Enlightenment Thinkers
This French thinker proposed dividing government into three distinct branches—legislative, executive, and judicial—to prevent tyranny.
Who is Baron de Montesquieu?
This person famoulsy wrote that in a state of nature without government, human life would be "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short."
Who is Thomas Hobbes?
Aristotle defined this form of government as rule by a single person for the common good, which becomes a tyranny if corrupted.
What is the Kingship (or Monarchy)?
This first governing document of the United States created a weak central government with no president, no courts, and no power to tax.
What is the Articles of Confederation?
Montesquieu and the U.S. Founders emphasized this principle, which states that no leader or citizen is above the law.
What is the rule of law?
This English philosopher argued that all human beings are born with natural rights to life, liberty, and property.
Who is John Locke
This political concept refers to an agreement where citizens give up certain freedoms in exchange for government protection and order.
What is Social Contract?
According to Aristotle's Politics, when an aristocracy degenerates into rule by a wealthy few for their own gain, it becomes this.
What is oligarchy?
Under the Articles of Confederation, changing or amending the document required the agreement of this fraction of states.
What is all 13 states (100%/ unanimous approval)
This system allows each of the three branches of government to stop or limit the actions of the other two branches.
What are Checks & Balances?
In his 1513 book The Prince, this Renaissance thinker argued that it is safer for a leader to be feared than loved if they cannot be both.
Who is Niccolo Machiavelli?
According to John Locke, if a government breaks the social contract by failing to protect people's rights, the people have the right to do this.
What is revolt (or overthorw/replace the government)?
In this form of government, citizens elect representatives to make laws and decisions for them rather than voting on every law themselves.
What is a Representative Democracy (or Republic)?
Proposed at the Constitutional Convention, this plan favored large states by proposing that congressional votes depend on state population.
What is the Virginia Plan?
Aristotle defined virtue as this "mean" or middle ground between two extreme traits (a deficiency and an excess).
Whis the Golden Mean?
This Swiss-born philosopher favored direct democracy and wrote that government must follow the "general will" of the people.
Who is Jean-Jacques Rousseau?
Locke claimed that a legitimate government relies on this principle, meaning leaders rule only because the citizens agree to be ruled.
What is consent of the governed?
Aristotle argued that the best practical government was this "mixed" constitution, which balances oligarchy and democracy.
What is polity?
This agreement split Congress into two houses: the Senate (equal votes per state) and the House of Representatives (votes by population).
What is the Great Compromise?
This foundational principle states that the ultimate authority and power of government belongs to the people.
What is Popular Sovereignty?
Latin term for "blank state"
What is tabula rasa?
Rousseau distinguished between "natural freedom" in the state of nature and this type of freedom gained by living in a safe, governed society
What is social freedom?
Term that refers to Mob Rule.
What is ochlocracy?
This constitutional compromise allowed Southern states to count a percentage of their enslaved population toward representation in Congress.
What is the 3/5 Compromise?
In Book Eight of The Politics, Aristotle argued that this state-supported function is necessary to train youth in virtue and sustain government.
What is Public Education?