Foundations & Philosophies
This English philosopher wrote that all humans possess natural rights to life, liberty and property in his "Two Treatises of Government"
Who is John Locke?
This 1786 armed uprising of Massachusetts farmers exposed the military and financial helplessness of the Articles of Confederation.
What was Shay's Rebellion?
This clause in Article I, Section 8 allows Congress to pass laws necessary to execute its explicitly listed duties.
A system of government where subnational state units hold nearly all sovereign power and the central government is subordinate.
What is a confederal system (or confederation)?
An organization that is basically involved in all aspects of the daily life of citizens.
What is government?
These goods are non-excludable and non-rivalrous, paid for through taxes for everyone to use, such as national defense and public roads
What are public goods?
This Constitutional Convention proposal favored large states by basing legislative representation strictly on population.
What is the Virginia Plan?
Powers explicitly written in the Constitution, such as coining money and declaring war, belong to this category.
What are Expressed or Enumerated Powers?
This landmark 1819 Supreme Court case established that Congress has implied powers and that states cannot tax federal banks.
What is McCulloch v. Maryland?
A person's set of ideas and beliefs that they use to analyze politics.
What is ideology?
According to Aristotle's government classifications, this form represents legitimate rule by the many.
What is polity?
This compromise created a bicameral legislature with population-based representation in the House and equal state representation in the Senate.
What is the Connecticut (Great) Compromise?
The President's power to reject a bill passed by Congress, which Congress can override with a 2/3 vote in both houses.
What is a veto?
Powers shared simultaneously by national and state governments, such as levying taxes and building court systems.
What are concurrent powers?
What level of government provides police and fire protection to its citizens?
What is local government?
This 1215 English document forced King John to grant trial by jury and established that monarches are bound by the rule of law.
What is the Magna Carta?
Written under the pseudonym 'Publius', these 85 essays were published to convince New York citizens to ratify the U.S. Constitution.
What are the Federalist Papers?
This Article VI clause declares that the U.S. Constitution and federal statutes take precedence over conflicting state laws.
What is the National Supremacy Clause?
This constitutional amendment reserves all unassigned and non-prohibited powers to the states or to the people.
What is the Tenth Amendment?
The process that determine what government does.
What is politics?
Locke's concept stating that government gains legitimate authority only through the permission of the people
What is consent of the governed?
In Federalist No. 10, James Madison argued that the primary cause of factions is this human condition.
What is the unequal distribution of property?
According to Article V, this fraction of state legislatures is required to ratify a proposed constitutional amendment.
What is 3/4?
What is the state governments?
A system of government with a strong central government controlling all lower levels of government.
What is a unitary system?