Unit 1 terms
the system for implementing decisions made through the political process
Government
A democratic government in which each citizen has an equal amount of influence over government policy
Pluralist Democracy
An uprising of about 4,000 men in Massachusetts in 1786 and 1787 to protest oppressive laws and gain payment of war debts. The unrest prompted calls for a new Constitution.
Shay’s Rebellion
A concept developed by political philosophers of the eighteenth century that defined the legitimacy of the state. The people recognize the authority of the state to govern over them, and in turn, the government protects the rights and freedoms of the people.
Social Contract
A plan that was in response to the Virginia Plan, in which smaller states at the Constitutional Convention proposed that each state should receive equal representation in the national legislature, regardless of size.
New Jersey Plan
the process that determines what government does
Politics
A democratic government in which some citizens (such as wealthy, better educated, or certain social groups) have disproportionate influence over government policy.
Elitist Democracy
As understood by James Madison and the framers, the belief that a form of government in which the interests of the people are represented through elected leaders is the best form of government.
Republicanism
Those at the Constitutional Convention who favored a strong national government and a system of separated powers.
Federalists
A compromise between the large and small states, proposed by Connecticut, in which Congress would have two houses: a Senate with two legislators per state and a House of Representatives in which each state's representation would be based on population (also known as the Connecticut Compromise).
The Great Compromise
a cohesive set of ideas and beliefs used to organize and evaluate the political world
Idiology
Political freedom, such as the freedom of speech, press, assembly, and religion. These and other legal and due process rights protecting individuals from government control are outlined in the Bill of Rights of the U.S. Constitution.
Liberty
As understood by James Madison and the framers, the belief that a form of government in which the interests of the people are represented through elected leaders is the best form of government.
Republicanism
Those at the Constitutional Convention who favored strong state governments and feared that a strong national government would be a threat to individual rights.
Anti-federalists
A system of government in which legislative and executive power are closely joined. The legislature (parliament) selects the chief executive (prime minister) who forms the cabinet from members of the parliament.
Parliamentary System
A democratic government in which citizens choose among candidates in an election, with the winner given the power to determine government policy until the next election
Representative Democracy
In the context of American politics, equality means equality before the law, political equality (one person, one vote), and equality of opportunity (the equal chance for everyone to realize their potential), but not material equality (equal income or wealth).
Equality
The idea that government gains its legitimacy through regular elections in which the people living under that government participate to elect their leaders.
Consent of the governed
The idea that having a variety of parties and interests within a government will strengthen the system, ensuring that no group possesses total control.
Pluralism
As defined in the Tenth Amendment, powers that are not given to the national government by the Constitution, or not prohibited to the states, are reserved by the states or the people.
Reserved Powers
A democratic government in which citizens are directly involved in making choices about government policy through some form of referenda.
Participatory Democracy
A form of government in which power is held by a single person, who comes to power through inheritance rather than election
Monarchy
Also known as "unalienable rights," the Declaration of Independence defines them as "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." The Founders believed that upholding these rights should be the government's central purpose.
Natural Rights
A plan proposed by the larger states during the Constitutional Convention that based representation in the national legislature on population. The plan also included a variety of other proposals to strengthen the national government.
Virginia Plan
Part of Article VI, Section 2, of the Constitution stating that the Constitution and the laws and treaties of the United States are the "supreme Law of the Land," meaning national laws take precedence over state laws if the two conflict.
National Supremacy Clause