POL 201 VERIFIED STUDY GUIDE
Social Contract Theory - Answers - the assumption that a group of people at one point
in time decided that their lives weren't good enough so as a group decided to invent
government. They would trade their freedom, power, rights, to some degree, to one of
the people in their group and that person would become their leader, who would make
rules and is given the right to use force legitimately to govern and give social order.
Thomas Hobbes. (1588-1679) English - Answers - -believed in the social contract
theory
-Hobbes thought that people had to trade ALL of their rights, powers, etc. to the
government (because he thought people were bad)
John Locke (1632-1704) - English - Answers - -John Locke thought that you had a deal
with the government, that they will keep social order, but they cannot take all your
rights. He believed that if they are abusive or took too many of your rights away, you
have the right to replace your government.
-he felt people would still behave without the government
Rousseau (1712-1778) Swiss - Answers - believed that if government was not done in a
social contract in some way, then it wasn't right. It was not legitimate.
Athens had what kind of democracy? - Answers - - a city state - had a direct democracy.
You had to be a citizen to be part of the government. You had to be a man, free, born in
Athens, 18+, have no debt, if you ever threw your shield down in battle you were not
allowed.
Anarchy - Answers - people fix their own problems, and no one has the authority to
make others do what they are saying or enforce rules.
The Connecticut Compromise - Answers - was an agreement that large and small
states reached during the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that in part defined the
legislative structure and representation that each state would have under the United
States Constitution. It retained the bicameral legislature as proposed by Roger
Sherman, along with proportional representation of the states in the lower house, but
required the upper house to be weighted equally between the states. Each state would
have two representatives in the upper house.
The Virginia Plan - Answers - -Was a proposal by Virginia delegates for a bicameral
legislative branch.
-The Virginia Plan was notable for its role in setting the overall agenda for debate in the
convention
, -Setting forth the idea of population-weighted representation in the proposed national
legislature.
3/5th Compromise - Answers - every slave would be counted as 3/5th a person in the
census (does not use the word slave just says "others")
Runaway Slave Clause - Answers - "persons who are held in labor" (again avoiding the
word slave) - must be returned to their owner (art. 4)
No vote until 1808 - Answers - in order to get the Constitution passed, they said no
decision on the slave trade could be made before 1808 (art 1 sec 9)
Boston Tea Party 1773 - Answers - -Colonists raided British ships and dumped out all of
the tea into the Boston Harbor as an act of civil disobedience dressed up like Indians
-They don't like the tea tax
-Troops sent just because
-Government says that the colonists must pay the British government for all the tea
wasted
First Continental Congress - Answers - September 1774, delegates from twelve
colonies sent representatives to Philadelphia to discuss a response to the Intolerable
Acts
American Revolution - Answers - The war between Great Britain and its American
colonies, 1775-83, by which the colonies won their independence.
Articles of Confederation - Answers - The Continental Congress adopted the Articles of
Confederation, the first constitution of the United States, on November 15, 1777.
However, ratification of the Articles of Confederation by all thirteen states did not occur
until March 1, 1781.
Constitutional Convention - Answers - The Constitutional Convention took place from
May 25 to September 17, 1787, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Although the Convention
was intended to revise the Articles of Confederation, the intention from the outset of
many of its proponents, chief among them James Madison and Alexander Hamilton,
was to create a new government rather than fix the existing one. The delegates elected
George Washington to preside over the Convention. The result of the Convention was
the creation of the United States Constitution, placing the Convention among the most
significant events in the history of the United States.
Social Contract Theory - Answers - the assumption that a group of people at one point
in time decided that their lives weren't good enough so as a group decided to invent
government. They would trade their freedom, power, rights, to some degree, to one of
the people in their group and that person would become their leader, who would make
rules and is given the right to use force legitimately to govern and give social order.
Thomas Hobbes. (1588-1679) English - Answers - -believed in the social contract
theory
-Hobbes thought that people had to trade ALL of their rights, powers, etc. to the
government (because he thought people were bad)
John Locke (1632-1704) - English - Answers - -John Locke thought that you had a deal
with the government, that they will keep social order, but they cannot take all your
rights. He believed that if they are abusive or took too many of your rights away, you
have the right to replace your government.
-he felt people would still behave without the government
Rousseau (1712-1778) Swiss - Answers - believed that if government was not done in a
social contract in some way, then it wasn't right. It was not legitimate.
Athens had what kind of democracy? - Answers - - a city state - had a direct democracy.
You had to be a citizen to be part of the government. You had to be a man, free, born in
Athens, 18+, have no debt, if you ever threw your shield down in battle you were not
allowed.
Anarchy - Answers - people fix their own problems, and no one has the authority to
make others do what they are saying or enforce rules.
The Connecticut Compromise - Answers - was an agreement that large and small
states reached during the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that in part defined the
legislative structure and representation that each state would have under the United
States Constitution. It retained the bicameral legislature as proposed by Roger
Sherman, along with proportional representation of the states in the lower house, but
required the upper house to be weighted equally between the states. Each state would
have two representatives in the upper house.
The Virginia Plan - Answers - -Was a proposal by Virginia delegates for a bicameral
legislative branch.
-The Virginia Plan was notable for its role in setting the overall agenda for debate in the
convention
, -Setting forth the idea of population-weighted representation in the proposed national
legislature.
3/5th Compromise - Answers - every slave would be counted as 3/5th a person in the
census (does not use the word slave just says "others")
Runaway Slave Clause - Answers - "persons who are held in labor" (again avoiding the
word slave) - must be returned to their owner (art. 4)
No vote until 1808 - Answers - in order to get the Constitution passed, they said no
decision on the slave trade could be made before 1808 (art 1 sec 9)
Boston Tea Party 1773 - Answers - -Colonists raided British ships and dumped out all of
the tea into the Boston Harbor as an act of civil disobedience dressed up like Indians
-They don't like the tea tax
-Troops sent just because
-Government says that the colonists must pay the British government for all the tea
wasted
First Continental Congress - Answers - September 1774, delegates from twelve
colonies sent representatives to Philadelphia to discuss a response to the Intolerable
Acts
American Revolution - Answers - The war between Great Britain and its American
colonies, 1775-83, by which the colonies won their independence.
Articles of Confederation - Answers - The Continental Congress adopted the Articles of
Confederation, the first constitution of the United States, on November 15, 1777.
However, ratification of the Articles of Confederation by all thirteen states did not occur
until March 1, 1781.
Constitutional Convention - Answers - The Constitutional Convention took place from
May 25 to September 17, 1787, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Although the Convention
was intended to revise the Articles of Confederation, the intention from the outset of
many of its proponents, chief among them James Madison and Alexander Hamilton,
was to create a new government rather than fix the existing one. The delegates elected
George Washington to preside over the Convention. The result of the Convention was
the creation of the United States Constitution, placing the Convention among the most
significant events in the history of the United States.
