Democratic Ideals
This principle divides government authority among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.
What is popular sovereignty?
This 1776 document declared the colonies' independence from Great Britain.
What is the Declaration of Independence?
This group supported ratification of the Constitution and a stronger national government.
Who were the Federalists?
This first national governing document created a weak central government before the Constitution.
What are the Articles of Confederation?
This system of government shares power between the national and state governments.
What is federalism?
These are things that all people possess, are born with, and that cannot be taken away.
What are natural rights?
This model of democracy emphasizes broad participation in politics and civil society.
What is participatory democracy?
This group opposed ratification of the Constitution and wanted more power reserved to the states.
Who were the Anti-Federalists?
This rebellion exposed the national government's inability under the Articles of Confederation to respond effectively to domestic unrest.
What is Shays' Rebellion?
These powers are not delegated to the national government and are given to the states under the Tenth Amendment.
What are reserved powers?
This principle states that government power cannot be absolute.
What is limited government?
This model emphasizes interest groups competing to influence government decisions.
What is a pluralist democracy?
In this essay, James Madison argued that a large republic could control the dangers of factions.
What is Federalist No. 10?
This compromise created a House based on population and a Senate with equal representation for each state.
What is the Great (Connecticut) Compromise?
These powers are shared by the national and state governments, including the power to collect taxes.
What are concurrent powers?
This is an agreement in which people give up some freedoms to maintain social order.
What is a social contract?
This model emphasizes limited participation in politics and civil society.
What is elite democracy?
This Anti-Federalist essay warned that a large, centralized government could threaten individual liberty.
What is Brutus I?
This compromise established a formula for counting enslaved people for representation and taxation.
What is the Three-Fifths Compromise?
This constitutional clause gives the national government the power to regulate trade/transportation among the states.
What is the Commerce Clause?
This 1863 speech by Abraham Lincoln reaffirmed equality and popular sovereignty.
What is the Gettysburg Address?
This founding document established the framework of the U.S. government and a system of limited government.
What is the U.S. Constitution?
According to Federalist No. 10, this is a group united by a common interest that may threaten the rights of others or the public good.
What is a faction?
This constitutional process allows amendments to be proposed by two-thirds of both houses of Congress or two-thirds of state legislatures, followed by ratification by three-fourths of the states.
What is the Article V amendment process?
This type of national government funding restricts money to specific categories of spending and is preferred by the national government.
What are categorical grants?