1.1
Which Enlightenment thinker wrote The Second Treatise of Government and believed in natural rights?
John Locke
In a participatory democracy, do citizens vote on laws directly or only through representatives?
Directly on laws
Which side believed a Bill of Rights was necessary to protect individuals from government overreach?
Anti-Federalists
In what year were the Articles of Confederation ratified?
1781
Who was the primary author of the Declaration of Independence?
Thomas Jefferson
Montesquieu’s The Spirit of Laws introduced what important system that prevents one branch of government from becoming too powerful?
Separation of powers and checks and balances
Which model of democracy relies on interest groups like the NRA or NAACP to influence policymakers?
Pluralist Democracy
Who were the three main authors of The Federalist Papers?
Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay
What was the main cause of Shays’ Rebellion in Massachusetts in 1786?
Over-taxation and debt faced by poor farmers and war veterans
According to Federalist No. 10, what was James Madison’s solution to the “mischief of factions”?
A large republic where many factions compete, forcing compromise and preventing tyranny of the majority
What is the term for the agreement where people give up some freedoms in exchange for order and security in society?
Social Contract
Which model of democracy is represented by the U.S. Electoral College, where elected representatives make decisions for the people?
Elite Democracy
Federalists argued that qualified representatives would best lead the country because they could limit the influence of what?
Factions
Why was the federal government powerless to put down Shays’ Rebellion? (Two Answers)
The Articles of Confederation gave Congress no power to raise an army or collect taxes
What was one major weakness of the Articles of Confederation that Shays’ Rebellion exposed?
Congress had no power to raise an army or collect taxes to respond to crises
Which Enlightenment principle means that government power comes from the consent of the people?
Popular Sovereignty
Which Anti-Federalist essay argued for broad citizen participation and warned against a powerful central government?
Brutus 1
How did Anti-Federalists believe majority rule should be balanced in order to protect ordinary citizens?
By giving many people a direct voice in government and limiting elite control
What fear did Shays’ Rebellion create among Massachusetts residents and national leaders?
That an armed rebellion could overthrow state governments and the nation lacked the power to stop it
What did Brutus 1 argue about the Necessary and Proper Clause and the Supremacy Clause?
That they would make the federal government too strong and overshadow the states’ authority
The Enlightenment idea that governments get their power only through the consent of the governed most directly challenged what earlier belief about political authority?
The divine right of kings
According to Federalist 10, what prevents tyranny in a large republic by forcing factions to compete?
A diverse population with many competing interests (pluralism)
In debates over taxation, why did Anti-Federalists fear the new Constitution, while Federalists supported it?
Anti-Federalists feared unfair, heavy taxes from a powerful national government; Federalists believed a strong central government was necessary to collect taxes fairly and fund national needs
How did Shays’ Rebellion directly influence the creation of the U.S. Constitution?
It convinced leaders like Washington and Hamilton that the Articles of Confederation were too weak and that a stronger federal government was necessary
How does the Declaration of Independence’s principle that governments derive “their just powers from the consent of the governed” connect to Madison’s republican model in Federalist 10?
Both emphasize that legitimate authority comes from the people — but Madison extends it, arguing that a large, representative republic ensures that this consent is balanced and not dominated by a single faction