Unit One Key Terms

Front 1

John Locke

Back 1

considered the first of the British empiricists, but is equally important to social contract theory.

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Thomas Hobbes

Back 2

contributed to a diverse array of fields, including history, geometry, physics of gases, theology, ethics, general philosophy, and political science.

Front 3

Federal Government

Back 3

the structure of federal governments vary from institution to institution based on a broad definition of a basic federal political system.

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Democracy

Back 4

describes a small number of related forms of government and also a political philosophy.

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Unitary Government

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governed as one single unit in which the central government is supreme

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Sovereign

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he quality of having supreme, independent authority over a territory.

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Dictatorship

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an autocratic form of government in which the government is ruled by an individual, the dictator, without hereditary ascension.

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Second continental congress

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a convention of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that met beginning in May 10, 1775, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, soon after warfare in the American Revolutionary War had begun.

Front 9

The Federalist (papers)

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a series of 85 articles advocating the ratification of the United States Constitution.

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Declaration of Independence

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a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies then at war with Great Britain were now independent states, and thus no longer a part of the British Empire.

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Magna Carta

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is an English legal charter, originally issued in the year 1215. It was written in Latin and is known by its Latin name.

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Three Fifths Compromise

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a compromise between Southern and Northern states reached during the Philadelphia Convention of 1787 in which three-fifths of the population of slaves would be counted for enumeration purposes regarding both the distribution of taxes and the apportionment of the members of the United States House of Representatives.

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Anti-Federalists

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a political philosophy which opposes the concept of Federalism.

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Implied Powers

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are those powers authorized by a legal document which, while not stated, are deemed to be implied by powers expressly stated.

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Delegated Powers

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Expressed powers given to one branch of government by the Constitution, which are assigned to another government agency with express consent of the first. For example, Congress delegating certain powers to the President.

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Reserved Powers

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powers that the United State Constitution does not give to the federal government or forbid to the states, are reserved to the people or the states.

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Amendment

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a change to the constitution of a nation or a state. In jurisdictions with "rigid" or "entrenched" constitutions, amendments require a special procedure different from that used for enacting ordinary laws.

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Bill of Rights

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the name by which the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution are known.

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Checks and Balances

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a model for the governance of democratic states.

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Rule of Law

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the law is above everyone and it applies to everyone.

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Separation of Powers

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the political doctrine under which the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government are kept distinct, to prevent abuse of power.

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Limited Government

Back 22

the basic principle of American Government which states that government is restricted in what it may do, and each individual has rights that cannot be taken away.