vocab

• Limited government: a political system where the power of the government is limited by a constitution
• Natural rights: rights that people have inherently, not granted by government, including life, liberty, and property
• John Locke: an English philosopher who believed in natural rights and the social contract theory
• Social contract: an agreement between the people and their government, where the people give up some freedoms in exchange for protection of their natural rights
• Popular sovereignty: the idea that the authority of the government is created and sustained by the consent of its people
• Declaration of Independence: the document that declared the American colonies' independence from Britain in 1776
• Articles of Confederation: the first constitution of the United States, in effect from 1781 to 1789
• U.S. Constitution: the supreme law of the United States, outlining the structure of the federal government and the rights of citizens
• Representative democracy: a form of government where citizens elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf
• Participatory democracy: a system where citizens have a direct role in decision-making processes of government
• Pluralist democracy: a model of democracy where no single group dominates and different groups compete for power
• Elite democracy: a theory of democracy where a small minority, consisting of economic elites and policy-planning networks, holds the most power
• Federalist #10: an essay by James Madison in support of the ratification of the U.S. Constitution, discussing the dangers of factions
• Brutus #1: an Anti-Federalist essay arguing against the ratification of the U.S. Constitution
• Federalists: supporters of the U.S. Constitution and a strong central government
• Anti-Federalists: opponents of the U.S. Constitution, advocating for stronger state governments
• Central government: the national government that has authority over the entire country
• Reserved powers: powers not granted to the federal government by the Constitution, reserved for the states or the people
• Republic: a form of government where power is held by the people and their elected representatives
• Factions: groups of people with a common interest that can be a threat to the stability of government
• Shay’s Rebellion: a 1786–1787 uprising of farmers in Massachusetts against high taxes and debt
• Virginia Plan: a proposal of the structure for the bicameral congress, wanted repersentation based on population
• New Jersey Plan: a proposal of the structure for the bicameral congress, smaller states led by New Jersey wanted all states to have equal representation
• Great (Connecticut) Compromise: an agreement that created a bicameral legislature with one house based on population (House of Representatives) and one with equal representation (Senate)
• Three-Fifths Compromise: an agreement that counted three-fifths of the slave population for representation and taxation purposes
• Slave Trade Compromise: an agreement to allow the continuation of the slave trade for 20 years after the ratification of the Constitution
• Ex post facto law: a law that retroactively changes the legal consequences of actions that were committed before the enactment of the law
• Bill of attainder: a law that declares a person or group guilty of a crime and punishes them without a trial
• Electoral College: the body of electors that formally elect the President and Vice President of the United States
• Article IV: outlines the relationship between states and the federal government
• Full Faith and Credit Clause: requires states to recognize the laws and legal documents of other states
• Privileges and Immunities Clause: prevents states from discriminating against citizens of other states
• Amendment process: the process outlined in Article V of the U.S. Constitution for proposing and ratifying amendments
• Article VI: establishes the Constitution as the supreme law of the land
• Supremacy Clause: establishes the U.S. Constitution, federal statutes, and treaties as the "supreme law of the land"
• Article VII: details the ratification process for the U.S. Constitution
• Checks and balances: the system in the U.S. Constitution that prevents any one branch of government from becoming too powerful
• Separation of powers: the division of government responsibilities into distinct branches to prevent one branch from gaining too much power
• Federalist #51: an essay by James Madison discussing the importance of checks and balances in government
• Tyranny of the majority: the potential of a majority to monopolize power at the expense of minority rights