APUSH unit 4 – Flashcards

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Articles of Confederation
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this document, the nations first constitution, was adopted by the second continental congress in 1781during the revolution. the document was limited because states held most of the power, and congress lacked the power to tax, regulate trade, or control coinage
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Stay Laws
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Laws that delay or postpone something. During the 1780s many states passed laws to delay the due date on debts because of the serious economic problems of the times
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Legislative Supremacy
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A system of government in which the legislative branch has ultimate power.
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Alexander Hamilton
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ultra conservative New Yorker, favored strong central govt. helped write The Federalist Papers
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Self-sacrificing (adamsian) republicanism
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civic virtue is key and natural aristocracy gives leaders
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Democratic (paineian) republicanism
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promotes widespread participation and the gov't is responsive to the people
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economic (hamiltonian) republicanism
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rational self-interest (doing things to benefit you and thus the community)
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republicanism
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the ideology of governing the nation as a republic, where the head of state is not appointed through hereditary means, but usually through an election , A philosophy of limited government with elected representatives serving at the will of the people. The government is based on consent of the governed.
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republican synthesis
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when historians look back on history with the idea that the core of patterns in American history can all be traced back to 18th century republican ideology
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republican motherhood
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mothers would teach their kids republicansim and it would continue throughout generations (self sacrificing republicanism)
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tyranny of the majority
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Madison's fear of what would happen; that the largest faction would take over the government
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separation of powers
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the division of power among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government
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federalism
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division of power between the national and state governments
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concurrent powers
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powers that are shared by both the federal and state governments
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implied powers
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powers that congress has that are not stated explicitly in the constitution
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positive rights
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right to assistance/material goods
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An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution
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Beard's Essay
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The Federalist Papers
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Series of newspaper articles written by John Hay, James Madison and Alexander Hamilton which enumerated arguments in favor of the Constitution and refuted the arguments of the anti-federalists
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Mobocracy
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where the gov't is run by mobs, n. Lawless control of public affairs by the mob or populace.
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Northwest Ordinance
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document that set up government in NW Territory and added 5 new states
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Cosmopolitan
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of worldwide scope or applicability
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Supreme Law of the Land
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the constitution was the _______.
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shay's rebellion
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this conflict in Massachusetts caused many to criticize the Articles of Confederation and admit the weak central government was not working; uprising led by Daniel Shays in an effort to prevent courts from foreclosing on the farms of those who could not pay the taxes
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Natural Aristocracy
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arises out of work and competition rather than birth, education, or special privilege.
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aristocracy
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a privileged class holding hereditary titles
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new jersey plan
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William Paterson's plan of government, in which states got an equal number of representatives in Congress
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checks and balances
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A system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power
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delegated powers
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Those powers, expressed, implied, or inherent, granted to the National Government by the constitution
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Amendments 1-26
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h
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Negative rights
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right to non-interference of government
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whig ideology
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Idea that concentrated power leads to corruption and tyranny; emphasis on balanced government where legislatures check the power of the executive
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newburgh conspiracy
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during the period of articles, army officers in New York were assembled and were discussing a plan for a military coup to make the gov. pay them their pensions. George Washington appeared and convinced them not to coup.
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James Madison
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father of the constitution; leading federalist; author of the Bill of Rights
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Localist
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people, generally debtors, who distrusted the government and wanted paper money to relieve their debts
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civic virtue
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the key to republicanism; the willingness to work for the good of the nation or community even at great sacrifice.
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David Hume
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last guy of empiricism, said there can't be absolute knowledge if it is based on the senses alone
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Patrick Henry
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"If this be treason make the most of it"; "Give me liberty of give me death"; antifederalist
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George Mason
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antifederalist; The person who proposed a Bill of Rights to be added to the U.S. Constitution.
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antifederalists
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didn't want to ratify the constitution
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federalists
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wanted to ratify the constitution
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Ordinance of 1785
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This divided public lands into townships of six miles square each and the subdivided each township into one mile square lots.
