American Heritage Fp Vocab

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Founding

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A conscious, deliberate act of creating a system of government that benefits the people

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Patria

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A sense of homeland

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Republic

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When citizens of the political state govern themselves rather than submit to a monarch, despot, or oligarchy

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Heritage

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The traditions, beliefs, principles, events, etc. that we inherit from the past

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Sovereignty

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Ultimate political power - having final say

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Human predicament

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The cycle from tyranny to anarchy, to which sovereign power and its ill effects give rise

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Despot

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A ruler exercising absolute power

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Revolution

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A means of removing tyranny from power; part of the human predicament cycle

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Tyranny

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Absolute power centralized in one person (or small group); part of the human predicament cycle

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Anarchy

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No one person (or group) maintains absolute power. Characterized by mass disorder caused by failure to agree on a common course of action; part of the human predicament cycle

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Competing groups

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Groups that, in a state of anarchy, fight for supreme power and control; part of the human predicament cycle

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Good Society

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Reasonably stable and prosperous society without an oppressive tyranny. Usually includes peace, respect, vibrant culture, and personal freedom to live the way one chooses

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Plato

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427-347 BC Greek philosopher and author of The Republic, which extolled civic virtue and the necessity of arete.

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Political legitimacy

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Ruling by a sanction higher than stark necessity; sanction may stem from divine right, wisdom or consent, etc.

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King James I

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1566-1625 King James I of England claimed political legitimacy through a "divine right of kings"

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Divine right of kings

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Political theory that royal lines are established by God and that kings rule by divine decree

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Theocracy

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Divinely inspired rule, or rule by religion

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Aristocracy

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Rule based on distinguished or wise ancestors and heritage

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Greek freedom

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The privilege of taking part in the political process and observing society's rules

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Human nature

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The fundamental disposition of humans that determines their behavior

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Arete

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Greek term for human virtue, the backbone of republican morality. Striving for excellence

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European Enlightenment

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18th century philosophical movement that proposed individual self-interest, rather than Greek virtue or Christian humility, as the motivating factor in human behavior

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Autocracy

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One of the four alternative forms of government; sees people as children in need of a carefully controlled environment provided by government

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Classical republicanism

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One of the four alternative forms of government; sees people (and government) as mostly good but corruptible and so government should have restricted power and try to encourage a good moral climate

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Bill of rights

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First ten amendments to the constitution regarding basic protections of rights from the government, passed in response to the Anti-Federalist argument against the constitution

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Libertarianism

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One of the four alternatives forms of government; sees the most important value as individual freedom and holds that government should only protect that freedom and nothing more

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Liberalism

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One of the four alternatives forms of government; sees people in the most favorable light but institutions or other influences can corrupt them, so government is necessary to protect them from such corruption

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Thomas Jefferson

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1743-1826 Jefferson was the third president of the united states, principal author of the declaration of independence, and an influential founding father of the united states

A political philosopher who promoted classical liberalism, republicanism, and the separation of church and state, he was the author of the Virginia statue for religions freedom which was the basis of the establishment clause of the first amendment of the united states constitution

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structure

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Rules and restrictions designed to better harness virtue

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Polis

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City or city-state, often self-governed by its citizens as the ancient Greek city-states were

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Social compact

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The social concept of a group of autonomous individuals living in a state of nature, making a common agreement about the sort of political world they want to live in

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State of nature

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Hypothetical condition assumed to exist in the absence of government where human beings line in "complete" freedom and general equality

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Christopher Columbus

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1451-1506 Genoese mariner who discovered the Americas while searching for a new trade route to India

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Corporate communities

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Colonial settlements established by economic or financial purposes by various companies. Although usually chartered by the Crown, their remote circumstances helped foster the idea and practice of self-governance

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John Rolfe

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1585-1622 Virginia colonist who pioneered the cultivation of tobacco as a profitable agricultural enterprise. Rolfe also married Pocahontas in 1614

