Constitutional Definitions and Principles of Governance

Fundamental Rights and Enlightenment Ideals

• Natural Rights: Rights of life, liberty, and property, which are given by God and cannot be taken by the government.

• Social Contract: An agreement between the people and the government in which citizens consent to being governed if their natural rights are protected.

• Popular Sovereignty: The principle that the leaders of the government are created and sustained by the will of the people.

• Bill of Rights: The first ten amendments to the US Constitution, most of which were designed to protect fundamental rights.

Structures of Legislative Bodies

• Bicarmel: A legislature with two houses, such as the US Congress.

• Unicarmel: A legislature with only one house.

Systems of Governance and Division of Power

• Confederation: A high decentralized form of government.

• Federalism: An institutional agreement that creates two autonomous levels of government, both being given the authority to act on the people as given in the Constitution.

• Separation of Powers: The sharing of powers among three separate branches of government.

• Checks and Balances: A system that allows one branch of government to limit the exercise of power by another branch.

• Judicial Review: The power of courts to review actions taken by the other branches of government and the states and to rule on whether those actions are constitutional.

Political Factions and Constitutional Restrictions

• Federalist: Supporters of the ratification of the Constitution.

• Anti-Federalist: Those who did not support ratification of the constitution.

• Bill of Attainder: A legislative action declaring someone guilty without a trial, which is prohibited under the constitution.