Unit One Foundations
1. 22nd Amendment - Limited the President to two terms.
2. 12th Amendment - Changed the process of running for President and Vice President in the Electoral College.
3. 17th Amendment - Provided for the direct election of Senators.
4. 25th Amendment - Addresses presidential disability and succession.
5. Implied Powers - Not specifically stated in the Constitution but considered reasonable under the elastic clause.
6. Reserved Powers - Powers set aside for the states in the 10th Amendment.
7. Enumerated Powers - Specifically granted to Congress under Article I, Section 8.
8. Commerce Clause - Gave the federal government power over foreign and interstate trade.
9. Supremacy Clause - States that the Constitution and federal laws are the supreme law of the land.
10. Virginia Plan - Proposed by Madison, setting up the government with three branches with checks and balances.
11. Anti-Federalists - Believed the most power should remain with the states and local governments.
12. Ex Post Facto Laws - Retroactive criminal laws prohibited in the Constitution.
13. Extradition - The legal process where an alleged criminal is surrendered to a state where the crime allegedly was committed.
14. Federalist Papers - Series of essays designed to explain and defend the newly written Constitution.
15. Pluralism - Theory that government is a competition among groups and compromise resolves issues.
16. Elite Theory - Negative view that the rich and powerful will rule everything.
17. Hyperpluralism - Theory that many groups are so strong that government is weakened and gridlock occurs.
18. Republic - Also called “Indirect Democracy” or “Representative Democracy.”
19. Social Contract Theory - Says people surrender some power in return for government protection.
20. Political Efficacy - The belief that one’s political participation matters.
21. Public Agenda - Issues that attract the attention of public officials and others involved in government.
22. Bully Pulpit - Term for the President getting more attention when discussing a topic.
23. Unitary Government - Power is concentrated in the national (or central) government.
24. Confederation - Power is in the states, with the central government only having powers given to it by the states.
25. Federal System - Power is shared between the central government and sub-governments.
26. Political Culture - Sets of values and beliefs about the purpose and scope of government.
27. Two-thirds (2/3) - Fraction needed for the proposal of an amendment to the Constitution.
28. Three-fourths (3/4) - Fraction needed for the ratification of an amendment to the Constitution.
29. National Convention - An amendment could also be proposed by a national convention called by two-thirds of the state legislatures.
30. State Conventions - An amendment could be ratified by state conventions instead of state legislatures.
31. 21st Amendment - The only amendment ratified using state conventions instead of state legislatures.
32. States - Power was concentrated in the states under the Articles of Confederation.
33. The Great Compromise - Proposed a bicameral legislature with one house based on population and the other with equal state representation.
34. Montesquieu - Enlightenment philosopher whose ideas influenced Madison on Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances.
35. John Locke - Enlightenment philosopher Jefferson drew from for ideas of Natural Rights.
36. Property - John Locke mentioned life, liberty, and property as natural rights.
37. Linkage Institutions - Channels through which people’s concerns become part of the political agenda.
38. Article V - Provides for the Constitution’s flexibility with an amendment process.
39. Article II - Gives the powers of the Executive Branch.
40. Article III - Tells the powers of the Judicial Branch.
41. Legislative Branch - Only the legislative branch was established in the Articles of Confederation.
42. Reapportionment - Changes in Congressional seats among the states due to population shifts.
43. Census - Taken every decade to determine the population of the United States.
44. House of Representatives - The only directly elected position in the original Constitution.
45. Declaration of Independence - Foundation document describing a government based on unity, natural rights, and the social contract.
46. Apportionment - The reallocation of seats in the House of Representatives every 10 years due to the Census.
47. Redistricting - The process of drawing electoral district boundaries in the United States.
48. Thomas Jefferson - Main writer of the Declaration of Independence.
49. Northwest Ordinance - Document outlining rules for a new state to join the U.S. during the Articles of Confederation.
50. Nine (9) - Percentage of the states needed to add an amendment to the Articles of Confederation.
51. Originalism - The approach of interpreting government documents as the founding fathers intended.
52. Redistricting - The process of redrawing electoral district boundaries after Census results.
53. Habeas Corpus - Court order requiring explanation for a person's detention.
54. Electoral College - Officially elects the President.
55. House of Representatives - Elects the President if there is not a majority in the Electoral College.
56. Nine (9) - Number of states needed to ratify the Constitution according to Article 7.
57. Brutus #1 - Expressed concerns about the potential for a powerful federal government.
58. Federalist No. 51 - Discusses the need for Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances.
59. Federalist No. 10 - Argues that Representative Government will protect minority rights.
60. Federalist No. 70 - Written by Hamilton, discusses the need for a strong executive branch.
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