AMERICAN POLITICS AND THE US
CONSTITUTION - C963 WGU
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
natrualarightsa-aans--Life,aLiberty,aandaProperty
JohnaLockea-aans--
17thacenturyaEnglishaphilosopherawhoaopposedatheaDivineaRightaofaKingsaandawhoaasser
tedathatapeopleahaveaaanaturalarightatoalife,aliberty,aandaproperty.
StateaofaNaturea-aans--
Hypotheticalaconditionaassumedatoaexistainatheaabsenceaofagovernmentawhereahumanabei
ngsaliveaina"complete"afreedomaandageneralaequality.
DueaProcessa-aans--
involvesatheagovernment'saobligationatoatreataallacitizensafairly.aSuchaaarequirementalesse
nsatheaextentatoawhichagovernmentapoweracanabeaexercisedaoveratheaindividual,amakingat
heapoweradifferentialabetweenatheatwoamoreafair,aandaensuringaaageneralasenseaofapolitic
alaequality
SocialaContracta-aans--
Aavoluntaryaagreementaamongaindividualsatoasecureatheirarightsaandawelfareabyacreatinga
aagovernmentaandaabidingabyaitsarules.
ThomasaHobbesa(1588-1679)a-aans--
Oneaofatheafirstaindividualsatoacontributeatoatheaideaaofatheasocialacontractawasaaapre-
EnlightenmentaEnglishaphilosopher
Leviathana(1651):aThomasaHobbesa-aans--
Hobbesaarguesathatasocietyaisanotasomethinganaturalaandaimmutable,abutaratheraitaisasom
ethingacreatedabyaus.
LaboraMovementa-aans--
theaformationaofalaboraunions,aduringathea1880's,aforatheaworkersatoareceiveabetteratreatm
entaby
,Constitutiona-aans--
Aadocumentawhichaspellsaoutatheaprinciplesabyawhichaaagovernmentarunsaandatheafundam
entalalawsathatagovernaaasociety
BillaofaRightsa-aans--TheafirstatenaamendmentsatoatheaConstitution
DeclarationaofaIndependencea-aans--
theadocumentarecordingatheaproclamationaofatheasecondaContinentalaCongressa(4aJulya17
76)aassertingatheaindependenceaofatheacoloniesafromaGreataBritain
ThomasaJeffersona-aans--WroteatheaDeclarationaofaIndependence
Shays'saRebelliona(1786-1787)a-aans--
whichaalmostaresultedainapotentialamobarule,asuggestedathereamightabeatooamuchademocr
acyaataplay,aandathatamaybeaindividualalibertyawasagoingatooafar
ArticlesaofaConfederationa-aans--
AaweakaconstitutionathatagovernedaAmericaaduringatheaRevolutionaryaWar.
Federalistano.a51a-aans--
Arguesathataseparationaofapowersawithinatheanationalagovernmentaisatheabestawayatoaprev
entatheaconcentrationaofapowerainatheahandsaofaoneapersonaoraaasingleagroup.
FirstaAmendmenta-aans--
Congressashallamakeanoalawarespectingaanaestablishmentaofareligion,aoraprohibitingatheafr
eeaexerciseathereof;aoraabridgingatheafreedomaofaspeech,aoraofatheapress;aorathearightaofat
heapeopleapeaceablyatoaassemble,aandatoapetitionatheagovernmentaforaaaredressaofagrieva
nces.
SecondaAmendmenta-aans--Rightatoakeepaandabearaarms
ThirdaAmendmenta-aans--
Theagovernmentamayanotahouseasoldiersainaprivateahomesawithoutaconsentaofatheaowner
ForthaAmendmenta-aans--
Itaprotectsapeopleaagainstaunfairasearchesaofatheirahomes;asearchaandaseizure.
FifthaAmendmenta-aans--
Aaconstitutionalaamendmentadesignedatoaprotectathearightsaofapersonsaaccusedaofacrimes
,aincludingaprotectionaagainstadoubleajeopardy,aself-
incrimination,aandapunishmentawithoutadueaprocessaofalaw.
SixthaAmendmenta-aans--Rightatoaaaspeedyaandapublicatrial
SeventhaAmendmenta-aans--Rightatoaaatrialabyajuryainacivilacases
,EighthaAmendmenta-aans--Noacruelaandaunusualapunishment
NinethaAmendmenta-aans--
peoplesarightsaareanotajustalimitedatoathosealistedainatheaConstitutionaandaBillaofaRights
TenthaAmendmenta-aans--
Amendmentastatingathatatheapowersanotadelegatedatoatheafederalagov.aareareservedatoath
eastates
bicameralalegislaturea-aans--
Aalawamakingabodyamadeaofatwoahousesa(biameansa2).aExample:aCongressa(ouralegislatu
re)aisamadeaofatwoahousea-aTheaHouseaofaRepresentativesaandaTheaSenate.
