Foundational Documents Cheat Sheet Flashcards

Natural Rights: Affirms the existence of inalienable natural rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Consent of the Governed: Establishes that governments derive their legitimacy and power from the consent of those they govern.
Rule of Law: Declares that the people have the right to alter or abolish laws when faced with tyranny, asserting the principle of popular sovereignty and resistance to oppression.

Weak National Government: Established a decentralized government structure with no president, granting significant autonomy to the states.
Unicameral Legislature: Featured a single legislative body, limiting the central government's ability to act decisively.
State Freedom: Afforded states considerable freedom to govern themselves, leading to inconsistencies and challenges in national governance.
No Taxes: Lacked the power to impose taxes, leading to financial instability and inability to address national debts.
Shays' Rebellion: The weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation culminated in Shays' Rebellion, highlighting the need for a stronger national government.

Standing Army: Argued against the establishment of a standing army, fearing its potential for oppression and infringement on individual liberties.
Necessary and Proper Clause: Criticized the necessary and proper clause, concerned that it granted the federal government excessive power beyond its enumerated powers.
Enumerated Powers: Raised concerns about the scope of enumerated powers, fearing that a strong central government would encroach on the rights and autonomy of the states and the people.
Large Republic: Expressed skepticism about the viability of a large republic, arguing that it would be difficult to represent diverse interests and maintain civic virtue.

Tyranny of Factions: Addresses the problem of factions and argues that a large republic can mitigate the negative effects of factionalism by diversifying interests and preventing any single faction from dominating.
Controlling Factions: Argues it is not viable to remove or limit factions; instead, a larger republic can control them by having more factions, making it difficult for any single faction to oppress others.

Separation of Powers & Checks and Balances: Advocates for the separation of powers and checks and balances within the government to prevent tyranny and safeguard liberty. These mechanisms ensure that no single branch becomes too powerful, promoting a balanced and accountable government.

Strong Single Executive: Emphasizes the necessity of a strong, singular executive for effective governance. A single executive promotes energy, decisiveness, and accountability, enabling swift action and effective leadership.

Judicial Independence: Argues that lifelong tenures for Supreme Court justices insulate them from external pressures, fostering impartiality and enabling them to develop expertise over time.
Judicial Review: Underlines the importance of an independent judiciary with the power of judicial review to safeguard the Constitution and protect individual rights.

Moral Responsibility: Asserts that individuals have a moral duty to challenge and resist unjust laws, emphasizing the importance of civil disobedience in the pursuit of justice.
Direct Action: Advocates for direct action and nonviolent resistance as effective means of fighting injustice, urging immediate action rather than passive waiting for change.