American Politics and the US Constitution - C963 questions and answers graded A+.

American Politics and the US Constitution - C963 questions and answers graded A+. Natural rights - Answer Life, Liberty, and Property John Locke - Answer 17th century English philosopher who opposed the Divine Right of Kings and who asserted that people have a natural right to life, liberty, and property. State of Nature - Answer Hypothetical condition assumed to exist in the absence of government where human beings live in "complete" freedom and general equality. Due Process - Answer involves the government's obligation to treat all citizens fairly. Such a requirement lessens the extent to which government power can be exercised over the individual, making the power differential between the two more fair, and ensuring a general sense of political equality Social Contract - Answer A voluntary agreement among individuals to secure their rights and welfare by creating a government and abiding by its rules. Thomas Hobbes () - Answer One of the first individuals to contribute to the idea of the social contract was a preEnlightenment English philosopher Leviathan (1651): Thomas Hobbes - Answer Hobbes argues that society is not something natural and immutable, but rather it is something created by us. Labor Movement - Answer the formation of labor unions, during the 1880's, for the workers to receive better treatment by Constitution - Answer A document which spells out the principles by which a government runs and the fundamental laws that govern a society Bill of Rights - Answer The first ten amendments to the Constitution Declaration of Independence - Answer the document recording the proclamation of the second Continental Congress (4 July 1776) asserting the independence of the colonies from Great Britain Thomas Jefferson - Answer Wrote the Declaration of Independence Shays's Rebellion () - Answer which almost resulted in potential mob rule, suggested there might be too much democracy at play, and that maybe individual liberty was going too far Articles of Confederation - Answer A weak constitution that governed America during the Revolutionary War. Federalist no. 51 - Answer Argues that separation of powers within the national government is the best way to prevent the concentration of power in the hands of one person or a single group. First Amendment - Answer Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. Second Amendment - Answer Right to keep and bear arms Third Amendment - Answer The government may not house soldiers in private homes without consent of the owner Forth Amendment - Answer It protects people against unfair searches of their homes; search and seizure. Fifth Amendment - Answer A constitutional amendment designed to protect the rights of persons accused of crimes, including protection against double jeopardy, self-incrimination, and punishment without due process of law. Sixth Amendment - Answer Right to a speedy and public trial Seventh Amendment - Answer Right to a trial by jury in civil cases Eighth Amendment - Answer No cruel and unusual punishment Nineth Amendment - Answer peoples rights are not just limited to those listed in the Constitution and Bill of Rights Tenth Amendment - Answer Amendment stating that the powers not delegated to the federal gov. are reserved to the states bicameral legislature - Answer A law making body made of two houses (bi means 2). Example: Congress (our legislature) is made of two house - The House of Representatives and The Senate. House of Representatives - Answer the lower house of Congress, consisting of a different number of representatives from each state, depending on population New Jersey Plan - Answer Proposal to create a weak national government Virginia Plan - Answer Proposal to create a strong national government Constitutional Convention - Answer Meeting in 1787 of the elected representatives of the thirteen original states to write the Constitution of the United States. unicameral legislature - Answer One-house legislature Three-Fifths Compromise - Answer Agreement that each slave counted as three-fifths of a person in determining representation in the House for representation and taxation purposes (negated by the 13th amendment) Checks and Balances - Answer A system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power Separation of Powers - Answer Constitutional division of powers among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, with the legislative branch making law, the executive applying and enforcing the law, and the judiciary interpreting the law federal system - Answer A government that divides the powers of government between the national government and state or provincial governments enumerated powers - Answer The powers explicitly given to Congress in the Constitution. reserved powers - Answer Powers given to the state government alone Federalists - Answer Supporters of the Constitution that were led by Alexander Hamilton and John Adams. They firmly believed the national government should be strong. They didn't want the Bill of Rights because they felt citizens' rights were already well protected by the Constitution. Anti-Federalists - Answer Opponents of the American Constitution at the time when the states were contemplating its adoption. Ratification - Answer Formal approval, final consent to the effectiveness of a constitution, constitutional amendment, or treaty Republic - Answer A form of government in which citizens choose their leaders by voting Habeas Corpus - Answer Constitutional protection against unlawful imprisonment Federalist Papers - Answer A collection of 85 articles written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison under the name "Publius" to defend the Constitution in detail. Federalist No. 10 - Answer An essay composed by James Madison which argues that liberty is safest in a large republic because many interests (factions) exist. Such diversity makes tyranny by the majority more difficult since ruling coalitions will always be unstable.