WGU C963 FINAL AMERICAN POLITICS AND
THE US CONSTITUTION EXAM PREP
◉ Montesquieu. Answer: French political philosopher who
advocated the separation of executive and legislative and judicial
powers.
Advocated for due process
◉ Adam Smith. Answer: argued for property rights and minimal gov
regulation in economics.
◉ Social Contracy Theory. Answer: Agreement between people and
government where citizens are content to be governed as long as
government protects natural rights.
◉ Thomas Hobbes. Answer: english philosopher who argued society
isnt natural or immutable but created by us, instead of being passive
members of society we are creators.
◉ Implicit contracts. Answer: never agreed upon, but we find
ourselves in.
,"Rights imply obligation so when you take from the pot, you are
expected to pay in"
Ex: taxes
◉ State of Nature. Answer: theory on how people might have lived
before societies
◉ Natural Rights. Answer: society can not interfere with our efforts
to obtain
ex: Food, shelter, clothing
◉ Hobbes vs. Locke vs. Roussea. Answer: Hobbes- seeks physical
security as social contract
Locke- seeks protection from harm and permitting us to pursue our
own lives
Rousseau- argues for general will of society using uniformity of
existence
◉ Social Contract. Answer: require continual renegotiation to
remain relevant to present circumstances.
Failure to negotiate can lead to dissolution of society
◉ Declaration of Independence. Answer: written mainly by
Jefferson, expressed ideas of locke.
,-Gov serves to regulate terms of social contract in society and
protect our natural rights and serve as democratic conduit for
interests
◉ U.S. Constitution. Answer: turns to less democratic ideas of
Montesquieu and Rousseau
- separates legislative, executive and judicial powers, works to
determine sovereignty of states
◉ Bill of Rights. Answer: Constitutional amendments that protect
the rights of citizens
◉ Articles of confederation. Answer: first attempt at structuring the
United States.
- established republic that held power and elected representatives to
govern with independent self governing states from a union
◉ bicameral legislature. Answer: two chambers of legislature; House
of Representatives and Senate
created so the government didnt have too much power
◉ Power to Borrow and coin money. Answer: federal government
can establish national banking system; also to control national fiscal
power
, ◉ Power to declare war. Answer: gov can delcare war if deemed
appropriate and can appoint military officials
◉ Power to make Treaties and Alliances with other nations. Answer:
could enter into treaties or agreements with other nations if deemed
appropriate.
◉ Power to Regulate Trade w/ Native Americans. Answer: negotiate
and regulate trade but, native Americans werent considered citizens
of the U.S. and were treated as foreigners.
◉ Power to settle disputes between states. Answer: right to settle
any and all boundary disputes that arose between the states, which
were bound to happen.
◉ Power to Raise an Army or Navy. Answer: National government
didn't have the power for its own military so they had to request
troops from the states who could deny. This would leave a lack of
defense for the country
◉ Taxation. Answer: national government had no power to impose
or collect taxes; they had to request it from states- they were
negligent and would leave national government underfunded.
THE US CONSTITUTION EXAM PREP
◉ Montesquieu. Answer: French political philosopher who
advocated the separation of executive and legislative and judicial
powers.
Advocated for due process
◉ Adam Smith. Answer: argued for property rights and minimal gov
regulation in economics.
◉ Social Contracy Theory. Answer: Agreement between people and
government where citizens are content to be governed as long as
government protects natural rights.
◉ Thomas Hobbes. Answer: english philosopher who argued society
isnt natural or immutable but created by us, instead of being passive
members of society we are creators.
◉ Implicit contracts. Answer: never agreed upon, but we find
ourselves in.
,"Rights imply obligation so when you take from the pot, you are
expected to pay in"
Ex: taxes
◉ State of Nature. Answer: theory on how people might have lived
before societies
◉ Natural Rights. Answer: society can not interfere with our efforts
to obtain
ex: Food, shelter, clothing
◉ Hobbes vs. Locke vs. Roussea. Answer: Hobbes- seeks physical
security as social contract
Locke- seeks protection from harm and permitting us to pursue our
own lives
Rousseau- argues for general will of society using uniformity of
existence
◉ Social Contract. Answer: require continual renegotiation to
remain relevant to present circumstances.
Failure to negotiate can lead to dissolution of society
◉ Declaration of Independence. Answer: written mainly by
Jefferson, expressed ideas of locke.
,-Gov serves to regulate terms of social contract in society and
protect our natural rights and serve as democratic conduit for
interests
◉ U.S. Constitution. Answer: turns to less democratic ideas of
Montesquieu and Rousseau
- separates legislative, executive and judicial powers, works to
determine sovereignty of states
◉ Bill of Rights. Answer: Constitutional amendments that protect
the rights of citizens
◉ Articles of confederation. Answer: first attempt at structuring the
United States.
- established republic that held power and elected representatives to
govern with independent self governing states from a union
◉ bicameral legislature. Answer: two chambers of legislature; House
of Representatives and Senate
created so the government didnt have too much power
◉ Power to Borrow and coin money. Answer: federal government
can establish national banking system; also to control national fiscal
power
, ◉ Power to declare war. Answer: gov can delcare war if deemed
appropriate and can appoint military officials
◉ Power to make Treaties and Alliances with other nations. Answer:
could enter into treaties or agreements with other nations if deemed
appropriate.
◉ Power to Regulate Trade w/ Native Americans. Answer: negotiate
and regulate trade but, native Americans werent considered citizens
of the U.S. and were treated as foreigners.
◉ Power to settle disputes between states. Answer: right to settle
any and all boundary disputes that arose between the states, which
were bound to happen.
◉ Power to Raise an Army or Navy. Answer: National government
didn't have the power for its own military so they had to request
troops from the states who could deny. This would leave a lack of
defense for the country
◉ Taxation. Answer: national government had no power to impose
or collect taxes; they had to request it from states- they were
negligent and would leave national government underfunded.
