POLI 2.2

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from Federalist 49, Jefferson’s amendments proposals, and Paine on constitutional revision.

Federalist 49

Essay arguing against frequent constitutional amendments to preserve respect, stability, and governmental balance.

Constitutional equilibrium

Balance among government branches; frequent amendments could empower one branch (usually legislature) and disrupt this.

aggrandizement of the legislative

Legislative branch gaining power over executive and judiciary.

living generation

Each generation can bind itself with laws, but not future generations.

periodical repairs

Jefferson's idea: Constitution should be amended every 19-20 years to adapt.

usufruct (living’s right to land)

Legal concept: living have right to use land, but not implied ownership or transfer beyond use.

earth belongs in usufruct to the living

Jefferson's phrase: the living have rights to the earth and its use, not the dead.

sanctimonious reverence

Treating the Constitution as sacred and unchangeable.

arc of the covenant (metaphor)

Metaphor for the Constitution's sacred status; should not be altered lightly.

The Rights of Man (Paine)

Thomas Paine's work: government is for the living and must adapt.

the living have rights; the dead do not

Paine's idea: government legitimacy comes from the living, not the dead.

progress of the human mind

Jefferson's idea: laws must advance and adapt with human knowledge and society.

moderate imperfections

Jefferson's view: better to tolerate minor flaws in laws than frequent, untested changes.

we may consider each generation as a distinct nation

Jefferson's claim: each generation can set its own laws, without binding future ones.