective participation, enlightened understanding, citizens control of agenda, and inclusion.

Hyperpluralism

A state in which too many interest groups compete for power, causing the government to become weak.

John Locke's values

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

The Social Contract

Individuals have to give up some rights in order for a good government

Right and Duty of Revolution

The concepts that individuals have both the right and the obligation to overthrow a government that fails to serve them.

subsequent punishment

When the media is spreading false information

Prudence

The act of a man taking actions to change the government.

Articles of Confederation Failures

The Articles failed because they offered no power to tax, no executive branch, no power to regulate interstate and foreign commerce, and allowed states to make treaties in conflict with the national government.

Amendment of Articles

A process that required the unanimous agreement of all $13$ States in Congress and all state legislatures.

Virginia Plan

The large state plan that proposed basing representation on population.

New Jersey Plan

The small state plan that proposed basing representation on state membership.

Great Compromise (Connecticut Compromise)

Resolved the representation issue by proposing two houses: one with equal representation (House for the States) and one based on population (House for the People).

Fugitive Slave Clause

A provision that required free states to return escaped slaves to their owners in slave states.

Voting Qualifications

The original requirement that an individual must own property to vote.

Republicasm

The ideology that natural leaders should make the rules.

legislative

bicameral legislature, one based on representing the people of the United States, and one based on representing the governments of the various state

executive

carrying out laws from the legislative branch (president)

judicial

a Supreme Court and various "other courts" as the Congress can design, serving as the impartial judge when conflicts arise among people, states, governments, and branches of government.

ratiffication practice

that is needed to accept the document as law of the land and affirm the social contract.

judical interpretation

Original intent, strict constructionism, within a modern text

nessecary and prope cause

The government has implied powers

Commerence clause

Expand government funding into states

Federalism

Power split between national gov and states

Types of powers

Inherent- basic given powers

Enumerated- listed in constitution

Implied powers- nesscary and prope clause (Maryland v McCulloh 1819)

Reserved -both federal and state governments

Denied power

Horizontal Federalism (article IV)

Full faith and credit clause discusses how states are to treat the governments of the other states

Privileges and immunities clause discusses how states are to treat the citizens of other states

Evolution of federalism

State centered

Dual

Cooperative -The New Deal (1930's and 1940's) The Great Depression makes the government to respond to an economic crisis

Centralized-The Great Society (1960's) LBJ’s fix to domestic problems of poverty and related issues, civil rights, strong federal government

Current federalism- government eases its control on states

amendments

13- banned slavery

14th- equal protection

15- slaves can vote

Plessy v Fuergson

seperate but not equal