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Virginia Plan
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James Madison's plan of government in which states got a certain # of reps based on their population
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Great compromise
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Compromise made by Constitutional Convention in which states would have equal representation in one house of the legislature and representation based on population in the other house
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bill of rights
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a statement of fundamental rights and privileges (especially the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution)
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reserved powers
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Powers not specifically granted to the federal government or denied to the states belong to the states and the people
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elastic clause
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the part of the Constitution that permits Congress to make any laws "necessary and proper" to carrying out its powers
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faction
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A term the founders used to refer to political parties and special interests or interest groups.
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Charles Beard
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A historian who believed that the ideology presented in the Constitution was a result of the economic needs of the land-owning Founding Fathers (rather than philosophical principles). His ideas fell out of favor in the 1950's, when other historians pointed out problems with his research.
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John Jay
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one of three who wrote "The Federalist Papers"
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Federalist #10
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a member of a former political party in the United States that favored a strong centralized federal government
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3/5 compromise
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black people represented 3/5 of a person
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Article: A failure of Nerve?
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it's about the slavery compromise and how it was only a temporary band-aid and eventually lead to the civil war. Because the constitution never actually solved the slavery issues, ignorance built tension up to the civil war.
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Article: An Assembly of Demigods
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it's about how in a time of mass chaos and conflict between people the founding fathers could create the constitution and move on from the articles of confederation. they could still create a government that could not only govern, but be governed by itself, preventing tyranny.
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Article: Debates in the Virginia Ratifying Convention
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(FINISH) it's about the feds vs. the antifeds, and their arguments. basically the feds wanted the const because:
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Article: The Constitution: Conflict or Consensus?
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it's the historiography essay and about the different interpretations of the constitutions. Nationalists: The constitution was a model for the world because it protects democracy and demonstrates Anglo-Saxon superiority. Progressives: The constitution was an undemocratic document because it only economically secured the representatives. Neoconservative: the constitution was a political and democratic document because it involved and secured rights for the middle class. "New intellectuals": The constitution was revolutionary because it was a continuation of the revolution. "New Left": The constitution was created for an expanding empire because it created the basics of a political and economic government
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Article: What is republican government?
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it basically describes a republican government, including the necessity for civic virtue. the purpose of a republic government is to promote the common good. it also talked about how the government needed to be balanced and not too powerful, but have enough power.
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Baron De Montesquieu
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believed government should have separation of powers
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Article: A revolutionary Society
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it's about the aftermath of the revolution, aka the chaos that arose. it includes territorial divisions and western expansion. additionally it describes the increasing tension b/w the north and south, cosmopolitans vs. localists, etc., leading up to the constitution
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Article: What americans should know aobut the bill of rights: 8 lessons
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it's about the bill of rights. it was created to prevent tyranny of the majority, and how it's antimajoritarian. it protects the rights of the individuals, but only the negative rights.
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Federalist arguments
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1. the const protects against the tyranny of the majority 2. it creates stability 3. it unites the states 4. right sort of people in power 5. gov't needs more power to govern effectively
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Anti-federalist arguments
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1. the const. is virtual representation 2. reduces state power 3. tyranny of majority (too few, not accurate perception) 4. No bill of rights 5. too much federal power (right to impose taxes, strong executive branch like parliament).
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Progressives/Beard's thesis
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the const was an economic document b/c it was written by the select class of men
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Neoconservative thesis
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The constitution protected democracy as a political document because it appealed to and benefited the middle classes instead of the upper classes.
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Nationalist thesis
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The constitution can exist as a model for all other types of government because it protects democracy and sheds light on Ango-Saxon superiority.
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New Left thesis
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The constitution allowed for an expanding nation because it gave a solid basis for the political and economical systems that gave room to grow.
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New intellectuals thesis
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d. "New Intellectuals": The constitution was a radical document that limited the democracy within the American government because it expressed republican ideology.
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