Philosophical Foundations
This biblical religious leader, lawgiver, and prophet received the Ten Commandments, which include many ideas that appear in the Bill of Rights.
Moses
e is called the “Father of the Constitution” and wrote the first 12 amendments to the Constitution, 10 of which were ratified as the Bill of Rights.
James Madison
In this form of government, a country is governed by a hereditary ruler whose powers can be either absolute or limited by a constitution.
Monarchy
In this economic system, the government exerts total control over all means of production.
Communism
The importance of this physical document is that it defines the purpose, powers, rights, and responsibilities of citizens, while also describing the operational systems of government.
Written Constitution
This philosopher promoted the concepts of separation of powers and checks and balances to prevent one part of government from becoming too powerful.
Montesquieu
As a leading Federalist and the first Secretary of the Treasury, he favored a strong central government, established the National Bank, and believed in a loose interpretation of the Constitution.
Alexander Hamilton
This system divides the power of government between national and state governments, acting as the framework for the U.S. System of Government.
Federal System
This is the exclusive, legal right of a person to reproduce, publish, and sell his or her own literary, musical, or artistic creations.
Copyright
This is the belief that monarchs were chosen by God, giving the monarch unlimited authority.
Divine Rights of Kings
He was an English judge and professor whose four-volume Commentaries on the Laws of England included the Rights of Persons and the Rights of Things.
William Blackstone
This delegate from Connecticut offered the Great Compromise, proposing a two-house legislative body with all states represented equally in the Senate and by population in the House of Representatives.
Roger Sherman
Which form of government allows citizens to vote for representatives to make those choices for them?
Democracy
Granted by Congress to foster competition and entrepreneurship, this is a license issued to an inventor that gives them the exclusive right to manufacture, use, or sell their invention for a limited period of time.
Patent
Stated in the Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson, these are rights that may not be surrendered or taken from individuals.
Unalienable Rights
This philosopher's concept of natural rights, specifically "life, liberty, and property," had the strongest influence on Thomas Jefferson.
John Locke
Known as the “Father of the Bill of Rights,” this Virginian refused to sign the original Constitution because it lacked a clear statement protecting the rights of states and individuals.
In this specific system of government, two or more independent states unite in order to achieve a common goal.
Confederate System
Existing today in places like New Zealand and Scandinavia, this system features government ownership of some factors of production and often offers security and benefits to the less fortunate or underemployed.
Socialism
Universal, moral principles found in the Bill of Rights.
The theory that man must give up some freedom to the government in exchange for the protection of his natural rights.
Social Contract Theory
This prominent legal scholar proposed the Three-Fifths Compromise to break a deadlock between slave and free states, and later served as one of the first Justices on the new Supreme Court.
James Wilson
This is a system where all authority rests with a central government, meaning state and local governments only have the powers explicitly given to them by that central government.
Unitary System
Government taxation and this type of government action—which includes environmental rules, safety and health standards in the workplace, and product standards—can serve as restrictions to private enterprise.
Regulation
Because authority is derived from the consent of the governed, this is the principle stating that people have the right to alter or abolish a government when it fails to fulfill its purpose of securing individual rights.
Right of Resistance