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Indentured servitude

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Land owners would pay the passage of those willing to come to the colonies in exchange for an agreed-upon term of service, after which the indentured servant was released from his obligation and was then free to seek his own fortune

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House of burgesses

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An assembly of representatives elected by the common people of the Virginia colony, similar to the House of Commons

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Covenant communities

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Settlements based on religious or moral values, mostly interested in being an example to Europe or living according to their own moral liberty

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Pilgrims

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Small congregation of separatists seeking to distance themselves, physically and spiritually, from the Church of England by emigrating to New England

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Robert Brown

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1550-1630 Writer and proponent of the Separatist movement that demanded separation from the Church of England. His writings inspired groups such as the Pilgrims to emigrate to America for religious freedom

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Puritans

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British religious emigrants who wanted to reform the Church of England rather than sever all ties with it; their beliefs in the Christian Calling, Moral Self-Governance, and in being God's Elect would help shape the Founding and American national character

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John Calvin

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1509-1564 John Calvin was a French theologian during the Protestant Reformation who greatly influenced Puritan beliefs. He taught that the Bible was the final authority for matters of faith and that salvation came through grace only (not works). He also taught the doctrine of predestination

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God's Elect

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From John Calvin's predestination theology, the doctrine that God has already chosen those who will be saved. These elect people are to build a holy community as an example

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The Christian calling

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From the theology of John Calvin - People should pursue a "calling" in some sort of worldly work where they are to rise early in the morning, work hard, save their money, and invest it wisely. Prosperity indicates God's approval

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Moral self-governance

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Puritan ideal that all must live a righteous life largely on their own, with each man being responsible for his own actions and those of his family - with an eye on his neighbor as well

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John Winthrop

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1587-1649 John Winthrop was elected governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony before their departure from England, and re-elected many times. He is known for his sermon "A model of Christian Charity", in which he stated that the Puritan colony would be "a city upon a hill"

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Tabula rasa

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Latin for clean slate of blank slate. Puritans felt that the new world was a tabula rasa on which mankind could begin the human story anew

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City on a hill

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Biblical ideal, invoked by John Winthrop, of a society governed by civil liberty (where people did only that which was just and good) that would be an example to the world

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Natural liberty

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Where men are free to do what they please without regard for the moral value of their actions

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Civil liberty

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According to John Winthrop, "Where men were free to do only that which is good, just and honest".

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John Locke

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1632-1704 English philosopher whose treatises of government espousing natural rights, consent of the governed, and social compacts greatly influenced the founding fathers

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Whig Party

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England's first political party, organized in political opposition to the King

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Second Treatise of government

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John Lockes work arguing that true political authority comes not from God or precedent but from people

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William of Orange

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1650-1702 Acceded the throne with his wife Mary in 1689 and become William III of England

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Glorious Revolution

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1688 bloodless English revolution against the king, making the king subject to parliament; considered a true founding of government

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Rule of law

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A set of metalegal principles developed by the english legal system as a way of distinguishing whether a particular law supported freedom or not

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Natural law

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Law that classical Greeks believed resided in the human heart and reflects our innate sense of right and wrong

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Natural rights

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Fundamental rights granted by nature that government cannot abrogate and which government is bound to protect

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Generality

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Rule of law principle that states when laws are made they must apply to broad categories of people and must not single out individuals or groups for special treatment

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Cicero

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An orator; statesman, political theorist, lawyer and philosopher of ancient rome

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Common law

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Law that is considered to be from natural law principles framed in precedents set by earlier courts. It was the primary form of law in England

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Prospectivity

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Rule of law principle that states laws must apply to future action and not past action

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Publicity

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Rule of law principle that states laws must be known and certain, such that everyone knows of their existence and their enforcement is reasonably reliable

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Consent

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Rule of law principle that states laws must be generally acceptable to those who must live by them

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French and Indian War

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1754-1763 Britain and her colonies fought against the French with their respective native allies. The French were defeated, solidifying British control of North America

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Due Process

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Rule of law principle tat states when laws are applied they must be administered impartially

