Ideals of Democracy
This phrase from the Declaration of Independence reflects Enlightenment ideas about the source of political power.
What is “consent of the governed”?
Dividing power among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches illustrates this principle.
What is separation of powers?
Under the Articles, Congress lacked this power, making it difficult to pay war debts.
What is the power to tax?
This compromise created a bicameral legislature with population-based and equal representation.
What is the Great (Connecticut) Compromise?
This collection of essays was written to persuade New York voters to ratify the U.S. Constitution.
What are the Federalist Papers?
This Anti-Federalist essay warned that a large republic would make representatives too distant from the people.
What is Brutus No. 1?
The division of power between national and state governments is known as this system.
What is federalism?
This theory best explains policymaking dominated by wealthy donors or political elites.
What is elite democracy?
A presidential veto of a congressional bill is an example of this concept.
What are checks and balances?
This 1786–1787 uprising revealed the national government’s inability to respond to domestic unrest.
What is Shays’ Rebellion?
This compromise increased Southern representation by counting enslaved people as three-fifths of a person.
What is the Three-Fifths Compromise?
This Federalist Paper argues that factions are inevitable and must be controlled, not eliminated.
What is Federalist No. 10?
Anti-Federalists feared the national government would do this to state governments.
What is consolidate power?
The clause that makes federal law supreme over conflicting state law.
What is the Supremacy Clause?
This theory emphasizes competition among interest groups to prevent tyranny.
What is pluralist democracy?
The idea that government power comes from the people is known as this principle.
What is popular sovereignty?
The Articles required this level of approval to amend the government, causing gridlock.
What is unanimity?
This compromise gave Congress the power to regulate trade but banned export taxes.
What is the Commerce Compromise?
“Ambition must be made to counteract ambition” refers to this constitutional design feature.
What are checks and balances?
This addition to the Constitution was demanded by Anti-Federalists to protect individual liberties.
What is the Bill of Rights?
Powers shared by both state and federal governments, such as taxation.
What are concurrent powers?
Protecting rights, maintaining order, and promoting the common good describe this core purpose of this institution.
What is the purpose of government?
The principle that government is restricted by the Constitution and the rule of law.
What is limited government?
The Articles created this type of national government, with most power held by the states.
What is a weak national government?
Large states favored this plan, which proposed representation based on population.
What is the Virginia Plan?
Madison argued that this type of republic best protects liberty by reducing majority tyranny.
What is a large (extended) republic?
Brutus believed this feature of the Constitution threatened liberty.
What is a strong national government?
This Supreme Court case limited Congress’s use of the Commerce Clause by ruling that gun possession near schools was not an economic activity.
What is U.S. v. Lopez (1995)?
This concept explains why people accept the authority of a government.
What is legitimacy?
This principle explains why the U.S. is a representative democracy rather than a direct democracy.
What is republicanism?
The failure of the Articles led directly to this 1787 meeting.
What is the Constitutional Convention?
Small states supported this plan, which called for equal representation in Congress.
What is the New Jersey Plan?
The belief that human nature requires internal controls on government power comes from this document.
What is Federalist No. 51?
Anti-Federalists preferred government that was closer to the people at this level.
What is the state government?
This case confirmed implied powers and national supremacy over states.
What is McCulloch v. Maryland?
FINAL JEOPARDY!
Natural Rights Thinking
The Enlightenment justification for rebellion when a government consistently violates natural rights.
What is the right of revolution?