Video Notes Vocabulary Flashcards: Foundations of American Democracy and the Articles of Confederation

Vocabulary flashcards covering core concepts from the lecture notes on democracy models, key thinkers, and the Articles of Confederation.

Limited Government

The idea that government is necessary but should be as restricted as possible.

Enlightenment

An intellectual movement that heavily influenced the Founders’ ideas about democracy and rights.

Natural rights

Rights people are born with, given by a Creator, not by a monarch, and cannot be justly taken away.

Life, liberty, and property

John Locke’s identified natural rights.

State of nature (Hobbes vs. Locke)

Hobbes: chaotic and requires government for order; Locke: peaceful and government exists to protect natural rights.

Popular sovereignty

The principle that the people hold the power to govern.

Social contract

An agreement where people give some power to government to protect their rights.

Right to overthrow tyranny (Rousseau)

If the government becomes tyrannical, the people have the right to overthrow it.

Republicanism

Citizens elect representatives to govern on their behalf.

Montesquieu

Proponent of separating government powers to prevent tyranny.

Separation of powers

Division of government into executive, legislative, and judicial branches.

Checks and balances

A system where each branch can limit the powers of others to prevent tyranny.

Declaration of Independence

Document reflecting Locke’s rights and popular sovereignty; primarily authored by Thomas Jefferson.

The Constitution

A framework creating a representative republic with separated powers and checks and balances.

Representative republic

A government where citizens elect representatives to govern.

Participatory democracy

A model emphasizing broad citizen participation, often direct voting on laws.

Framers’ view on participatory democracy

They rejected direct democracy for the U.S. Constitution due to illiteracy and impracticality in a large population.

Local participatory democracy

Today seen at the local level (town halls, initiatives, referendums).

Elite democracy

A model where governance is by a small group of well-educated elites.

Elite democracy argument

Complex government requires specialists to avoid unwise public decisions.

Examples of elite democracy

President appointing Supreme Court justices; the Electoral College.

Pluralist democracy

Politics shaped by competing interest groups influencing policymakers.

Interest groups

Groups that pool resources to influence government decisions (e.g., NRA, NAACP).

Brutus 1

Argues for participatory democracy, fears centralized tyranny, favors power in the states.

Federalist 10

Argues a large, diverse republic can control factions and prevent tyranny.

Federalists vs Anti-Federalists

A debate over majority rule vs minority rights and the distribution of power.

Prominent Federalists

Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay.

Notable Anti-Federalists

Patrick Henry, George Mason.

Federalists’ position on power

Supported a strong centralized federal government.

Anti-Federalists’ position on power

Wanted power to stay with the states; opposed ratification of the Constitution.

Federalist Papers

Essays supporting the ratification of the Constitution.

Anti-Federalist Papers

Essays opposing ratification of the Constitution.

Article 2 (Confederation)

States retain sovereignty and independence except powers delegated to Congress.

One-branch government under the Articles

There was only a legislative Congress; no separate executive or judiciary.

Executive or federal judiciary under the Articles

Not present; the Articles lacked both an executive and a federal judiciary.

Article 9 powers

Powers of Congress under the Articles, including resolving disputes and regulating weights/measures.

9 of 13 supermajority

Nine states out of thirteen were required to approve major decisions.

Unanimous consent to amend the Articles

Amendments required agreement from all thirteen states.

Major achievement of the Articles

Created a central government where none existed before.

Major flaw of the Articles

The federal government was too weak to govern effectively.

Shays’ Rebellion

An armed uprising (1786–1787) by indebted farmers in Massachusetts, highlighting Articles’ weaknesses.

Tariff (5%) proposal, 1782

An attempted revenue-raising tariff that showed economic disunity among states.

Confederation

A form of government where several states unite under a weak central authority.

13 original states

The states that formed the Confederation under the Articles.

Monarchy hangover

Fear that centralized power would erode state autonomy and liberty.

Missing branches under the Articles

No executive or federal judiciary.

Congress could only request money from states, leading to ineffective taxation.

1787 Constitutional Convention

Meeting that drafted the new Constitution to replace the Articles.

Article 6 (foreign relations)

States cannot enter treaties or receive embassies without Congress’s consent.

Article 13 (amendments)

Unanimous consent required to amend the Articles.

Ratification outcome

Federalists won; the Constitution was ratified, creating a stronger federal government.