American Government Test Notes

Four theories on how a state begins

1) Force Theory

2) Divine Right Theory

3) Evolutionary Theory

4) Social Contract Theory

Three plans for the new government

1) New Jersey,

2) Virgina

3) Connecticut/ Great Compromise

Five basic concepts of democracy

1) Worth of the Individual

2) Equality of like people

3) Majority Rule & Minority Rule

4) Need for compromise

5) Individual Freedom

Two plans to bring the colonies together that failed

1) New England Confederation

2) Albany Plan Of Union

Two types of democracy

1) Direct

2) Representative

Define Boycott

the refusal to buy or sell certain goods

Why did the founding fathers add the preamble to the constitution?

written to state the purpose of our governor written so that everyone could understand it no matter what the time period was

Two groups debating ratification

1) Federalist

2) Anti-Federalist

Who were the leaders of the debating groups?

Federalist: James Maddison & Alexander Hamilton

Anti-Federalist: Patrick Henry & John Hancock

What were the debating groups fighting for?

ratify constitution & anti-federalist wanted to ratify constitution without bill of rights.

What was the colonies cash crop?

Tabacco & Cotton

Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?

Thomas Jefferson

When did the colonies consider themselves states?

when all states agreed to the constitution & all the states ratified them

Are we totally free?

no, total freedom would be anarchy

When did Europeans state come to America?

Mid-1750s

When did the revolutionary war start?

1775

When did the revolutionary war end?

1783

What was our (America’s) first national government?

Articles of Confederation

What did the Connecticut (Great) Compromise discuss?

the # of representatives in the house would be determined by the population of each state (# of representatives in a senate would be 2 per state)

Define Anarchy

Total absence or Lack of government

What was the ⅗ compromise/ commerce & slave trade compromise?

all free personas would be counted in each state and each person who wasn’t counted as ⅗ of a person

Define Ratify

sign or give formal consent to a treaty or agreement

Who has the power in a dictatorship?

single person holds all the power with little to none limitations

Who has the power in a democracy?

rule of people, citizens exercise power among themselves to form governing body

Who wrote the government plans?

Virgina Plan: written by James maddison

New Jersey Plan: william patterson