Founding a new Government: Articles of Confederation Flashcards Preview

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Flashcards in Founding a new Government: Articles of Confederation Deck (30)
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1
Q

Define government.

A

A political system which exercises authority

2
Q

Authority

A

Recognized right to control public policy

3
Q

Define public policy

A

Who gets what when and how.

Exs: food stamps, gun rights, tax breaks

4
Q

Why is the social contract important for government to work.

A

People will only submit readily to government if the government continues to help them

5
Q

The work of political philosophers influenced the founders in important ways. Name one.

A

John Locke
Thomas Hobbes
Baron de la brede et de Montesquieu

6
Q

What does the constitution seek to balance

A

Individual freedom and governmental power

7
Q

Name the big push for colonies toward independence

A

British laws

8
Q

Why did the articles of confederation fail?

A

The national government was too weak

9
Q

What was one major flaw of the constitution

A

It combines self interests as high principle

10
Q

Although the new Constitution gave new powers to the government it also

A

Sharply limited them

11
Q

Why was the bill of rights added?

A

Because the new Constitution was highly controversial at first

12
Q

What do amendments change

A

The relationship between Americans and the government

13
Q

Why did the British begin to tax the Americans?

A

The French and Indian Wars from 1756-1763 were costly and the British believed the colonists should pay for it

14
Q

Name two tariffs that were placed to tax the colonists

A

The sugar act
The stamp act
The Townsend act

15
Q

Articles of confederation

A

The United States first written condition. The country’s operative constitution for 12 years.

16
Q

Confederation

A

A system of government in which states retain sovereign authority except for the powers expressly delegated to the national government

17
Q

1600s

A

The colonies were established

18
Q

Why can complete liberty (freedom) be a bad thing?

A

Complete freedom (no government) leads to chaos “perfect freedom”

19
Q

What is the role of govenrment in relation to freedom?

A

To protect the greatest amount of liberty while still getting the benefits of government - stability and security. Politics is fighting about our stop on the coninuum of liberty and security

20
Q

When (generally) were the colonies established?

A

The 1600s.

21
Q

French and Indian War 1756-1763

What/why?

A

French v. Britain on who can control more space
Alot of indians fight on french side
Expensive, high bloodshed war
Britain decides the colonists need to pay for it through laws and taxes

22
Q

1756 Stamp Act

A

Taxes put on colonists for the first tie

All official documents need a stamp

23
Q

1770 Boston Massacre

A

first time Britain shoots an american

at a Boston protest

23
Q

1773 Tea Act

A

Britain gives a monopoly on tea to the British India Tea Company
- tea price soars

Local Bostonians dress up as Native Americans and dump the tea into the harbor
- British decide this was an affront

Pass a series of coercive acts

  • close port of Boston (no shipments)
  • prohibit going west
  • ratchet up tension
24
Q

1774 First Continental Congress

A

Before, each colony had its own charter
- no central government

After the first CC, the colonies started to form a government that was intertwined among them
- nothing concrete comes out

25
Q

1775 Revolutionary War Begins at the Battle of ______ also the ________ Begins entering a period of Chaos because no ______ and a ____

A

Revolutionary War Begins at the Battle of Lexington and Concord and the 2nd Continental Congress

The 2nd CC in Phillidelphia created the Declaration of Independence (written by Thomas Jefferson)
- A social contract
- wanted to defend their natural rights
- did not want Britain to limit their libertty any longer
- A list saying how Britain had grieved them, heavily influenced by John Locke
- Put the US in the light of a just rebellion: GB has not lived up to Moral standards and the US has the right to throw them out and pursueit of happiness
Enters a period of Chaos because there is no govenrment and there is a war going on

26
Q

1777 Articles of Confederation

A

serve as our government until the ratification of our constituion in 1789

  • our first constitution
  • structure of government
    1. a congress (legislative body) with one vote perstate
    2. state appoints the legislators
    3. state pays them and instructs them
    4. In order to pass a law you need 9/13 votes
    5. to amend the articles of confederation you need 13/13 votes

Power under the Articles of confederation

  1. Central government has power over foreign relations
1. declare war, make peace, appoint officers   2. all other powers reserved for the state
27
Q

Define constitution

A

A written document that expresses the power of govenrment

28
Q

Name three things that is not in the Articles of Confederation

A
  1. Whats not on it?
    1. taxing
    2. regulating interstate commerce
    3. each state had their own government
    4. no stadning army
    5. postal service
    6. education
    7. no courts (state courts)
    8. no way to enforce the laws (no executive branch)
29
Q

Name two problems under the confederation

A
  1. Problems with security
    1. shay’s Rebellion
    2. after the revolutionary war ends, the US economy was in shambles because men weren’t working while they were fighting
    3. many farmers came home and couldn’t pay back their loans
     1. state sides with creditors    3. march on state government of massachusettes and takes it over    4. illustrates the danger of weak government  2. Problems in the economy
    1. everyone had their own currency in each state
    2. trade (problems with shipment)
    3. wars