Unit 1 - The Foundations of American Democracy

Which idea in the Declaration of Independence expresses John Locke's belief that the government derives its authority from the people?

Natural Rights

Rule of Law

No one, including public officials, is above the law

What is the supremacy clause?

establishes that the Constitution, federal laws made pursuant to it, and treaties made under its authority, constitute the supreme law of the land.

What factors contribute to the process of political socialization?

family, media, peers, religion, environment

Necessary and Proper Clause (Elastic Clause)

A clause in Article I, section 8, of the Constitution that gives Congress the power to do whatever it deems necessary and constitutional to meet its enumerated obligations; the basis for the implied powers.

What type of government did the framers of the Constitution intend to establish?

A federal system of government

Free Enterprise

A system in which the government plays as small a role as possible

Natural Rights

Also referred to as inalienable rights, natural rights are rights that can never be given or taken away.

What did the Continental Congress hope to achieve when writing the Declaration of Independence?

Americans are justified in declaring independence from Britain because the natural rights of the American people have been violated by the King.

supply-side economics

An economic philosophy that holds the sharply cutting taxes will increase the incentive people have to work, save, and invest. Greater investments will lead to more jobs, a more productive economy, and more tax revenues for the government.

What were the Anti-Federalists major objections to the Constitution?

Anti federalists were concerned about the oppression of rights of the states and the people. They were highly concerned over the absence of the bill of rights in the original draft of the constitution and argued the constitution would not be able to successfully protect the rights of individuals.

How has the ability to amend the Constitution contributed to its longevity?

As we grow as a nation we can continue to update and add to the constitution. Amendments also allow change to be made to something that may have stopped working or that is not useful in its old state

What are conservative views on social and economic policy

Liberalism values less control over social behavior and regulation on business and economics. Associated with the Democrat Party.

Limited Government

Based on John Locke's theory of natural rights, that the government cannot take away

Individualism

Beliefs that individuals should be responsible for themselves and for the decisions they make

How have block grants been used to increase the power of the states relative to the federal government?

Block grants are grant in aid which provides federal money for public policies in a way that tries to increase state, local, and regional authority in how that money is spend and lessens federal influence

What are block grants?

Block grants are the most popular type of grant. The national government gives a state a huge chunk of money from something big, like infrastructure, which is made with concrete and steel, and the states are allowed to decide how to spend the money

How has the Commerce Clause been used to increase the power of the federal government relative to the states?

By using the commerce clause, in combination with the Necessary and Proper and Supremacy Clauses, Commerce has claimed the authority to define nearly any productive activity as commerce.

What are liberal views on social and economic policy

Conservatism values more control over social behavior, less business regulations, and less government interference in the economy. Associated with the Republican party.

How has devolution been used to increase the power of the states relative to the federal government?

Devolution returns authority for federal programs to the states, which increases states' autonomy in economic and social policy by decentralizing control and administration by programs.

Elitist Democracy

Elitist Democracies take place when the elite have a disproportionate amount of influence.

Define federalism

Federalism is the idea that in the United States, governmental power is divided between the government of the United States and the government of individual states. The government of the US, the national government, is sometimes called the federal government, while the states governments are just called state governments. This is because technically the United States can be considered a federation of states.

What was the Great Compromise?

Gave more power to national government Bicameral legislature House - Based on populations Senate - Equal Representation

What was the New Jersey Plan?

Gave power to the state government Unicameral legislature Number of representatives equal from each state

What was the Virginia Plan?

Give more power to national government Bicameral legislature Number in both houses based in population

What ideal of democracy is reflected in the procedure for apportionment in the House of Representatives?

Pluralist (everyone's involved)

What are categorical grants?

Project grants require states to submit proposals in order to receive aid. The states compete for a limited pool of resources. Nowadays, project grants are more common than formula grants.

What are the major American political parties made up of?

Republicans and Democrats

How have grants-in-aid been used to increase the power of the federal government relative to the states?

States must abide by laws passed by Congress, even if state constitutional provisions conflict with them, States must abide by national treaties, State courts must follow the constitution

Anti-federalist views on government

The Anti-Federalists were those who opposed to the proposed Constitution, who favored stronger state governments

Equality of Opportunity

The Core value that everyone should have the chance to succeed

Commerce Clause

The clause in the Constitution (Article I, Section 8, Clause 1) that gives Congress the power to regulate all business activities that cross state lines or affect more than one state or other nations.

How has the Necessary and Proper Clause been used to increase the power of the federal government relative to the states?

The elastic clause grants congress the authority to legislate as necessary to carry out its constitutionally granted power. For example, the Constitution does not give the national government the authority to draft. However, it is necessary to raise and support a military.

Which weakness in the Articles of Confederation was highlighted in Shay's Rebellion?

The federal government had no power to raise a centralised army, or to enforce the taxes imposed on states.

Federalist views on government

The federalists were supporters of the Constitution for a strong, national government

Explain the government that was set-up under the Articles of Confederation?

The government under the Articles of Confederation was not heavily involved with what the states were doing. The states had power to do everything except control the military which was dangerous because there was no communication amongst the states and also between the federal government and the states, causing a weak government and economy.

According to the Declaration of Independence, what is the fundamental purpose of government?

The government's fundamental purpose is to protect and secure the rights of its citizens.

What were the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and how did the Constitution attempt to resolve those weaknesses?

The states all had different currencies because they weren't being monitored by the federal government. This meant that it was hard for the states to trade among each other because their currencies were useless to the different states. The federal government also wasn't able to set out any laws or mandates because they had no power to enforce anything. The constitution created laws and started an actual relationship between the states and the federal government so they were able to enforce laws that the states had to follow while the states were also given specific things they could control.

How has the 10th Amendment been used to increase the power of the states relative to the federal government?

Those who advocate for more state authority argue that the 10th amendment limits the federal government to the power enumerated in the Constitution and that the states and the people have superior power over all remaining issues. Supreme court decisions have upheld the authority of congress to regulate activities by state government

What is the process for proposing and ratifying an amendment to the U.S. Constitution?

To propose amendments, two-thirds of both houses of Congress can vote to propose an amendment, or two-thirds of the state legislatures can ask Congress to call a national convention to propose amendments. To ratify amendments, three-fourths of the state legislatures must approve them, or ratifying conventions in three-fourths of the states must approve them.

Keynesian economics

a form of demand-side economics that encourages government action to increase or decrease demand and output

What is the electoral college?

a group of people selected from each state who cast votes in the presidential election

Pluralist Democracy

a theory of democracy that holds that citizen membership in groups is the key to political power

Participatory Democracy

a theory of democracy that holds that citizens should actively and directly control all aspects of their lives

Full Faith and Credit Clause

addresses the duties that states within the United States have to respect the "public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other state."