Ideals of Democracy
Donald Trump, the 45th president of the United States, was impeached for the second time on January 13, 2021, one week before his term expired. This process highlights this foundational ideal of democracy.
What is Limited Government?
What was the name of the first governing document of the United State?
Articles of Confederation
Power to tax, power to declare war, power to regulate interstate commerce, and power to make all laws being necessary and proper are all examples of these powers outlined in the U.S. Constitution.
States that the "powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people."
AKA - Reserved Powers Clause
What is the 10th Amendment
Who is John Locke
Unicameral Congress with no power to tax
No Executive, thus weak enforcement of rules - no unity among states - each state had its own currency
The theory satisfied by the apportionment and election plan for the House of Representatives made by the Connecticut Compromise at the Constitutional Convention.
What is the Participatory Theory?
Answers may vary:
3/5ths Compromise, Great Compromise, Electoral College, etc.
The national and state governments operated independently of one another. Each level had separate powers and did not interact. No longer in use in the United State.
What is Dual Federalism
In Federalist 51 Madison made arguments for this structural provision of the U.S. government that would more adequately ensure the abuses of tyranny.
Separation of powers
"Air is to fire, as liberty is to faction" according to this foundational document a functioning government must limit their ill effects rather than end their causes. This is best done through larger republics that make use of the pluralism of interests in order to quell mob rule.
What is Federalist No. 10
Describe Pluralism.
The theory in representative democracy that many groups are and should compete for influence in the government. Because many groups are fighting for power, it becomes difficult for any specific faction to totally dominate the government's policy-making.
Describe the importance of the necessary and proper clause.
This clause allows the national government to STRETCH their powers and take actions that are not necessarily listed in the US Constitution in order to allow the government to perform their enumerated powers.
List one benefit and one DISADVANTAGE of Federalism
Possible benefits: - allows states to test out new policies like laboratories - provides people more access points to the government through local and state levels since the country is large geographically Possible disadvantages: - Complex, with many layers of govt to deal with - Duplication of offices and functions - Conflicts of authority may arise between the different levels
A governing system based on the consent of the governed in which representatives of the public exercise governing power.
What is republic?
Some founders feared the expansive nature of federalism and pointed to the threat of representatives being unfamiliar with the views of their constituents. They argued the elitism would ultimately prevail and lead to tyranny of a few over the masses. These arguments were laid forth in -
What is Brutus I?
Identify four checks or balances that can occur at a national level.
Answers may include but are not limited to:
Presidential Veto, Congressional Override, Judicial Review, Presidential appointment of justices, Senate approval of justices, Senate ratification of treaties, etc.
This process outlined in Article II of the Constitution illustrates the founders' commitment to federalism and interest in providing a voice for minority factions while also preferring a more elite filtered system of republican government.
What is U.S. v. Lopez?
In order to establish an adequately limited government that provided for maximum popular sovereignty the father of the Constitution argued we must use the negatives of human nature as a positive force and make ambition counteract ambition in this essay.
What is Federalist 51?
List two important precedents that resulted from McCulloch v. Maryland (1824)
1. States could not tax the federal government via the SUPREMACY CLAUSE 2. The NECESSARY AND PROPER CLAUSE allows the national government to create a national bank even though this is not a enumerated power in the Constitution.
List the five values that make up the American Creed.
Liberty, Individualism, Laissez-Faire, Populism, Egalitarianism
Describe the amendment process as outlined in the Constitution
PROPOSAL: 1. 2/3 of each chamber of Congress must agree to propose or 2. 2/3 of state legislatures call for national convention B. RATIFY: 1. 3/4 of state legislatures must agree to ratify or 2. 3/4 of states agree to ratify at a national convention
The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1916 is an example of this type of grant. FAHA (1916) was the federal government’s first large-scale assistance program and also expanded the federal role by establishing a number of conditions and controls (e.g., project applications, progress reports, expenditure audits, and project closeout) designed to insure that state governments adhered to federal goals and objectives in their use of grant funds.
What are categorical grants?