Constitutional Foundations

Social Contract

A theory that individuals consent, either explicitly or implicitly, to form a government and abide by its rules in exchange for protection of their rights and maintenance of social order.

Natural Rights

Fundamental rights that all individuals possess by virtue of being human, often considered to include the right to life, liberty, and property.

Declaration of Independence

The document adopted on July 4, 1776, declaring the Thirteen Colonies free from British rule and outlining the principles of individual rights and government by consent.

Limited Government

A principle that restricts governmental power to protect individual rights and liberties.

Popular Sovereignty

The principle that the authority of a government is created and sustained by the consent of its people.

Republicanism

A political ideology that emphasizes a representative government where elected officials make decisions on behalf of the citizens.

Articles of Confederation

The first governing document of the United States, establishing a confederation of sovereign states with a weak central government.

Participatory Democratic Theory

A democratic theory that advocates for direct citizen involvement in political decision-making.

Pluralist Theory

A political theory that suggests power is distributed among multiple groups, preventing any single group from dominating.

Elite Theory

A theory that posits political power rests with a small number of elite individuals or groups.

Federalist No. 10

An essay by James Madison that argues for a large republic to mitigate the dangers of faction.

Brutus No. 1

An anti-federalist essay that critiques the proposed Constitution and warns against a powerful central government.

Shays' Rebellion

An uprising led by farmers to protest economic injustices and highlight the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.

Grand Committee

A committee formed during the Constitutional Convention to address and resolve key issues in drafting the Constitution.

Great Compromise

An agreement that created a bicameral legislature with representation based on population in one house and equal representation in the other.

Three-Fifths Compromise

An agreement that counted enslaved individuals as three-fifths of a person for representation and taxation purposes.

Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise

An agreement that allowed Congress to regulate commerce while protecting the slave trade for a limited time.

Federalists

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

Federalist Papers

A series of essays written to promote the ratification of the Constitution and explain its principles.

Anti-Federalists

Opponents of the Constitution who feared a strong national government and demanded a Bill of Rights.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the Constitution that guarantee individual rights and freedoms.

Separation of Powers

A principle that divides government responsibilities among distinct branches to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful.

Checks and Balances

A system that ensures that each branch of government can limit the powers of the others.

Federalism

A system of government that divides power between a central government and regional governments.

Federalist No. 51

An essay that outlines the necessity of checks and balances in government to protect liberty.

Amendments

Formal changes or additions to the Constitution.

Judicial Review

The power of the courts to determine the constitutionality of laws and actions.

Marbury v. Madison

A landmark Supreme Court case that established the principle of judicial review