Foundations & Enlightenment Thinkers
This theory explains that people agree to give up some freedoms in exchange for government protection and order.
What is the social contract?
This form of government gives power to the people.
What is democracy?
This system divides power between the national and state governments.
What is federalism?
This 1215 document established that the king was not above the law and supported due process.
What is the Magna Carta?
This principle divides government authority among three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial.
What is separation of powers?
This philosopher believed people are born with the natural rights of life, liberty, and property.
Who is John Locke?
This government is ruled by a king or queen, usually through inheritance.
What is a monarchy?
This system places most governmental authority in one central government.
What is a unitary system?
This 1620 agreement established a plan for self-government among the Pilgrims.
What is the Mayflower Compact?
This clause establishes that the Constitution and valid federal laws are the supreme law of the land.
What is the Supremacy Clause?
This principle means that laws apply equally to everyone, including government leaders.
What is the Rule of Law?
This form of government places power in the hands of a small group of wealthy or influential people.
What is an oligarchy?
This type of legislature has two chambers, like the United States Congress.
What is a bicameral legislature?
This 1776 document declared independence and identified life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as natural rights.
What is the Declaration of Independence?
This compromise created a two-house Congress with proportional representation in the House and equal representation in the Senate.
What is the Great Compromise?
According to Locke, what can people do when their government violates their natural rights?
What is overthrow or replace the government?
In this type of democracy, citizens elect officials to make decisions on their behalf.
What is representative democracy?
Under this system, states retain significant power while the central government has limited authority.
What is a confederal system?
This document created a weak national government in which each state retained its sovereignty and had one vote in Congress.
What are the Articles of Confederation?
This system uses state-appointed electors to cast votes for president rather than relying solely on a direct national popular vote.
What is the Electoral College?
This philosopher argued that separating legislative, executive, and judicial powers protects individual freedom.
Who is Montesquieu?
This process determines who receives government resources and which values and policies government supports.
What is politics?
Unlike the United States presidential system, this system connects the executive leadership to the legislature, with a prime minister leading the government.
What is a parliamentary system?
This 1689 English document limited royal authority and influenced protections such as freedom of speech and protection against cruel and unusual punishment.
What is the English Bill of Rights?
These opponents of ratification feared that the new national government would become too powerful and threaten individual liberties.
Who were the Anti-Federalists?