Unit 1 Constitutional Foundations: How the U.S

Enlightenment

A European intellectual movement emphasizing reason and questioning traditional authority, influencing the development of democratic ideas.

Natural Rights

Rights that individuals possess inherently, not granted by any government; commonly phrased as 'life, liberty, and property' (Locke).

Limited Government

A government with restricted powers, designed to protect natural rights and prevent abuse of authority.

Social Contract Theory

The theory that legitimate government arises from an agreement among the people to create a governing authority in exchange for protection of rights.

Consent of the Governed

The idea that political authority is legitimate only if it derives from the consent of the people.

Separation of Powers

The division of government responsibilities into distinct branches to prevent any one branch from exercising the core powers of another.

Popular Sovereignty

The principle that the authority of a government is created and sustained by the consent of its people, usually through elected representatives.

Majority Rule

A decision rule that selects alternatives which have a majority, but must also respect minority rights.

Federalism

A system of government in which power is divided between a national government and state governments.

Checks and Balances

A system that ensures that no branch of government becomes too powerful by allowing each branch to check the powers of the others.

The Great Compromise

An agreement during the Constitutional Convention that established a bicameral legislature with representation based on population in one house and equal representation in the other.

Three-Fifths Compromise

An agreement to count three-fifths of the enslaved population for representation and taxation purposes.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution that ensure individual rights and liberties.

Judicial Review

The power of the courts to declare laws and executive actions unconstitutional.

Marbury v. Madison

A landmark Supreme Court case that established the principle of judicial review in the United States.

Dual Federalism

A model of federalism where national and state governments operate in separate spheres of authority.

Cooperative Federalism

A model of federalism where national and state governments work together to shape policy.

Categorical Grants

Federal funds provided for a specific purpose, often requiring certain conditions to be met.

Block Grants

Federal funds given to state or local governments with broad discretion on how to use them.

Enumerated Powers

Powers specifically listed in the Constitution for Congress.

Reserved Powers

Powers not delegated to the federal government are kept by the states, as defined by the Tenth Amendment.

Constitutional Amendments

Changes to the Constitution that allow for flexibility in response to new challenges and societal changes.

Political Inequality

A situation where certain groups have disproportionately more influence over the political process than others.

Participatory Democracy

A model of democracy emphasizing broad participation by citizens in political decision-making.

Pluralist Democracy

A model of democracy that sees politics as a competition among various interest groups.

Elite Democracy

A model of democracy suggesting that a small, affluent elite holds the majority of power and influence in political decision-making.

Federalists

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

Anti-Federalists

Opponents of the Constitution who feared that a stronger national government would threaten individual liberties.