Unit 1: Foundations of American Democracy

thomas hobbes, the leviathan

argued that in a state of nature, human life was brutal and short.

john locke, second treatise of civil government

argued that in a state of nature, or the natural law, all people are born equal and free.

jean-jacques rousseau, social contract

argued for popular sovereignty, the idea that the people are the ultimate ruling authority, the government derives its power from the consent of the people and is responsible for carrying out laws in the interest of the people.

baron de montesquieu, the spirit of laws

the belief that people are entitled to life, liberty, and property, and that these cannot be taken away except under laws created through the consent of the governed form the basis of the political ideology known as republicanism.

how does a republic work?

citizens elect leaders for a limited period of time, the leaders job is to make and execute laws in the public interest.

limited government

a government kept under control by law, checks and balances, and separation of powers.

thomas jefferson, john adams, benjamin franklin

authors of the declaration of independence.

declaration of independence

the document that provided a moral and legal justification for the rebellion against and separation from great britain.

james madison

called the “father of the constitution” for his involvement in the support of the constitution, author of the federalist papers.

george washington

first president of the US.

alexander hamilton

leader of the federalists.

grand committee

comprised of one delegate from each state represented at the constitutional convention, was instrumental in forming the new government.

representative republic

a collection of sovereign states gathered for the national interest, needs, and defense.

representative democracy

a government in which the people entrust elected officials to represent their concerns.

participatory democracy

depends on the direct participation of many people in a society, not only in government, but in public life as well.

pluralist democracy

people with widely varying interests find others who share their interests and organize into nongovernmental groups to exert influence on political decision making.

interest groups/factions

nongovernmental groups that compete in the “marketplace of ideas” and look for access points at the local, state, and federal levels to persuade policymakers.

elite democracy

elected representatives make decisions and act as trustees for the people who elected them.

federalists

supported a strong central government, the ratification of the constitution.

anti-federalists

wanted the states to have more power, opposed the ratification of the constitution.

initiatives

allow people to participate in democracy by giving them the power to vote for legislation.

referendum

allow people to participate in democracy by giving them the power to vote on whether existing legislation should be kept.

articles of confederation

the document that laid out the first form of government for the US.

shay’s rebellion

a rebellion led by farmer daniel shays because of the economic hardships farmers were experiencing under the aoc, showed that a strong central government was needed.

constitutional convention

delegates worked to design a new government that would meet the needs of the nation.

virginia plan

proposed a three branch system with a national executive, a judiciary, and a bicameral (two house) legislature.

new jersey plan

assured states their sovereignty through a national government with limited and defined powers. no national court system, each state would get one vote in the legislative body.

great compromise

proposed a bicameral legislature composed of the house of representatives and the senate. states have members in the house of representatives proportional to their population, each state gets two senate members.

three-fifths compromise

determined that enslaved people counted as 3/5 as a person, so 3/5 of the enslaved population in states was counted for representation.

electoral college

states decide how electors are chosen. each state would have the same amount of electors as representatives in congress, the people would vote for electors.

article v

describes the amendment process. the constitution is altered in a two-stage process. stage one is a proposal from either 2/3 of the house and senate or a 2/3 vote at a convention initiated by the states and called by congress. stage two is ratification, completed by a vote of 3/4 of the state legislatures or 3/4 of state ratifying conventions.

ratification

formal consent.

bill of rights

the first ten amendments listed in the constitution.

USA patriot act

covered intelligence gathering and sharing by executive branch agencies, criminal procedure, and border protection.

no child left behind

called for improvements in teaching methods, testing to measure progress, and sanctions for underperforming students.

race to the top initiative

offered incentives for states to adopt or create their own standards for students.

every student succeeds act

said that states were free to determine their own standards for educational achievement, while upholding protections for disadvantaged students.

stakeholders

people or groups who are affected by the policies put in place, and they exert their influence through interest groups.

checks and balances

the ability for each branch of government to limit the actions of the other branches, ensuring no branch gets too powerful.

veto

the power of the executive to reject or block a proposed law.

pocket veto

if the president receives a bill at the end of a legislative session and refuses to sign it, killing the bill.

two-thirds override

if the president vetoes a bill, congress, each house acting separately, can override the veto with a 2/3 vote.

advice and consent

the power of the senate to suggest executive appointees and formally approve presidential appointments.

impeachment

the power of the house of representatives to accuse officials of wrongdoing, the senate can then vote to remove that official.

federalism

the sharing of powers between the national and state level governments.

supremacy clause

places national authority above state authority.

full faith and credit clause

states must honor the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of other states.

priviledges and immunities clause

citizens of each state are entitled to all priviledges and immunities of other states.

extradition clause

states are obiligated to deliver captured fugitives back to the state they committed the crime in.

exclusive powers

powers only held by the federal government.

concurrent powers

powers held by both the national and state governments.

reserved powers

powers held only by state governments.

police powers

states have the power to create and enforce laws on health and safety.

fiscal federalism/revenue sharing

congress addresses national issues with federal money by collecting federal tax revenue and distributing it to states.

grant in aid programs

the federal government uses incentives to prompt states and localities to address safety, crime, education, and civil rights by directing federal funds to states that qualify and withholding them from states that don’t.

categorical grants

grants with particular congressional guidelines, or strings attached.

block grants

grants that are given to states for more broadly defined reasons, no strings attached.

mandates

require states to comply with a federal directive, sometimes with funding (funded mandates), sometimes without (unfunded mandates).

devolution

the return of federal power to the states.

personal responsibility and work opportunity act

restructured the welfare system to return much authority and distribution of welfare dollars to the states.

enumerated powers

powers that congress has that are explicitly listed in article 1 section 8 of the constitution.

commerce clause

empowers congress to regulate commerce with other nations and among states.

necessary and proper clause

congress has the power to create laws that are necessary and proper for carrying out their other responsibilities.

tenth amendment

any powers that are not specifically given to the federal government belong to the states.

14th amendment

promises US citizenship to anyone born or naturalized in the US.

mcculloch v maryland (1819)

the federal government established a federal bank in maryland, and it was taxed by maryland. the court ruled that maryland didn’t have the power to tax that federal bank. reinforced the supremacy clause.

dual federalism

a system in which the federal government is supreme in its sphere, and the states are equally supreme in their sphere.

selective exclusiveness

a doctrine stating that congress many regulate intrastate commercial activity only when the commodity requires a national uniform rule.

united states v lopez (1995)

ruled that congress did not have the authority to ban guns in school under the commerce clause. reigned in the federal government’s power.

implied powers

powers that congress has that are not listed in the constitution but are implied from the necessary and proper clause.

clean air act

called for improved air quality and decreasing contaminants.

clean water act

regulates the discharge of pollutants into the waters of the US.

endangered species act

established a program that empowers the national fish and wildlife service to protect endangered species.

kyoto protocol

a multi-country agreement that committed the signing nations to reduced greenhouse emissions. US was not involved.

paris agreement

another international climate agreement. the US withdrew, but some states, using the power granted to them under the tenth amendment, adhered to the guidelines.

controlled substances act

punished marijuana dealers and users, the first federal law to do so.