| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Federalists | Nationalists, Liberals, Supported Va. plan & strong central Govt, mainly larger states |
| Anti-federalists | State-righters, conservatives, mainly from smaller states, supported NJ plan & state sovereignty |
| The Federalist Papers | 85 papers written by John Jay (NY), Alexander Hamilton (NY) & James Madison (Va.); penned under name Publius; supported ratification of the constitution |
| 17th Amendment | changed the election of Senate from state legislatures vote to vote by popular demand |
| Connecticut "Great" Compromise | Bicameral legislation w/ House based on population & Senate based on equality of states; single executive elected through electoral college; Judiciary appointed by president w/ advice & consent of the Senate |
| Slave connection | under Great Compromise count as 3/5th a person; no new slave importation as of 1808; slaves still traded among states |
| The Connecticut "Great" Compromise | combined effort of both the NJ & VA plans adding the electoral college vote for the executive branch |
| 2 party system foundation | Federalists & Anti-Federalists |
| 1787 | U. S. Constitution was written |
| 1776 | Declaration of Independence written |
| Articles of Confederation | Madison, VA - compact among the original 13 colonies in which the national govt draws powers for the states. Only had 1 branch consisting of a unicameral legislature |
| Constitution | establishes structure, function, & limits of govt. U.S. has the oldest written in the world |
| Constitution | Highest law in the land; does not have to be written, can be based off of traditions & customs |
| constitutionalism | theory, practice, and mindset that accompanies a constitution. Degree of limited govt to how individual rights are respected |
| constitutionalism evolved to mean | legal limitations placed upon the rightful power of govt in relationship to its citizens |
| basic elements in a constitution | Preamble, list of powers & functions of govt, description of relationship institutions & among nat'l & state govts; info about elections; list of limits of govt; list of rights of individuals; formal amending procedures; statement that the constitution is supreme over other laws |
| Supremacy Constitution | Rights to interpret - None |
| Originalist Constitution | Rights to interpret - Some |
| Living Constitution | Rights to interpret - Total |
| Differential Constitution | Rights to interpret - Considerably |
| American Democracy Survives | b/c Americans have a shared commitment to the Constitution & to one another |
| Why Nations adopt a Constitution | establish supreme law of land; establish yardstick to measure activities of the govt & the people |
| purpose/roles of constitution | create, organize, distribute governmental power on behalf of the people. Guarantee govt power is not abused |
| Preamble to the Constitution | statement of national ideals |
| Separation of Powers | formalizes the structure of govt |
| Checks & Balances | establishes the legitimacy of govt |
| Baron de Montesque | provided idea of check & balances and separation of powers |
| Declaration of Independence Main idea | proclaim right of the American people to separate from Britain |
| Influenced Decl. of Ind | John Locke's "state of Nature" philosophy that we are born with unalienable rights of life, liberty, property |
| Goal of Decl. of Ind | Liberty based on natural rights |
| Themes of Decl. of Ind | Humankind shares an equality (unalienable rights); govt is creation & servant of the people;Rights given by our creator are superior & no man can take away: Govt s are bound by their own law |
| 1st step toward govt | 1776 - Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson |
| Importance of Natural rights in Decl of Ind | Revolutionary/radical concept - Natural Rights are life, liberty, & property |
| Consequences of the American Revolution | Decisions had to be made about what to do w/ freedom. Led to 13 original states; drafting of state Constitutions; challenged of the existing order |
| Original states | NY, NJ, NH, NC, SC, GA, VA, Mass., Delaware, RI, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Maryland |
| Why Articles were weak | impossible to make public policy; foreign nations didn't know who to deal with; trade was controlled by the states; states controlled their own PARIS; led to economic crisis |
| PARIS of states | Power, Authority, Responsibility, Independence, Sovereignty |
| Divine Rights of Kings | Believe their power to rule was goven by God's authority (trad'l monarchys) |
| 1. Tax 2. Raise Army 3. Trade | Under the articles, these important powers were kept from central govt |
| Central Govt feared | by smaller states b/c of experience w/ England |
| Shay's Rebellion significance | Massachusetts - Wm Shay challenged the state govt b/ of the economic decline and the imprisonment of those unable to pay their debts |
| Philadelphia Convention | purpose was to revise the Articles; 55 delegates attended; Washington presided; RI did not attend but one of first to sign |
| Madison | did not want Articles revised; wrote the Articles & VA plan; wrote the Federalist Papers w/ John Jay & Andrew Hamilton |
| Federalist & Anti-Federalists Agreed | Articles were weak & needed balance; wanted more power in a central bicameral federal form of govt; wanted nat'l separation of govt and checks & balances; to protect private property; |
| Virginia Plan | Madison/Randolph - 15 resolutions creating a powerful central govt w/ 3 branches; Bicameral legislature where the people would elect the House & the House would elect the Senate; legislature w/ the power to select the executive & judiciary branches; representation based on population |
| New Jersey Plan | Wm Patterson - wanted to amend the Articles by keeping the unicameral legislation and adding executive & judicial branches w/ a Supreme Ct appointed for life by the Exec.; gave Congress power to raise duties & postal services; representation based on equality of states |
| Importance of separation of powers and checks & balances | avoid tyranny associated w/ concentration of power; to protect liberty associated w/ dispersal of power; created institutional overlap so each branch can monitor the actions of the other branches |
| Proposal of Amendments | Only done @ Nat'l leveld by 2/3rds vote in both houses of congress OR by nat'l convention at request of 2/3rds of states (never done this way) |
| Ratification of Amendments | Only done @ state level by legislatures in 3/4ths of the states ORby conventions in 3/4ths of states (done once for 21st amendment) |
| Amending the Constitution Usual method | 2/3rds vote Nat'l level w/ 3/4ths states ratifying |
| Method never used to amend constitution | Nat'l convention proposal & state convention ratification |
| Article 5 | Amendment procedures |
| Article 1 | Legislative Powers |
| Article 2 | Executive Powers |
| Article 3 | Judicial Powers |
| Electoral college | agreed upon to elect president as a compromise; made each state relevant instead of basing it off of popular vote |
| Federal System | Govt which power is divided b/t Nat's & state govts w/ independent states unified under one nat'l govt whose power is supreme |
| Judicial review | Supreme Ct claimed for itself in Marbury v. Madison; ability of courts to decide if laws are constitutional; not in all countries |
| Basic Principle of the US Constitution | 1) Federalism 2) Separation of powers 3) Checks & balances |
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