American Government: From Monarchy to Republic

Flashcards covering key concepts in American government from the monarchy to the establishment of a republic.

Common Sense

A pamphlet by Thomas Paine advocating for republicanism and the independence of the American colonies.

Republicanism

A political philosophy advocating for a government where leaders are elected by the citizens.

Checks and Balances

A system that ensures no one branch of government becomes too powerful, allowing each branch to limit the powers of the others.

Three-Fifths Compromise

An agreement during the Constitutional Convention that counted three out of every five enslaved persons for representation and taxation purposes.

Federalists

Supporters of the 1787 Constitution who advocated for a strong national government.

Anti-Federalists

Opponents of the 1787 Constitution who feared that a strong central government would undermine states' rights.

Bicameral

Having two legislative houses, such as the U.S. Congress, which consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Democracy

A system of government in which the majority makes decisions binding on the whole.

Coverture

A legal doctrine giving husbands control over their wives' legal rights, rendering married women economically dependent.

Majority Rule

The principle that the greater number should exercise greater power in governance.

Manumission

The act of freeing a slave by the slave owner.

Electoral College

The mechanism established by the Constitution for the indirect election of the president and vice president of the United States.

Monarchy

A form of government with a monarch at its head, historically the system replaced by republicanism in America.

Proportional Representation

A strategy of electing representatives based on the population size of each state.

Radical Whigs

Revolutionaries who supported broader political participation and democratic ideals.

Society of the Cincinnati

A hereditary society founded in 1783 to preserve the ideals of the Revolutionary War.

Abigail Adams

Wife of John Adams who famously urged her husband to “remember the ladies” when drafting new laws.

Civic Virtue

The cultivation of habits important for the success of the community, which is essential in a republic.

Shays' Rebellion

An armed uprising in 1786-1787 by Massachusetts farmers protesting economic injustices and government actions.

Virginia Plan

A proposal for a strong national government with a bicameral legislature, favoring populous states.

New Jersey Plan

A proposal for a unicameral legislature with equal representation for each state, regardless of size.

Connecticut Compromise

Also known as the Great Compromise, this plan created a bicameral legislature balancing both population and equal representation.