Federalists & Anti-Federalists
The plan proposed by larger states during the Constitutional Convention that based representation in the national legislature on population and strengthened national government.
What is the Virginia Plan?
A democratic government in which citizens choose among candidates in an election, with the winners given the power to determine government policy until the next election.
What is representative democracy?
A form of federalism in which national and state governments work together to provide services efficiently.
What is cooperative federalism?
Part of the Article IV of the Constitution requiring that each state’s laws be honored by the other states.
What is the Full Faith and Credit Clause?
A negative or checking power over the other branches that allows Congress to remove the president, the vice president, or other “officers of the United States” (including federal judges) for abuses of power.
What is impeachment?
The plan proposed by smaller states at the Constitutional Convention that gave each state equal representation in the national legislature, regardless of size.
What is the New Jersey Plan?
A democratic government in which citizens are directly involved in making choices about government policy through some form of referenda.
What is participatory democracy?
A more refined and realistic form of cooperative federalism in which policy makers within a particular policy area work together across the levels of government.
What is picket fence federalism?
Powers explicitly granted to Congress, the president, or the Supreme Court in the first three articles of the Constitution.
What are enumerated powers?
Grants Congress the power to pass all laws related to its expressed powers.
What is the Necessary and Proper Clause?
A compromise between small and large states, proposed by connecticut, in which Congress would have two houses: a Senate with two legislators per state and a House of Representatives in which each state’s representation would be based on population.
What is the Great Compromise?
A democratic government in which some citizens have disproportionate influence over government policy.
What is elitist democracy?
A form of federalism in which federal funds are allocated to the lower levels of government through transfer payments or grants.
What is fiscal federalism?
The constitutional power of Congress to raise and spend money.
What is the Power of the Purse?
Additional checks on excessive power that are shared between branches.
What are shared powers?
Anti-Federalists feared that these groups would form if the national government was given more power than the states.
What are factions?
The idea that government gains its legitimacy through regular elections in which the people living under that government participate to elect their leaders.
What is the consent of the governed?
Federal aid provided to a state government to be spent within a certain policy area, but the state can decide how to spend the money within that area.
What are block grants?
Part of Article IV of the Constitution requiring that states must treat non state residents within their borders as they would treat their own residents. This was meant to promote commerce and travel between states.
What is the Privileges and Immunities Clause?
This branch of government can check Congress with the power to veto a proposed law.
What is the executive branch?
The articles written by the Federalists that were published to sway people into supporting the ratification of the Constitution.
What are The Federalist Papers?
The idea that having a variety of parties and interests within a government will strengthen the system, ensuring that no group possesses total control.
What is pluralism?
A system in which the national, centralized government holds ultimate authority. It is the most common form of government in the world.
What is unitary government?
Based on the 11th Amendment, immunity that prevents state governments from being sued by private parties in federal court unless the state consents to the suit.
What is states’ sovereign immunity?
The landmark 1803 case in which the Supreme Court for the first time declared that part of a law passed by Congress was unconstitutional. This case helped establish the Court as an equal player in the system of checks and balances.
What is Marbury v. Madison?