Modules 4-5 Flashcards

1
Q

What does America’s Creed state is the purpose of Government?

A

to secure natural rights (life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness) based off their consent of the American people.

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2
Q

According to that creed, what do the people have the right to do when confronted with a government that is destructive of the ends which governments should serve?

A

the people have a right to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government.

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3
Q

First document to be ratified? Last?

A

Declaration of Independence (1st) and Bill of Rights (last)

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4
Q

What are the 3 design principles of the original state constitutions?

A
  1. Tightly Democratically Controlled Legislatures
  2. Separation of Powers (in Theory)/Legislative Dominance (in Reality)
  3. Declarations of Individual Rights
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5
Q

Were most revolutionary state legislatures bicameral or unicameral?

A

all states except 2 were bicameral

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6
Q

Why did the legislative branches tend to dominate the executive and judicial branches? (no real separation of powers)

A

because legislative branch was “running the show” and no one could stop them from acting unlawfully (they couldn’t be effectually checked and restrained if they transcended their legal limits).

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7
Q

Civil Liberties & were they listed?

A

legal rights that are designed to protect individuals from government abuse. (Examples: the free exercise of religion, freedom of the press and trial by jury)– and yes they were listed!

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8
Q

Articles of Confederation

A

The first constitution for the central government of the United States, which operated between 1781 and 1788.

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9
Q

The Critical Period

A

A brief time after the Revolutionary War which several developments—including the apparent instability of the union, poor economic conditions, and political conflicts and armed rebellions at the state level—led many to worry that the Americans’ revolutionary experiment in democratic government was on the verge of ending in disaster.

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10
Q

How did the Critical Period lead to the Constitutional Convention in 1787?

A

A growing sense that the system was dysfunctional led Madison and Alexander Hamilton to organize a small convention in Annapolis, Maryland in September of 1786 to discuss the need for reforming the Articles of Confederation. Although only twelve delegates from five states attended the Annapolis Convention, Congress would follow the Convention’s recommendation by calling for a full-scale Constitutional Convention to convene in Philadelphia in May of 1787.

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11
Q

What was “the great and radical vice” in the design of the Articles of Confederation according to Alexander Hamilton?

A

Having a confederacy structure. It contributes to the weakness because the central government was unable to effectively exercise power over the state governments

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12
Q

First Five Design Principles of the Articles of Confederation (+1)

A

Confederal Structure, No Distinct Branches of Government (Simply a Unicameral Legislature), Lack of Clear Supremacy of Treaties and Other National Laws, Tight Control of Congressional Delegates by State Legislatures, Supermajority Voting in Congress, and No Direct Control by People over Congress

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13
Q

Confederal Structure

A

A system with a central government and state governments, but that is set up, so the states maintain as much sovereignty and independence as possible.

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14
Q

Supermajority Voting in Congress

A

The Articles of Confederation stated that for Congress to enact any important policy, the support of a supermajority of nine states (70%) was required.

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15
Q

No Direct Control by People over Congress

A

the Articles of Confederation stated that the people did not elect their representatives in Congress. Instead, every member of Congress was appointed by the state legislatures

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16
Q

How did the principle of popular sovereignty help the Founders to get away with “unconstitutionally establishing an entirely new constitution”

A

the new system they intended to make was going to strengthen the power of the central government and weaken the power of the state governments.

17
Q

The Great Compromise

A

there would be a bicameral legislature (proposed by Virginia Plan), but each chamber would have a different scheme of representation. The lower chamber (House of Reps) would be based on proportional representations and the upper chamber (Senate) would be based on equal state representations (as proposed by the NJ Plan). Representatives in House would be elected by the people, while two senators for each State would be elected by state legislatures.

18
Q

Which plan decided which chamber?

A
  • Senate (upper chamber) structure=NJ PLAN

* House of Reps (lower chamber) Structure= VA PLAN

19
Q

Why was Constitutional Convention at a stalemate before?

A

because of large states (Virginia Plan: number of representatives in each state based on the state’s population; proportional representation) and small states (New Jersey Plan: each state has an equal number of votes; equal state representation).

20
Q

What are the four ways the original Constitution protected slavery?

A

3/5 Clause, Electoral College, Slave Trade Clauses, and Fugitive Slave Clause

21
Q

Who supported and who opposed the US Constitution?

A

“Federalists” supported ratification of the US Constitution and “Antifederalists” opposed it

22
Q

Representative Democracy

A

A form of democratic government in which the citizens who make and enforce laws are accountable to, and do so on behalf of the majority of citizens who do not directly participate in making and enforcing laws.

23
Q

Direct Democracy

A

People hold the power, its direct

24
Q

Why did the founders choose bicameralism?

A

because it was useful for accommodating the different preferred representation schemes of large and small states, created an “upper house” (i.e., Senate) that was a quasi-aristocratic part of the legislature that would counterbalance the more democratic “lower house” (i.e., House of Representatives).

25
Q

Separation of Powers/ what purposes were served by checks and balances?

A

to try and keep the branches truly separate from one another by, somewhat paradoxically, giving them a bit of power over one another.

26
Q

Fugitive Slave Clause

A

granted slave owners a constitutional right to recapture runaway slaves who had fled to other states, including states where slavery was illegal. And, as importantly, it took away the right of states to pass laws to protect and/or emancipate runaway slaves.

27
Q

How did ‘Electoral College’ point in Constitution give more voice to slave states?

A

The delegates assumed that most voters would be inclined to vote for candidates from their own state and that direct popular election would therefore give candidates from large states an advantage over candidates from small states

28
Q

Three-Fifths Clause

A

allowed Southern states to count a portion of its enslaved population for purposes of taxation and representation. The compromise gave the South more power than it would have had if enslaved people had not been counted.

29
Q

Which amendments make up the Bill of Rights?

A

First 10!

30
Q

What are the 3 Amendments known as the “Reconstruction Amendments”?

A

13th: ended slavery
14th: said that anyone born in the US is a citizen of the US and state in which he/she lives in
15th: voting rights, guaranteed African American men the right to vote

31
Q

What was the last amendment in the Founders’ Constitution?

A

11th and 12th!
The Last two Founding-Era Amendments
(11th sought to protect state governments from being sued in federal courts by citizens from other states and 12th sought to alter the Electoral College so that it was easier for political parties to elect their favorite candidate for President and another member of the same party as Vice President).

32
Q

Legislative Power, Limits on Federal Government Authority, and Limits on State Government Authority– Article__?

A

ONE (I):
contains Congress’ “enumerated powers” and the Necessary and Proper Clause, longest part of the constitution, and establishes bicameralism.

33
Q

Presidency– Article__?

A

TWO (II):
establishes that the executive power is vested in a single individual who serves four-year terms and is selected by the vote of Electors through the system we call “The Electoral College” and enumerates the powers and responsibilities of the President

34
Q

Judiciary– Article__?

A

THREE (III):
establishes that Congress is responsible for the design of the lower federal court system and determining the number of Supreme Court justices and guarantees individuals the right to trial by jury in federal criminal cases and lays out the basics of federal court jurisdiction and focuses on the judiciary.

35
Q

Constitutional Amendment Procedures– Article__?

A

FIVE (V):
singles-out two parts of the Constitution that may not be amended and describes the four different pathways by which the Constitution may be amended.