Types of Democracy
Name the system where citizens directly make laws and decisions rather than electing representatives.
Direct democracy.
What 1776 document declared the American colonies independent from Britain?
Declaration of Independence.
What was the first constitution of the United States, adopted in 1777?
Articles of Confederation (Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union).
Which article of the Constitution creates Congress and the legislative branch?
Article I.
What name was given to supporters of the Constitution during the ratification debates?
Federalists.
Which model emphasizes broad public participation and keeping government close to the people?
Participatory democracy.
Which English philosopher proposed the natural rights of life, liberty, and property that influenced American founders?
John Locke.
Under the Articles of Confederation, which level (states or national) held most sovereign power?
States.
How many houses are in the legislature under the Great Compromise, and how is representation allocated in each?
Two houses: House of Representatives (representation by population) and Senate (equal representation, two per state).
Which pair of founders authored many Federalist Papers (name any two)?
Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay (any two).
What term describes a system where citizens elect officials to govern on their behalf?
Representative democracy (republicanism).
Define popular sovereignty in one sentence.
Popular sovereignty: the government's authority comes from the consent of the governed.
Name two significant weaknesses of the national government under the Articles
Examples: no power to tax; no executive; no national judiciary; inability to compel states to follow laws
Define separation of powers in one sentence and name the three branches it creates.
Separation of powers: dividing government functions among branches so no one branch gains too much power — legislative, executive, judicial.
Summarize the main argument of Federalist #10 in one or two sentences.
Federalist #10: A large republic and separation of powers help control factions and prevent any single faction from gaining tyranny
Which theory argues that the best-educated or most qualified should govern?
Elite democracy (elitism).
Explain social contract theory and name one Enlightenment thinker associated with it.
Social contract: people consent to be governed in exchange for protection/public goods — associated with Thomas Hobbes (and John Locke)
What event led to calls for a Constitutional Convention because it revealed the national government's weakness?
Shays' Rebellion.
Give two examples of checks one branch has over another
Examples: Congress can impeach/remove executive/judicial officers; President can veto legislation; Courts can declare laws unconstitutional (judicial review).
Who wrote the Antifederalist essays under the name "Brutus," and what main concern did they express about the new Constitution?
"Brutus" (Anti-Federalist writings) — main concern: national government would be too powerful and distant from the people; preferred power remaining with states.
Compare majoritarian democracy and consensus democracy: state one main advantage of each and one main criticism of each.
Majoritarian advantage: decisive rule/clear mandates. Majoritarian criticism: can trample minority rights. Consensus advantage: power-sharing and compromise protecting minorities. Consensus criticism: inefficient/slow decision-making.
Identify two ways the Declaration of Independence used natural rights and social contract language to justify independence
Examples: (1) Claims that people have rights from nature (life, liberty) that governments must respect; (2) Argues that because the king violated the social contract, the colonies could form a new government.
Explain how the Articles' rule that powers be "expressly delegated" limited the national government's ability to function
Because only powers explicitly written in the Articles existed, the national government lacked flexible tools (like taxing or enforcing laws) needed to carry out its duties, leaving it ineffective at responding to crises or economic problems.
Explain the difference between enumerated and implied powers and give one example of each.
Enumerated powers: specifically listed in the Constitution (e.g., power to coin money). Implied powers: not listed but inferred from necessary-and-proper clause (e.g., creating a national bank).
Define subsidiarity and explain how it relates to the Anti-Federalists' argument
Subsidiarity: the principle that decisions should be made at the lowest level competent to handle them; Anti-Federalists used it to argue that state governments were closer to the people and better suited to perform most functions