HouseaofaRepresentativesa-aans--
thealowerahouseaofaCongress,aconsistingaofaaadifferentanumberaofarepresentativesafromae
achastate,adependingaonapopulation
NewaJerseyaPlana-aans--Proposalatoacreateaaaweakanationalagovernment
VirginiaaPlana-aans--Proposalatoacreateaaastronganationalagovernment
ConstitutionalaConventiona-aans--
Meetingaina1787aofatheaelectedarepresentativesaofatheathirteenaoriginalastatesatoawriteathea
ConstitutionaofatheaUnitedaStates.
unicameralalegislaturea-aans--One-housealegislature
Three-FifthsaCompromisea-aans--Agreementathataeachaslaveacountedaasathree-
fifthsaofaaapersonainadeterminingarepresentationainatheaHouseaforarepresentationaandataxa
tionapurposesa(negatedabyathea13thaamendment)
ChecksaandaBalancesa-aans--
Aasystemathataallowsaeachabranchaofagovernmentatoalimitatheapowersaofatheaotherabranch
esainaorderatoapreventaabuseaofapower
SeparationaofaPowersa-aans--
Constitutionaladivisionaofapowersaamongathealegislative,aexecutive,aandajudicialabranches,
awithathealegislativeabranchamakingalaw,atheaexecutiveaapplyingaandaenforcingathealaw,aan
datheajudiciaryainterpretingathealaw
federalasystema-aans--
Aagovernmentathatadividesatheapowersaofagovernmentabetweenatheanationalagovernmenta
andastateaoraprovincialagovernments
enumeratedapowersa-aans--TheapowersaexplicitlyagivenatoaCongressainatheaConstitution.
, reservedapowersa-aans--Powersagivenatoatheastateagovernmentaalone
Federalistsa-aans--
SupportersaofatheaConstitutionathatawerealedabyaAlexanderaHamiltonaandaJohnaAdams.aT
heyafirmlyabelievedatheanationalagovernmentashouldabeastrong.aTheyadidn'tawantatheaBillao
faRightsabecauseatheyafeltacitizens'arightsawereaalreadyawellaprotectedabyatheaConstitution
.
Anti-Federalistsa-aans--
OpponentsaofatheaAmericanaConstitutionaatatheatimeawhenatheastatesawereacontemplating
aitsaadoption.
Ratificationa-aans--
Formalaapproval,afinalaconsentatoatheaeffectivenessaofaaaconstitution,aconstitutionalaamen
dment,aoratreaty
Republica-aans--Aaformaofagovernmentainawhichacitizensachooseatheiraleadersabyavoting
HabeasaCorpusa-aans--Constitutionalaprotectionaagainstaunlawfulaimprisonment
FederalistaPapersa-aans--
Aacollectionaofa85aarticlesawrittenabyaAlexanderaHamilton,aJohnaJay,aandaJamesaMadisona
underatheanamea"Publius"atoadefendatheaConstitutionainadetail.
FederalistaNo.a10a-aans--
AnaessayacomposedabyaJamesaMadisonawhichaarguesathatalibertyaisasafestainaaalargearep
ublicabecauseamanyainterestsa(factions)aexist.aSuchadiversityamakesatyrannyabyatheamajor
ityamoreadifficultasincearulingacoalitionsawillaalwaysabeaunstable.
LegislativeaBrancha(Congress)a-aans--makesalaws,aimposesataxes,aandadeclaresawar
JudicialaBrancha(SupremeaCourt)a-aans--
interpretsatheaconstitutionaandaotheralaws,areviewsalower-courtadecisions
ExecutiveaBrancha(President)a-aans--hasatheapoweratoaenforceathealaw
ExecutiveaOrdersa-aans--
Formalaordersaissuedabyatheapresidentatoadirectaactionabyatheafederalabureaucracy.
checksaonatheaexecutiveabrancha-aans--ByaCongressa
Canaoverrideaaapresidentialavetoabyaaatwo-thirdsavoteainabothachambersa
Mustaapproveatreatiesabyaaatwo-thirdsavoteainatheaSenatea
Controlaofafundingaactivitiesaofatheaexecutiveabrancha
PresidentialanomineesamustabeaapprovedabyatheaSenatea
OnlyaCongressacanadeclareawara
CONSTITUTION - C963 WGU
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
natrualarightsa-aans--Life,aLiberty,aandaProperty
JohnaLockea-aans--
17thacenturyaEnglishaphilosopherawhoaopposedatheaDivineaRightaofaKingsaandawhoaasser
tedathatapeopleahaveaaanaturalarightatoalife,aliberty,aandaproperty.
