Main People
How did Thomas Hobbes impact the US Government today, and who was he?
Thomas Hobbes was a 17th-century English philosopher who created the concept of the social contract, and he influenced the U.S. government by providing the rationale for a sovereign power to provide order and security.
What was the major focus of the Constitution?
To establish a strong functional federal government with limited powers, protect individual liberties, and balance authority between the national government and the states.
Federalism is the division of power between the federal and state governments…does this make federalism a positive to negative thing in our government?
It keeps the federal government from getting too powerful, and it allows states to make their own laws that suit their people more. Federalism has a more positive impact on our government.
Name one famous Federalist, and what did they stand for?
Alexander Hamilton, he stood for a strong central government.
Name one famous Anti-Federalist, and why did they stand against Federalism?
Thomas Jefferson, and they stood against Federalism because they feared a strong central government would become too powerful and turn into a monarchy
What is John Locke known for?
He fought for our natural rights.
What was the main purpose of the Articles of Confederation, and why didn’t it work out for the U.S.?
To establish the first government for the colonies. It didn’t work out because of the weak central government, which led to lack of taxes, laws, and enforcement.
How does the U.S. government run on a limited government? And what are some of its limitations?
The U.S. government is limited because the Constitution gives it only certain powers. Its limits include checks and balances, the Bill of Rights, and the power of the people to vote.
What is the idea of the social contract?
Citizens grant the government authority & trade certain freedoms for security, rights, societal orders, & for natural rights.
What does ratification mean, and why was it so important in approving the U.S. Constitution?
Ratification means official approval. It was important because the Constitution couldn’t go into effect until the 9 out of 13 states agreed to it.
What president wrote the Declaration of Independence?
Thomas Jefferson
Why did one of the U.S. Presidents write the Declaration of Independence?
To explain why the American colonies were separating from Great Britain.
What is a monarchy and how did it affect our government today?
A monarchy is when a single person (King/Queen) is the head of state, often through inheritance.
What is bicameral, and how do we use this system?
A 2 house legislative that your use to pass laws by 2 separate legislative chambers.
What are our natural rights as Americans, and can they be taken away?
Our natural rights are the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness…and no our natural rights cannot be taken away.
What idea did Rousseau believe in that we still use today?
The Social Contract
What famous document, from England, that the U.S. that the Constitution is influenced by?
The Magna Carta. This document was a list of rights that the King John couldn’t take away in 1215.
What is a democracy and where did it originate from?
A democracy is a system of government where the people hold the power and exercise it through voting, and it originated in Ancient Greece.
What was the Great Compromise, and was it effective?
2 houses with 1 being based on state population & the other based on 2 senators for each state. Yes, it was a effective.
How do we use checks and balances in our government today? And have we always used it this way?
Checks and balances let each branch of government limit the others’ power. We started using it when the Constitution was created in 1787.
Who wrote the Bill of Rights, and was the father of the Constitution?
James Madison
”We the People...” is a _____ to the Constitution
Preamble
What is a Republic and is the U.S. government a republic? (Bonus: Where did it originate from?)
A Republic is where the people elect leaders to make decisions for them instead of having a king or dictator. The U.S. does have republic styles in our government, but it is not a complete republic government. And it originated from Rome.
Does the U.S. government run on popular sovereignty; and if so, where does it state this?
Yes, it states it in the Declaration of Independence.
What political system do we use in our government today through our 3 branches of government? (Bonus: Which influential, French, writer came up with it?)
We use Separation of Powers and Montesquieu came up with it.