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Montesquieu

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1689-1755 French political thinker who favored the British system of rule and lauded the idea of separation of powers

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Commonwealth ideology

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The idea that the "Country party" had the best strategy and opportunity to preserve liberty against the "Court party"

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Court party / tories

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English royal court and the center of British political power; characterized by corruption and subversion

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Country party

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English opposition to the Court party that consisted of commonwealth men The country party was considered morally independent with pure motives

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John Adams

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1735-1826 John Adams' unequivocal belief in the importance of the rule of law led him to defend the British soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre. His defense demonstrated to the world that the colonists were civilized and could therefore govern themselves

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Separation of powers

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dividing powers of government between the separate branches

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Adam Smith

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1723-1790 Scottish philosopher and economist who wrote The wealth of nations. He is considered the father of modern economics

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Mercantilism

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An economic theory that emphasized the importance of stockpiling gold and silver to the economic power of a nation. Mercantilists regulated the economy by encouraging exports and restricting imports

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Command system

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An economic system in which the allocation of the resources is heavily controlled by government instead of free market forces

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navigation acts

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enforce trade regulations in the colonies all trade had to go through British or colonial merchants and be shipped in British or colonial ships with the end goal to generate large exports from England, with few imports, so that gold and silver would flow into the motherland

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capitalism

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free market economy in which the government serves only to create an acceptable environment in which to make exchanges

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The wealth of nations

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book written by adam smith that criticized mercantilism and proposed a free market economy in which the invisible hand determined prices

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markets

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divisions of the economy that specialize in certain goods or services

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market economy

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an economic model advanced by adams smith in which the forces of individual self-interest regulate the economy. This regulation eliminates the need for the most government interventions

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exchange

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trade between two parties

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role of money

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money facilitates exchange y eliminating the necessity for a coincidence of wants functioning as a generally acceptable medium for exchange

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coincidence of wants

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when two parties each possess something desired by the other promoting an exchange

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specialization

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the economic practice of focusing resources on production of one or a few goods

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perfect competition

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when buyers and sellers have no influence on price and terms of exchange

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collusion

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when sellers are conspiring to maintain a high price and avoid competing with one another

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monopoly

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when one person or group captures enough market power to control or manipulate prices; the lack of competition in a market

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law of supply

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as the price of a particular good or service rises, suppliers will produce more of that good or service

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law of demand

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as the price of a particular good or service rises, individuals will buy less of that good or service

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role of prices

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in a market economy, prices determine the quantity of goods supplied

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role of profits

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in a market economy, as profits increase, the number of suppliers and resources for making that good will increase

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equilibrium price

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the price at which the amount demanded is equal to the amount supplied

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shortage

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when the amount demanded is greater than the amount supplied

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surplus

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when the amount supplied is greater than the amount demanded

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The invisible hand

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adam smith's term for the natural self-regulation of a market economy driven by self-interest and efficiency

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Role of government in a market economy (5)

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1.Prevent coercion and fraud

2.Provide money

3.Provide basic transportation and communication

4.Define property rights

5.Enforce the exchange agreements

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Laissez-faire

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policy in which there is little or no interference with exchange, trade, or market prices by the government

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Taxation without representation

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rallying cry of the colonists during the revolutionary period because of the taxes placed on them by a parliament in which they had no representation

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Tea act

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gave british east india company a monopoly on tea in the colonies, the act led to the boston tea party

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boston tea party

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dec 16, 1773 American colonists protested the british tax on tea by dumping 342 crates of British tea into Boston harbor

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Committees of correspondence

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groups coordinated by colonies to communicate with other colonies

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Patrick Henry

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Give me liberty or give me death. Wanted a bill of rights

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continental congress

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colonies met to respond to englands intolerable acts. declared independence

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declaration of independence

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1776 broke ties with england

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Thomas Paine

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Common sense

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Common sense

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thomas paine convinced colonists that they needed to be independent

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Paul revere

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organized alarm system to keep watch on british military

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george washington

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first president. led continental army during revolutionary war

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demigod

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half human and half godlike