StateaofaNaturea-aans--
Hypotheticalaconditionaassumedatoaexistainatheaabsenceaofagovernmentawhereahumanabei
ngsaliveaina"complete"afreedomaandageneralaequality.
DueaProcessa-aans--
involvesatheagovernment'saobligationatoatreataallacitizensafairly.aSuchaaarequirementalesse
nsatheaextentatoawhichagovernmentapoweracanabeaexercisedaoveratheaindividual,amakingat
heapoweradifferentialabetweenatheatwoamoreafair,aandaensuringaaageneralasenseaofapolitic
alaequality
SocialaContracta-aans--
Aavoluntaryaagreementaamongaindividualsatoasecureatheirarightsaandawelfareabyacreatinga
aagovernmentaandaabidingabyaitsarules.
ThomasaHobbesa(1588-1679)a-aans--
Oneaofatheafirstaindividualsatoacontributeatoatheaideaaofatheasocialacontractawasaaapre-
EnlightenmentaEnglishaphilosopher
Leviathana(1651):aThomasaHobbesa-aans--
Hobbesaarguesathatasocietyaisanotasomethinganaturalaandaimmutable,abutaratheraitaisasom
ethingacreatedabyaus.
LaboraMovementa-aans--
theaformationaofalaboraunions,aduringathea1880's,aforatheaworkersatoareceiveabetteratreatm
entaby
,Constitutiona-aans--
Aadocumentawhichaspellsaoutatheaprinciplesabyawhichaaagovernmentarunsaandatheafundam
entalalawsathatagovernaaasociety
BillaofaRightsa-aans--TheafirstatenaamendmentsatoatheaConstitution
DeclarationaofaIndependencea-aans--
theadocumentarecordingatheaproclamationaofatheasecondaContinentalaCongressa(4aJulya17
76)aassertingatheaindependenceaofatheacoloniesafromaGreataBritain
ThomasaJeffersona-aans--WroteatheaDeclarationaofaIndependence
Shays'saRebelliona(1786-1787)a-aans--
whichaalmostaresultedainapotentialamobarule,asuggestedathereamightabeatooamuchademocr
acyaataplay,aandathatamaybeaindividualalibertyawasagoingatooafar
ArticlesaofaConfederationa-aans--
AaweakaconstitutionathatagovernedaAmericaaduringatheaRevolutionaryaWar.
Federalistano.a51a-aans--
Arguesathataseparationaofapowersawithinatheanationalagovernmentaisatheabestawayatoaprev
entatheaconcentrationaofapowerainatheahandsaofaoneapersonaoraaasingleagroup.
FirstaAmendmenta-aans--
Congressashallamakeanoalawarespectingaanaestablishmentaofareligion,aoraprohibitingatheafr
eeaexerciseathereof;aoraabridgingatheafreedomaofaspeech,aoraofatheapress;aorathearightaofat
heapeopleapeaceablyatoaassemble,aandatoapetitionatheagovernmentaforaaaredressaofagrieva
nces.
SecondaAmendmenta-aans--Rightatoakeepaandabearaarms
ThirdaAmendmenta-aans--
Theagovernmentamayanotahouseasoldiersainaprivateahomesawithoutaconsentaofatheaowner
ForthaAmendmenta-aans--
Itaprotectsapeopleaagainstaunfairasearchesaofatheirahomes;asearchaandaseizure.
FifthaAmendmenta-aans--
Aaconstitutionalaamendmentadesignedatoaprotectathearightsaofapersonsaaccusedaofacrimes
,aincludingaprotectionaagainstadoubleajeopardy,aself-
incrimination,aandapunishmentawithoutadueaprocessaofalaw.
SixthaAmendmenta-aans--Rightatoaaaspeedyaandapublicatrial
SeventhaAmendmenta-aans--Rightatoaaatrialabyajuryainacivilacases
,EighthaAmendmenta-aans--Noacruelaandaunusualapunishment
NinethaAmendmenta-aans--
peoplesarightsaareanotajustalimitedatoathosealistedainatheaConstitutionaandaBillaofaRights
TenthaAmendmenta-aans--
Amendmentastatingathatatheapowersanotadelegatedatoatheafederalagov.aareareservedatoath
eastates
bicameralalegislaturea-aans--
Aalawamakingabodyamadeaofatwoahousesa(biameansa2).aExample:aCongressa(ouralegislatu
re)aisamadeaofatwoahousea-aTheaHouseaofaRepresentativesaandaTheaSenate.
