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28 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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limited government |
a) a government that is subject to strict limits on its lawful uses of power and hence, on its ability to deprive people of their liberty b) a govt where people are not completely free c) an autocracy |
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self-government |
a) the principle that the people are the ultimate source and should have a voice in their governing (in practice, self-govt has come to mean a govt based on majority rule) b) a govt where people have a say c) a democracy |
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social contract |
a) a voluntary agreement by individuals to form a govt, which is then obliged to act within the confines of the agreement b) agreeing to make a govt and run it c) politicians |
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inalienable (natural) rights |
a) rights that persons theoretically possessed in the state of nature prior to the formation of governments. these rights, including life, liberty, + property are natural rights and the govt can't take them b) rights you're born with c) the right to breathe |
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constitution |
a) the fundamental law that defines how a govt will legitimately operate b) the guide to running a govt c) a guide |
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Virginia (large-state) plan |
a) a constitutional proposal for a strong Congress with two chambers, both of which would be based on numerical representations, thus granting more power to the larger states. b) two Congress chambers represented by numbers plan c) the House of Reps and Senate
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New Jersey (small state) Plan |
a) a constitutional proposal for a strengthened Congress but one in which each state would have a single vote, thus granting a small state the same legislative power as a large state
b) every state gets a one vote c) fairness within the states |
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Great Compromise |
the agreement of the constitutional convention to create a two chamber Congress with the House apportioned by the population and the Senate by the state. |
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Three Fifths Compromise |
a) a compromise worked out at the 1787 convention between northern states and southern states. each slave was to be counted as three-fifths of a person for purposes of federal taxation and congressional apportionment b) every slave would be counted as 3/5 of a person c) the south needing more people but refusing to recognize other human beings as people |
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Anti-Federalists |
a) a term used to describe opponents of the Constitution during the debate over ratification b) people who were anti-Constitution during the ratification c) rational people |
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Federalists |
a) a term used to describe proponents of the Constitution during the debate over the ratification b) people pro-Constitution c) also rational people |
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liberty |
a) the principle that individuals should be free to act and think as they choose, provided they do not infringe unreasonably on the freedom and well-being of others b) freedom as long you respect everyone else's c) our rights |
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grants of power |
a) the method of limiting the US govt by confining its scope of authority to those powers expressly granted in the Constitution b) restraining the govt's power c) fairness |
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denials of power |
a) a constitutional means of limiting govt by listing those powers that govt is expressly prohibited from using b) not letting govt use specific powers c) fairness |
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separation of powers |
a) the division of the powers of govt among separate institutions or branches b) powers of govt separated into groups c) judicial, executive, legislative branches |
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separated institutions sharing powers |
a) a way to limit govt, its powers should be divided among separate branches, each of which also shares in the power of the others as a means of checking and balancing them, so no one exercises too much power without punishment b) stopping branches of govt from going over board c) stopping tyranny |
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checks and balances |
a) the elaborate system of divided spheres of authority provided by the US Constitution as a means of controlling the power of the govt b) checking on the govt and making sure there's balance c) fairness |
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Bill of Rights |
a) the first 10 amendments to the Constitution b) the first ten amendments to the Constitution c) rights we have as US citizens |
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judicial review |
a) the power of courts to decide whether a government institution has a acted within its constitutional powers and if not to declare its action null and void b) the "check yourself" power of the courts c) checking whether or not what you did is constitutional |
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tyranny of the majority |
a) the potential of a majority to monopolize power for its own gain at the detriment of minority rights and interests b) the majority of people becoming too powerful and disregarding the minority c) a revolt, but not a good one |
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democracy (according to farmers) |
a) a forms of govt in which the power of the majority is unlimited, whether exercised directly or through a representative body b) a govt where the majority are listened to c) America |
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republic |
a) a form of govt in which the people's representatives decide policy through institutions structured in ways that foster deliberation, slow the progress of decision making, and operate within restraints that protect individual liberty. b) reps represent the people c) US |
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trustees |
a) elected reps whose obligation is to act in accordance w/ their own consciences as to what policies are in the best interests of the public b) people who act on their accord on what they think is best for the public c) reps |
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Electoral College |
a) an unofficial term that refers to the electors who cast the states' electoral votes b) the people whose votes really matter c) the electoral college |
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electoral votes |
a) the method of voting used to choose a president. each state has the same number of electoral votes as it does in the Senate and House. b) votes that matter c) electoral votes |
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delegates |
a) elected reps whose obligation to ct in accordance w/ the expressed wishes of the ppl they represent b) all politicians c) politicians |
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primary election |
a) a form of election in which voters choose a party's nominees for public office. the eligibility to vote in a party's primary election is limited to voters who are registered members of the party in some states. b) when the parties vote for their nominees c) Democratic Primary |
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constitutional democratic republic |
a) a govt that is constitutional in its provisions for the minority rights and rule by law democratic in its provisions for majority influence through elections; and a republic in its mix of deliberative institutions which check and balance each other b) a democractic government c) US |
