Constitutional Democracy

Annapolis Convention

A convention held in September 1786 to consider problems of trade and navigation, attended by five states and important because it issued the call to Congress and the states for what became the Constitutional a Convention.

Shays' Rebellion

A rebellion led by Daniel Shays of farmers in western Massachusetts in 1786-87 protesting mortgage foreclosures. It highlighted the. Red for a string national government just as the call for the Constitutional Convention went out.

Constitutional Convention of 1787 compromises.

Connecticut compromise that led to the bicameral legislative branch. Postponed dealing with slavery.

Conditions that help democracy flourish.

Educational, economic, social, and ideological

"The Federalist"

Essays promoting ratification of the Constitution, published anonymously by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison in 1787 and 1788.

The importance to successful democracy of values, political processes, and political structures.

Essential democratic values include belief in personal liberty, respect for the individual, equality of opportunity, and popular consent. Essential elements of the democratic process are free and fair elections, majority rule, freedom of expression, and the right to assemble and protest. Political structures include courts, legislatures, the executive and the administrative agencies.

Arguments for and against the ratification of the Constitution.

Federalists argued for a central government that would be strong enough to make the newly United States capable of standing up to other powers. Antifederalists worried about what might come of a strong central government and were particularly concerned about the lack of any bill of rights in the document.

Majority Rule

Governance according to the expressed preferences of the majority.

Theocracy

Government by religious leaders, who claim divine guidance.

Democracy

Government by the people, both directly or indirectly, with free and frequent elections.

Direct Democracy

Government in which citizens vote on laws and select officials directly.

Representative Democracy

Government in which people elect those who govern and pass laws; also called a republic.

Constitutional Democracy

Government that enforces recognized limits on those who govern and allows the voice of the people to be heard through free, fair, and relatively frequent elections.

Democracy and other forms of government.

In the US we use the term democracy to describe our government, but a more accurate term would be representative democracy or a republic. This differs in levels of citizen participation. A republic has more of this.

Antifederalists

Opponents of ratification of the Constitution and of a strong central government generally.

Politics before 1787

Small states had big concerns about their roles in democratic systems. There were a lot of issues with geography and economics. The divide between the north and south on slavery was big.

Federalists

Supporters of ratification of the Constitution and of a strong central government.

Define government, politics, politicians, political science, and constitutional democracy.

The US operates under a constitutional democracy. Within our system, the Constitution lays out basic rules for politicians to accomplish their work. Politics is a broad term used to describe what happens between the politicians and their goals. Political science studies the interaction between all of these subjects.

Majority

The candidate or party that wins more than half the votes in an election.

Plurality

The candidate or party with the most votes cast in an election, not necessarily more than half.

Connecticut Compromise

The compromise agreement by states at the Constitutional Convention for a bicameral legislature with a lower house in which representation would be based on population and an upper house in which each state would have two senators.

Three-fifths Compromise

The compromise between northern and southern states at the Constitutional Convention that three fifths of the slave population would be counted for determining direct taxation and representation in the House of Representatives.

Constitutional Convention

The convention in Philadelphia, from May 25 to September 17, 1787, that debated and agreed on the Constitution of the United States.

Articles of Confederation

The first governing document of the confederated states, drafted in 1777 and ratified in 1781. Replaced by the present constitution in 1789.

Popular Consent

The idea that a just government must derive its powers from the consent of the people it governs.

Statism

The idea that the rights of the nation are supreme over the rights of the individuals who make up the nation.

Virginia Plan

The initial proposal at the Constitutional Convention made by the Virginia delegation for a strong central government with a bicameral legislature dominated by the big states.

Bicameralism

The principle of a two house legislature.

New Jersey Plan

The proposal at the Constitutional Convention made by William Paterson of New Jersey for a central government with a single house legislature in which each state would be represented equally.

Constitutionalism

The set of arrangements, including checks and balances, federalism, separation of powers, rule of law, due process, and bill of rights, that requires our leaders to listen, think, bargain, and explain before they act or make laws. We then hold them politically and legally accountable for how they exercise their powers.