| A | B |
|---|
| Representative government | a political system in which power is exercised by elected leaders who work in the interests of the people |
| Magna Carta | the royal charter of political rights given to rebellious English barons by King John in 1215; no one is above the law, not even the king |
| Rule of law | the principle that government is based on clear and fairly enforced laws and that no one is above the law |
| Petition of Right | A major English constitutional document, which sets out specific liberties of the subject that the king is prohibited from infringing. |
| Limited Government | a political system in which the powers exercised by the government are restricted, usually by a written constitution. |
| English Bill of Rights | Signed by William and Mary; guaranteed certain individual rights and liberties; influenced our development of the US Bill of Rights |
| Individual Rights | rights and liberties that are claimed by individuals by virtue of being human |
| Natural Rights | rights that all people have by virtue of being human |
| Thomas Hobbes | English philosopher who helped develop the social contract theory |
| John Locke | English philosopher who believed in natural rights of man and was very influential for the founding fathers; he is known for arguing that the purpose of government is to protect "life, liberty, and property" |
| Baron de Montesquieu | A French political thinker who lived during the Enlightenment. He is most famous for his ideas of separation of power. |
| Jean Jacques Rousseau | a Swiss-born philosopher, who added the idea that for a government formed by a social contract to have legitimacy, it must be based on popular sovereignty, or the general will of the people |
| Separation of Powers | the principle or system of vesting in separate branches the executive, legislative, and judicial powers of a government. |
| Popular Sovereignty | the principle that the people are the ultimate source of the authority and legitimacy of a government |
| Mayflower Compact | an agreement signed by all of the colonists stating that they would follow all laws, meet regularly and vote frequently for the good of the colony. |
| Virginia House of Burgesses | the first elected assembly in the colonies and had the power to approve new taxes and spending |
| Second Continental Congress | meeting held after the Revolutionary War started, which chose George Washington to be the army commanding officer; they eventually wrote the DOI |
| Declaration of Independence | Written in 1776 by the Second Continental Congress; includes a declaration of principles as well as a list of grievances against the British king |
| Constitutionalism | the belief that governments should operate according to an agreed set of principles, which are usually spelled out in a written constitution |
| Majority Rule | decisions are made by voting with a majority determining the position of the entire group. |
| Articles of Confederation | a plan of government created by a committee after declaring independence; created a loose confederation of states |
| Constitutional Convention | Meeting of state delegates in Philadelphia in 1787, which resulted in the writing of the Constitution |
| Virginia Plan | plan that established a three branched government with the number of representatives in the legislature based on a state's population; large states favored this plan |
| New Jersey Plan | plan that would have created a more powerful national government with one house legislature in which all states had equal representation; small states favored this plan |
| Great Compromise | Established a 2 house legislature; the Senate based on equal representation (NJ plan) and the House based on population (VA plan) |
| ⅗ Compromise | A slave was to be counted as three-fifths of all "free persons," for purposes of both representation and taxation. |
| Slave Trade Compromise | Congress could regulate trade but could not outlaw the slave trade until 1808. |
| Commerce Compromise | Congress would have the power to regulate foreign and interstate commerce; could tax IMPORTS but not EXPORTS |
| Electoral College | the system used to elect the president and vice president; based on voting by state; the number of votes give to each state depends on population |
| Ratification | formal approval of an agreement, treaty, or constitution |
| Federalist | supporters of ratification of the U.S. Constitution, who favored the creation of a strong federal government that shared power with the states |
| Anti-federalist | opponents of ratification of the U.S. Constitution, who favored the loose association of states established under the Articles of Confederation |
| Bill of Rights | The first ten amendments to the Constitution; added to gain support for ratification |
