Political Theories and Philosophers
This doctrine held that monarchs derived their authority directly from God, making them answerable only to the heavens rather than their subjects.
Divine Right Theory
A government form where power is held by a hereditary king or queen.
Monarchy
A system where all major governing authority is centralized within a single national government.
Unitary
These are fundamental protections from government overreach or interference, primarily detailed in the Bill of Rights.
Civil Liberties
Adopted in July 1776, this document formally stated the 13 colonies' separation from Great Britain.
Declaration of Independence
Conceptualized by Enlightenment thinkers, this theory states that individuals implicitly or explicitly agree to surrender some freedoms to a governing authority in exchange for protection of their remaining rights.
Social Contact Theory
A system of government where a small, elite group holds power based on wealth, social status, or military control.
Oligarchy
A system that constitutionally divides power between a central national government and smaller regional subdivisions like states.
Federal
These represent constitutional guarantees of equal treatment and protection under the law for all individuals regardless of identity
Civil Rights
The first governing constitution of the United States, which failed due to its weak central authority and lack of power to tax.
Articles of Confederation
In his 1651 work Leviathan, he argued that life in a "state of nature" without a strong central authority would be "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short."
Thomas Hobbes
In this type of democracy, the executive head of government (Prime Minister) is selected directly by the legislature rather than by direct popular vote.
Parliamentary Democracy
An alliance of independent states created to handle shared concerns (like defense), where the central government remains weak and subordinate to state authorities.
Confederate
This landmark 14th Amendment clause requires state governments to treat all citizens equally under the law.
Equal Protection Clause
A collection of 85 essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay urging states to ratify the new US Constitution.
Federalist Papers
His philosophy on natural rights—specifically life, liberty, and property—heavily influenced Thomas Jefferson when drafting the Declaration of Independence.
John Locke
A term for a system of government in which ultimate political authority is concentrated in the hands of a single autocratic ruler
Dictatorship
The first government formed in the United States represented this type of structure.
Confederate
The constitutional guarantee that legal procedures must remain fair, consistent, and adhere to established rules before depriving someone of life, liberty, or property.
Due Process
The collective term given to the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution.
Bill of Rights
This French thinker advocated for dividing government authority into executive, legislative, and judicial branches to prevent tyranny.
Baron de Montesquieu
In this democratic system, the chief executive is elected by citizens independently of the legislative branch for a set term length.
Presidential Democracy
The 10th Amendment to the US Constitution, reserving non-delegated powers to the states or people, reinforces this structural system.
Federal Structure
When President Trump refused to allow CNN, MSNBC, and Politico into the White House, what civil liberty was being violated
Freedom of the Press
The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, passed following the Civil War to abolish slavery, grant birthright citizenship, and protect voting rights regardless of race.
Reconstruction Amendments