Unit 1: Foundations of American Democracy Practice Flashcards

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering the core philosophical foundations, balancing principles, and foundational debates of Unit 1: Foundations of American Democracy.

Natural Rights

Fundamental rights inherent to all human beings at birth—specifically life, liberty, and property—as described by John Locke.

Social Contract

An implicit agreement where individuals surrender absolute freedom for government protection of natural rights; citizens have the right to abolish a government that fails.

Popular Sovereignty

The principle that ultimate political power and legitimacy reside with the people, who give consent to be governed.

Limited Government

A political system where legalized force and power are strictly restricted through delegated and enumerated powers and a written constitution.

Republicanism

A representative form of government where elected officials make laws and policy decisions on behalf of their constituents.

Declaration of Independence

A 1776 document authored by Thomas Jefferson that provides the philosophical argument for separating from Great Britain based on natural rights and social contract.

U.S. Constitution

The 1787 practical operational blueprint detailing the function of the republic via separation of powers, checks and balances, and federalism.

Connecticut Compromise (Great Compromise)

The 1787 agreement that resolved representation conflicts by creating a bicamersal legislature with both proportional and equal representation.

House of Representatives

The chamber of the legislature with representation proportional to state population, originally designed as the participatory element.

Senate

The chamber of the legislature with equal representation (two per state), originally chosen by state legislatures.

Participatory Democracy

A model emphasizing broad, direct citizen participation in political and civic life, such as in direct elections or ballot initiatives.

Pluralist Democracy

A model based on non-governmental group activism where competing interest groups or factions negotiate and compromise to shape policy.

Elite Democracy

A model where major policy decisions are made by a small group of wealthy, highly educated, or powerful individuals, such as the Electoral College.

Federalist No. 10

An essay by James Madison arguing that a large, extended republic prevents majority factions from tyrannizing minorities by forcing compromise.

Factions

Groups united by pursuit of a common passion or interest that is adverse to the rights of others or the community.

Brutus No. 1

An Anti-Federalist essay arguing that a centralized government with power from the Necessary and Proper Clause would destroy state sovereignty.

Necessary & Proper Clause

A constitutional provision cited in Brutus No. 1 as a potential source of unlimited power for the national government.

Supremacy Clause

A foundation of the national government’s power that Anti-Federalists feared would eventually eliminate the authority of individual states.

"The WHY": Philosophical

argument justifying separation

from Great Britain due to abuses

of power

“The Declaration of Independence”

"The HOW": Practical

operational blueprint detailing

how the centralized republic

actually functions.

“U.S. Constitution”