Madison's Genius
In Federalist 10, what did James Madison view as the primary threat to a republic?
Factions
True or False: The Articles of Confederation enabled the U.S. central government to maintain an effective army and navy.
False
The U.S. Constitution represents what Theory of Government?
The Social Contract Theory
This English philosopher described the state of nature as solitary, nasty, brutish, and short."
Thomas Hobbes
What are the two most important questions about government?
1. How much power should government have?
2. How should that power be divided?
In Federalist 51, what two methods did Madison incorporate into the Constitution to address the challenge that "men are not angels?"
Separation of Powers and Checks & Balances.
Which Article contains the supremacy clause? You must answer using roman numerals.
Article VI
Provide one example of a check and balance
1. The President vetoing a bill passed by Congress
2. The Senate ratifying a treaty negotiated by the Executive Branch
3. The President being impeached
The English philosopher John Locke, who had a major impact on the Declaration of Independence, described the state of nature as what?
A state of freedom.
(Note: And in a state of freedom, you have God-given rights--inalienable rights--that cannot be taken away. Our federal system is heavily influenced by Locke.)
What clause in the U.S. Constitution created "implied powers," giving Congress and the federal government more power?
The necessary and proper clause.
(Bonus: What is another name for the necessary and proper clause?)
Describe James Madison's Virginia Plan
Bicameral legislature. Proportional representation in both houses/chambers.
Madison devoted an entire Article to addressing dysfunctional relationships between the states and between the states and the federal government. Which Article is this? Answer using Roman numbers.
IV
Name two compromises without which the U.S. Constitution might not have been ratified
3/5's Compromise
Connecticut Compromise (aka Great Compromise)
Compromise on Importation of Slaves
The French Enlightenment philosopher Montesquieu came up with this method for preventing the abuse of power in government, which Madison adopted and applied to the federal government in the U.S. Constitution
Separation of Powers
True or False: All unitary systems of government are run by dictators or authoritarians.
False
To ensure individual state power was protected, Madison created a new category of powers called "reserved powers." In which Amendment can these reserved powers be found?
The 10th Amendment.
Explain why Madison decided to focus Article I of the Constitution on the Legislative Branch.
1. He viewed the legislative branch as being the most powerful
2. And because the legislative branch would be the most powerful, it would represent the greatest threat to the people, so he carefully created a detailed plan in Article I to prevent this--hence its length.
Explain the terms "sovereignty" and "popular sovereignty."
Sovereignty: The ability to exercise supreme and absolute authority within territorial boundaries.
Popular sovereignty: The idea that the people are ultimately in control of the government.
Demonstrate your enlightenment by listing the four essential features of a state
1. Population
2. Territory
3. Sovereignty
4. Government
What two constitutional clauses guided Supreme Court Chief Justice Marshall and his fellow SCOTUS justices in their ruling in the case of McCulloch v. Maryland?
The necessary and proper clause.
The supremacy clause.
Madison was concerned about the Anti-Federalists' insistence that a Bill of Rights be added to the Constitution? What precisely troubled Madison about the idea of adding a Bill of Rights?
He was concerned that by creating a list of individual freedoms, any freedoms left off the list might be protected.
(Bonus: What Amendment did Madison create to address his concern?)
What is the name of the clause in Article IV that ensures your Florida driver's license will be accepted as such in Texas?
The Full Faith and Credit clause.
Which provides broader protections of individual freedoms, Article I Section 9 of the Constitution or the Bill of Rights?
The Bill of Rights
(Bonus: Describe the three protections Madison wrote into Article I Section 9 that were inspired by abuses under the British.)
Demonstrate your Enlightenment by explaining the distinction between the terms "nation," "state," and "country."
Nation emphasizes a group of people with a common bond (culture, language, values, etc.)
State in political science primarily refers to a national government.
Country is more distinctively a term that references territory.
The 14th Amendment expands the protection of civil liberties by applying the Bill of Rights to the state through this judicial principle--further redefining power relationships in the federal system.
Selective incorporation