Constitutional Compromises
During the Constitutional Convention, large and small states disagreed over how states should be represented in Congress. What compromise resolved this dispute?
The Great or Connecticut Compromise
This Enlightenment thinker argued that people possess natural rights such as life, liberty, and property.
John Locke
This document announced that the colonies were separating from Great Britain.
The Declaration of Independence
What are powers that are specifically granted to the federal government by the Constitution called?
Enumerated Powers
In this form of democracy, citizens participate directly in making government decisions rather than electing representatives to make decisions for them.
Direct or participatory democracy
This proposed plan favored large states by calling for representation in a national legislature to be based on population.
The Virginia Plan
This idea holds that government gets its authority from the people.
Popular sovereignty or consent of the governed
Shay's Rebellion
In McCulloch v. Maryland, the Supreme Court upheld Congress’s ability to create a national bank. What constitutional clause did this decision rely on?
The Necessary & Proper Clause
Which model of democracy argues that political power is primarily held by a relatively small group of wealthy, powerful individuals?
Elite democracy
What compromise determined how enslaved people would count towards the population for Congressional representation?
This founding father lived in France during the Enlightenment and brought back many of the thoughts and ideas back to the colonies with him. These thoughts are represented in a document he wrote.
Thomas Jefferson
Identify one major weakness of the Articles of Confederation.
The national government could not effectively tax, regulate interstate commerce, enforce laws, or maintain a strong executive branch.
What type of federal grant gives states money for a specific purpose and usually comes with conditions that states must follow?
Categorical grant
Which model of democracy emphasizes competition among interest groups to influence government policy?
Pluralist democracy
The Framers created this system for choosing the president as a compromise between having Congress choose the president and having citizens directly elect the president.
The Electoral College
What Enlightenment idea states that people agree to give up some freedoms in exchange for government protection and order?
The social contract theory
Which section of the Constitution outlines the goals of the new government?
The Preamble
Which form of federalism has our government shifted towards since its founding?
Cooperative federalism
A state places a proposed law on the ballot, allowing citizens to vote directly on whether the law should be approved. What form of democratic participation does this scenario demonstrate?
Anti-Federalists argued that the new Constitution gave the national government too much power. What addition to the Constitution did they demand to safeguard individual liberties and limit the power of the national government?
The Bill of Rights
Which Enlightenment thinker believed that government should be divided into separate branches to prevent any one person or group from gaining too much power?
Montesquieu
According to Madison a strong central government was essential for a strong country. Which system did he believe was necessary to prevent tyranny within the strong central government?
What does the commerce clause give Congress the power to do?
A policy is changed after environmental organizations, business groups, labor unions, and other interest groups compete to persuade government officials. Which model of democracy does this best represent?
Pluralist democracy