What are natural rights?
Natural rights are rights that all people are born with and cannot be taken away by the government, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
What is the social contract?
The social contract is the idea that people agree to give up some freedoms and obey laws in exchange for protection and order provided by the government.
What is popular sovereignty?
Popular sovereignty means that all political power comes from the people, who rule either directly or through elected representatives.
What is limited government?
Limited government is the principle that government power is restricted by laws, usually written in a constitution, to protect individual rights.
What is separation of powers?
Separation of powers divides government authority among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches to prevent one branch from becoming too powerful.
What are checks and balances?
Checks and balances allow each branch of government to limit the actions of the other branches, ensuring no branch dominates the system.
What is federalism?
Federalism is a system in which power is shared between the national government and state governments.
What is republicanism?
Republicanism is a form of democracy in which citizens elect representatives to make laws and govern on their behalf.
How are democratic ideals reflected in the Declaration of Independence?
The Declaration emphasizes natural rights, popular sovereignty, and the idea that people can overthrow a government that violates their rights.
How are democratic ideals reflected in the Constitution?
The Constitution reflects democratic ideals through limited government, separation of powers, checks and balances, and republican representation.
What is participatory democracy?
Participatory democracy emphasizes broad citizen participation in politics, including voting, activism, and community involvement.
What is pluralist democracy?
Pluralist democracy argues that political power is spread among many competing interest groups rather than concentrated in one place.
What is elite democracy?
Elite democracy holds that a small group of wealthy or well-educated individuals have the most influence over political decisions.
What were the major weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?
The Articles created a weak national government that could not tax, regulate trade, enforce laws, or maintain a national army.
How did Shays’ Rebellion expose weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation?
The rebellion showed the national government could not raise troops or money to stop domestic unrest.
What was the Great (Connecticut) Compromise?
It created a bicameral legislature with equal representation in the Senate and population-based representation in the House.
What was the Electoral College Compromise?
It established an indirect method of electing the president through electors chosen by each state.
What was the Three-Fifths Compromise?
It counted enslaved people as three-fifths of a person for determining representation and taxation.
What was the Slave Trade Compromise?
Congress agreed not to ban the international slave trade until 1808.
How does the Constitution get amended under Article V?
Amendments must be proposed by Congress or the states and ratified by three-fourths of the states.
What did Federalists believe about government power?
Federalists supported a strong national government and believed the Constitution protected liberty through structure.
What did Anti-Federalists believe about government power?
Anti-Federalists feared centralized power and wanted stronger state governments and explicit protections for rights.
What is a faction according to Federalist No. 10?
A faction is a group of citizens united by a common interest that may harm the rights of others or the public good.
What causes factions, according to Madison?
Factions arise naturally from differences in opinions, interests, and property ownership.
