Foundations of American Democracy

A series of flashcards covering key concepts, definitions, and historical frameworks related to the foundations of American democracy.

Government

The institution through which a society makes and enforces public policies.

Legislative Power

The power to make laws, typically exercised by Congress, which consists of the House and Senate.

Executive Power

The power to enforce laws, held by the President, Vice President, and Bureaucracy.

Judicial Power

The power to interpret laws, typically exercised by the Supreme Court and Federal Courts.

Dictatorship

A government in which power is concentrated in the hands of a single leader or a small group, not accountable to the public.

Direct Democracy

A form of democracy where citizens directly participate in decision-making.

Indirect Democracy

A system of government where citizens elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf.

Participatory Democracy

A type of democracy that emphasizes broad participation in politics and civil society.

Federal Government

A government system where power is divided between a central government and regional governments, examples include the United States.

Social Contract Theory

The theory that individuals consent to form a government to protect their rights in exchange for some freedoms.

Natural Rights

Inherent rights that every individual possesses, typically including life, liberty, and property.

Popular Sovereignty

The principle that government power is derived from the consent of the governed.

Separation of Powers

A model of governance where the powers of government are divided into separate branches to prevent abuse of power.

Checks and Balances

A system that ensures no single branch of government becomes too powerful by providing each branch with the means to check the others.

Federalists

Supporters of the Constitution who advocated for a stronger national government.

Anti-Federalists

Opponents of the Constitution who feared that a strong central government would infringe on individual rights.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the Constitution, added to protect individual liberties against government infringement (a violation or breaking of a law, rule, or right).

Great Compromise

The agreement to create a bicameral legislature, combining the Virginia Plan (population-based representation) and the New Jersey Plan (equal representation).

3/5ths Compromise

An agreement during the Constitutional Convention that counted three-fifths of a state's enslaved population for purposes of representation and taxation.

Shay’s Rebellion

1786–1787 uprising by Massachusetts farmers protesting high taxes and debt, revealing the weakness of the Articles of Confederation and the need for a stronger national government.

Virginia Plan

A proposal at the Constitutional Convention for a strong national government with a bicameral legislature (2 separate houses/chambers) based on population, giving larger states more power.

New Jersey Plan

A proposal at the Constitutional Convention for a single-house legislature with equal representation for each state, giving smaller states more power.