Our English Roots
This 1215 document was the first to limit the power of the English monarch.
Magna Carta
This philosopher believed that people need a strong ruler to prevent chaos and therefore entered into a social contract with one another.
Thomas Hobbes
This compromise created a two-house Congress, balancing large and small states.
The Great Compromise
Under the Articles, Congress lacked this key power, which the Constitution later gave it.
The power to tax
The division of power between national and state governments.
Federalism
Opponents of the Constitution who demanded a Bill of Rights.
The Anti-Federalist
This 1628 document forced the king to get Parliament’s consent for taxes.
Petition of Right
This philosopher’s idea of “life, liberty, and property” inspired Jefferson’s “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
John Locke
This compromise counted enslaved people as part of the population for representation and taxation.
The 3/5 Compromise
This key weakness of the Articles made passing laws very difficult.
New laws required approval of 9 of the 13 states
The Constitution prevents any one branch from becoming too powerful through this system.
Checks & Balances
This group desired a strong national government with enough power to effectively enforce laws.
The Federalist
This 1689 English law protected free speech in Parliament and outlawed cruel punishment.
English Bill of Rights
This philosopher wrote The Spirit of the Laws and inspired the separation of powers.
Charles Montesquieu
This compromise gave Congress power over interstate and foreign trade, but restricted taxes on exports.
The Commerce Compromise (Clause)
The inability to regulate this led to disputes between states under the Articles.
Interstate Commerce (Trade)
The idea that the power of government comes from the people.
Popular Sovereignty
The demand for this addition to the Constitution reflected Anti-Federalist concerns about protecting citizens’ rights.
The Bill of Rights
From the Magna Carta to the Constitution, these are the two central reoccurring principles.
Limited Government
&
Rule of Law
This philosopher’s Social Contract promoted the “general will” as the basis of government.
Jean Jacques Rousseau
The Great Compromise resolved conflict between these two rival plans for representation.
The Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan
This law passed under the Articles of Confederation established the process by which US territories could become states.
The Northwest Ordinance
The Constitution restricts government actions by listing powers it does not have. This reflects which principle?
Limited Government
Supporters of the Constitution wrote these, arguing the need for a strong central government and the ratification of the Constitution.
The Federalist Papers
This document gave English people power over Parliament by providing for free Parliamentary elections.
The English Bill of Rights
Collectively, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, and Montesquieu influenced this American founding document.
The Declaration of Independence
A final compromise resulted in the Anti-federalist agreeing to ratify the Constitution once this document was included.
The Bill of Rights
Amending the Articles of Confederation required the approval of this many states.
All 13 States
Making laws, enforcing laws, and interpreting laws are examples of which principle?
Separation of Powers
Anti-Federalists believed the Constitution gave this level of government too much power.
The National (Central/Federal) Government