Enlightenment
Foundations
Foundations
He famously argued that life in a state of nature without government would be "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short," making government necessary for basic stability.
Who is Thomas Hobbes?
This was the primary document drafted to explain and justify the thirteen colonies' decision to break away from Great Britain.
What is the Declaration of Independence?
This political group opposed ratifying the Constitution because they feared the federal government would become too strong and endanger state sovereignty.
Who are the Anti-Federalists?
This principle is demonstrated when citizens exercise their political power by electing representatives to make decisions on their behalf rather than voting directly on every law.
What is a republic (or popular sovereignty / representative democracy)?
According to John Locke, government is created to protect these three specific natural rights.
What are life, liberty, and property?
Under the Articles of Confederation, passing an amendment to change the national government required this level of state approval, making reforms almost impossible.
What is unanimous approval from all 13 states?
Anti-Federalists refused to support the new Constitution unless these explicit protections for personal liberties were added.
What is the Bill of Rights?
The principle stating that government officials are not above the law and must follow the same legal restrictions as ordinary citizens.
What is limited government (or the rule of law)?
This Enlightenment philosopher proposed dividing government into three separate branches to prevent any single part from acquiring too much power.
Montesquieu?
The framers of the Articles of Confederation deliberately created a weak central government primarily because of this deep political fear.
What is the fear of a tyrannical or overly powerful central government (like the British monarchy) threatening individual liberty?
In Federalist No. 10, James Madison defined this entity as a group of citizens united by a common interest that is harmful to the rights of others or the community.
What is a faction?
This core democratic principle holds that all political authority ultimately rests with and derives from the consent of the people.
What is popular sovereignty?
This fundamental principle states that the legitimacy and power of a government exist only because citizens agree to give it authority in exchange for safety and order.
What is the Social Contract?
This 1786 uprising of Massachusetts farmers facing heavy debt and foreclosure highlighted the inability of the central government to maintain order.
What is Shays' Rebellion?
The Anti-Federalist author of Brutus No. 1 feared that this constitutional clause would allow federal law to completely overpower and erase state laws.
What is the Supremacy Clause?
In Brutus No. 1, the author argued that in a nation as large and geographically vast as the United States, representatives would face this major challenge regarding their constituents.
What is difficulty knowing, sharing, and representing the diverse interests of all citizens?
According to John Locke, when a government repeatedly violates citizens' natural rights and breaks the social contract, citizens have the moral right and duty to take this action.
What is altering, resisting, or replacing (overthrowing) the government?
Shays' Rebellion served as a critical catalyst for political leaders to take this major historical step in May 1787.
What is calling the Constitutional Convention?
In Federalist No. 10, James Madison argued that a large, diverse republic controls factions better than a small republic because...
What is having more competing interests and groups, making it harder for a single majority faction to form and dominate?
Federalist No. 10 argues that trying to destroy factions by removing their causes is unacceptable because doing so would destroy this essential element of political life.
What is liberty / freedom of speech and association?