HouseaofaRepresentativesa-aans--
thealowerahouseaofaCongress,aconsistingaofaaadifferentanumberaofarepresentativesafromae
achastate,adependingaonapopulation
NewaJerseyaPlana-aans--Proposalatoacreateaaaweakanationalagovernment
VirginiaaPlana-aans--Proposalatoacreateaaastronganationalagovernment
ConstitutionalaConventiona-aans--
Meetingaina1787aofatheaelectedarepresentativesaofatheathirteenaoriginalastatesatoawriteathea
ConstitutionaofatheaUnitedaStates.
unicameralalegislaturea-aans--One-housealegislature
Three-FifthsaCompromisea-aans--Agreementathataeachaslaveacountedaasathree-
fifthsaofaaapersonainadeterminingarepresentationainatheaHouseaforarepresentationaandataxa
tionapurposesa(negatedabyathea13thaamendment)
ChecksaandaBalancesa-aans--
Aasystemathataallowsaeachabranchaofagovernmentatoalimitatheapowersaofatheaotherabranch
esainaorderatoapreventaabuseaofapower
SeparationaofaPowersa-aans--
Constitutionaladivisionaofapowersaamongathealegislative,aexecutive,aandajudicialabranches,
awithathealegislativeabranchamakingalaw,atheaexecutiveaapplyingaandaenforcingathealaw,aan
datheajudiciaryainterpretingathealaw
federalasystema-aans--
Aagovernmentathatadividesatheapowersaofagovernmentabetweenatheanationalagovernmenta
andastateaoraprovincialagovernments
enumeratedapowersa-aans--TheapowersaexplicitlyagivenatoaCongressainatheaConstitution.
, reservedapowersa-aans--Powersagivenatoatheastateagovernmentaalone
Federalistsa-aans--
SupportersaofatheaConstitutionathatawerealedabyaAlexanderaHamiltonaandaJohnaAdams.aT
heyafirmlyabelievedatheanationalagovernmentashouldabeastrong.aTheyadidn'tawantatheaBillao
faRightsabecauseatheyafeltacitizens'arightsawereaalreadyawellaprotectedabyatheaConstitution
.
Anti-Federalistsa-aans--
OpponentsaofatheaAmericanaConstitutionaatatheatimeawhenatheastatesawereacontemplating
aitsaadoption.
Ratificationa-aans--
Formalaapproval,afinalaconsentatoatheaeffectivenessaofaaaconstitution,aconstitutionalaamen
dment,aoratreaty
Republica-aans--Aaformaofagovernmentainawhichacitizensachooseatheiraleadersabyavoting
HabeasaCorpusa-aans--Constitutionalaprotectionaagainstaunlawfulaimprisonment
FederalistaPapersa-aans--
Aacollectionaofa85aarticlesawrittenabyaAlexanderaHamilton,aJohnaJay,aandaJamesaMadisona
underatheanamea"Publius"atoadefendatheaConstitutionainadetail.
FederalistaNo.a10a-aans--
AnaessayacomposedabyaJamesaMadisonawhichaarguesathatalibertyaisasafestainaaalargearep
ublicabecauseamanyainterestsa(factions)aexist.aSuchadiversityamakesatyrannyabyatheamajor
ityamoreadifficultasincearulingacoalitionsawillaalwaysabeaunstable.
LegislativeaBrancha(Congress)a-aans--makesalaws,aimposesataxes,aandadeclaresawar
JudicialaBrancha(SupremeaCourt)a-aans--
interpretsatheaconstitutionaandaotheralaws,areviewsalower-courtadecisions
ExecutiveaBrancha(President)a-aans--hasatheapoweratoaenforceathealaw
ExecutiveaOrdersa-aans--
Formalaordersaissuedabyatheapresidentatoadirectaactionabyatheafederalabureaucracy.
checksaonatheaexecutiveabrancha-aans--ByaCongressa
Canaoverrideaaapresidentialavetoabyaaatwo-thirdsavoteainabothachambersa
Mustaapproveatreatiesabyaaatwo-thirdsavoteainatheaSenatea
Controlaofafundingaactivitiesaofatheaexecutiveabrancha
PresidentialanomineesamustabeaapprovedabyatheaSenatea
OnlyaCongressacanadeclareawara
