WGU C963 - Vocabulary - American Politics and the US Constitution
Questions with Verified Answers (Correct Update)
Question 1: Natural Rights
Answer: The right to life, liberty, and property; believed to be given by God; no government
may take them away.
Question 2: State of Nature
Answer: A theory on how people might have lived before societies came into existence.
Question 3: Due Process
Answer: The requirement that government, when dealing with people, have in place a fair
procedure which it equally applies to all.
Question 4: Social Contract
Answer: An agreement between people and government in which citizens consent to be
governed so long as the government protects their natural rights.
Question 5: Political Ideologies
Answer: Coherent philosophies about the structure, power, and purpose of government.
Question 6: Bicameral Legislature
Answer: A lawmaking body that consists of two separate chambers.
Question 7: Popular Vote
Answer: An election in which the winner is determined by the number of individual votes
obtained.
Question 8: Virginia Plan
Answer: A plan for a two-house legislature; representatives would be elected to the lower
house based on each state's population; representatives for the upper house
would be chosen by the lower house.
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,Question 9: New Jersey Plan
Answer: A plan that called for a one-house national legislature; each state would receive
one vote.
Question 10: Great Compromise
Answer: Also known as the Connecticut Compromise. A compromise between the Virginia
Plan and the New Jersey Plan that created a bicameral legislature; representation
based on population in the House of Representatives and equal representation
of states in the Senate.
Question 11: Three-Fifths
Compromise
Answer: A compromise between northern and southern states that called for counting of
all a state's free population and 60 percent of its slave population for both federal
taxation and representation in Congress.
Question 12: Veto
Answer: The power of the president to reject a law proposed by Congress.
Question 13: Checks and Balances
Answer: A system that allows one branch of government to limit the exercise of power by
another branch; requires the ditterent parts of government to work together..
Question 14: Separation of
Powers
Answer: The sharing of powers among three separate branches of government.
Question 15: Enumerated
Powers
Answer: The powers given explicitly to the federal government by the Constitution; power
to regulate interstate and foreign commerce, raise and support armies, declare
war, coin money, and conduct foreign attairs.
Question 16: Reserved Powers A
Answer: ny powers not prohibited by the Constitution or delegated to the national
government; powers reserved to the states and denied to the federal government.
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, Question 17: Ratification
Answer: The action of signing or giving formal consent to a treaty, contract, or agreement,
making it oflcially valid.
Question 18: Republic
Answer: A system of government in which power is given to the people through their ability
to elect representatives who make laws on their behalf.
Question 19: Habeas Corpus
Answer: The right to know, before a judge, why you have been detained.
Question 20: Federalists
Answer: Advocated for a stronger national government
Question 21: Anti-Federalists
Answer: Feared a stronger national government and advocated for stronger rights for the
states and greater protection for individual liberties
Question 22: The Federalist
Papers
Answer: A series of 85 essays, written and published in favor of ratifying the Constitution.
Question 23: Federalist no. 10 A
Answer: Addressed the fear of factions. In this essay, James Madison argued that there
was no need to fear the power of factions because the diversity that existed in the
country was so large that it would not allow for the development of large political
interest groups.
Question 24: Federalist no. 51 In
Answer: n this essay James Madison wrote about how the mechanisms of checks and
balances and the separation of powers would prevent the national government
from abusing its increased power and authority.
Question 25: Faction
Answer: A group who gathers together to advocate for their special interest.
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Questions with Verified Answers (Correct Update)
Question 1: Natural Rights
Answer: The right to life, liberty, and property; believed to be given by God; no government
may take them away.
Question 2: State of Nature
Answer: A theory on how people might have lived before societies came into existence.
Question 3: Due Process
Answer: The requirement that government, when dealing with people, have in place a fair
procedure which it equally applies to all.
Question 4: Social Contract
Answer: An agreement between people and government in which citizens consent to be
governed so long as the government protects their natural rights.
Question 5: Political Ideologies
Answer: Coherent philosophies about the structure, power, and purpose of government.
Question 6: Bicameral Legislature
Answer: A lawmaking body that consists of two separate chambers.
Question 7: Popular Vote
Answer: An election in which the winner is determined by the number of individual votes
obtained.
Question 8: Virginia Plan
Answer: A plan for a two-house legislature; representatives would be elected to the lower
house based on each state's population; representatives for the upper house
would be chosen by the lower house.
Page 1
,Question 9: New Jersey Plan
Answer: A plan that called for a one-house national legislature; each state would receive
one vote.
Question 10: Great Compromise
Answer: Also known as the Connecticut Compromise. A compromise between the Virginia
Plan and the New Jersey Plan that created a bicameral legislature; representation
based on population in the House of Representatives and equal representation
of states in the Senate.
Question 11: Three-Fifths
Compromise
Answer: A compromise between northern and southern states that called for counting of
all a state's free population and 60 percent of its slave population for both federal
taxation and representation in Congress.
Question 12: Veto
Answer: The power of the president to reject a law proposed by Congress.
Question 13: Checks and Balances
Answer: A system that allows one branch of government to limit the exercise of power by
another branch; requires the ditterent parts of government to work together..
Question 14: Separation of
Powers
Answer: The sharing of powers among three separate branches of government.
Question 15: Enumerated
Powers
Answer: The powers given explicitly to the federal government by the Constitution; power
to regulate interstate and foreign commerce, raise and support armies, declare
war, coin money, and conduct foreign attairs.
Question 16: Reserved Powers A
Answer: ny powers not prohibited by the Constitution or delegated to the national
government; powers reserved to the states and denied to the federal government.
Page 2
, Question 17: Ratification
Answer: The action of signing or giving formal consent to a treaty, contract, or agreement,
making it oflcially valid.
Question 18: Republic
Answer: A system of government in which power is given to the people through their ability
to elect representatives who make laws on their behalf.
Question 19: Habeas Corpus
Answer: The right to know, before a judge, why you have been detained.
Question 20: Federalists
Answer: Advocated for a stronger national government
Question 21: Anti-Federalists
Answer: Feared a stronger national government and advocated for stronger rights for the
states and greater protection for individual liberties
Question 22: The Federalist
Papers
Answer: A series of 85 essays, written and published in favor of ratifying the Constitution.
Question 23: Federalist no. 10 A
Answer: Addressed the fear of factions. In this essay, James Madison argued that there
was no need to fear the power of factions because the diversity that existed in the
country was so large that it would not allow for the development of large political
interest groups.
Question 24: Federalist no. 51 In
Answer: n this essay James Madison wrote about how the mechanisms of checks and
balances and the separation of powers would prevent the national government
from abusing its increased power and authority.
Question 25: Faction
Answer: A group who gathers together to advocate for their special interest.
Page 3
