The Constitutional Underpinnings.

1. Underpinnings

2. Mayflower Compact
3 point clue
Early document based on majoritarian rule.
2 point clue
First governing document in America.
1 point clue
Written by those who came over on the Mayflower.

3. Spirit of Laws
3 point clue
Contains concepts of preservation of civil liberties, the abolition of
slavery, and the rule of law
2 point clue
Written by Montesquieu in 1748 advocating separation of powers
1 point clue
This document also includes the idea of checks and balances.

4. Declaration of Independence
3 point clue
Drafted at the Second Continental congress. The clause against slavery
was removed before it was approved.
2 point clue
List of grievances against King George III
1 point clue
Document written by Jefferson declaring independence from
England

5. Federalists
3 point clue
Led by Hamilton and in favor of the National Bank
2 point clue
Group for the ratification of the Constitution
1 point clue
Party that came to oppose the Anti-Federalists

6. Virginia Plan
3 point clue
plan that would have created a legislative branch that gave the larger
states more power
2 point clue
Counter to the New Jersey plan
1 point clue
Plan proposed by Virginia delegates at the Constitutional Convention

7. Bill of Rights
3 point clue
Applied to the states under the incorporation doctrine via the 14th
amendment
2 point clue
A condition of the Anti-Federalist dominated states for the
ratification of constitution
1 point clue
First ten amendments

8. Direct Democracy
3 point clue
The framers didn’t trust this form of government because they were afraid
of mob rule.
2 point clue
The type of government used in Ancient Athens.
1 point clue
Type of democracy where people were decisions are made by the masses

9. Federalist # 51
3 point clue
Meant to inform the public about the safeguards in the Constitution to
protect people’s rights and check ambition
2 point clue
“If men were angels, no government would be necessary.”
1 point clue
Federalist paper written by Madison about separation of powers and
Checks and balances

10. Great Compromise
3 point clue
Combined ideas of Edmund Randolph and William Paterson
2 point clue
Resulted in bicameral legislature
1 point clue
Solved conflict between big states and small states

11. The Framers
3 point clue
Met in Philadelphia in 1787
2 point clue
They had to decide issues of slavery and representation
1 point clue
most of them were farmers.

12. Checks and Balances
3 point clue
An idea credited to a member of the French Enlightenment who was
influenced by the Roman republic.
2 point clue
For example, Supreme Court justices are nominated by the president
and approved by Congress
1 point clue
The power of one branch of government to block acts by the other
two branches

13. Elite Theory
3 point clue
A good example of this would be an oil cartel.
2 point clue
Theory of who really holds power in our government, or runs the
country.
1 point clue
A small group of wealthy and influential individuals are behind the
scenes pulling the strings on policy.

14. Leviathan
3 point clue
Stated that an absolute monarch is needed to maintain order
2 point clue
Expressed belief that people give up their freedom for
protection by the government
1 point clue
Written by Thomas Hobbes in 1651

15. The Social Contract
3 point clue
“Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains.”
2 point clue
Written by Rousseau
1 point clue
Focused on value of a social contract, saying it must be based on
popular sovereignty to have legitimacy

16. New Jersey Plan
3 point clue
Proposed to simply amend the Articles of Confederation
2 point clue
Proposed that each state have one vote in Congress
1 point clue
plan favored by small states

17. Articles of Confederation
3 point clue
Product of the Second Continental Congress
2 point clue
Lacked a judicial branch and used a unicameral legislature
1 point clue
First US Constitution

18. Machiavelli
3 point clue
“The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look
at the men he has around him.”
2 point clue
“Politics have no relation to morals.”
1 point clue
“It is better to be feared than to be loved.”

19. Antifederalists
3 point clue
wrote responses to Publius.
2 point clue
opposed a strong central government.
1 point clue
The most famous member of this group was Thomas Jefferson.

20. 3/5 Compromise
3 point clue
mostly affected the Southern states
2 point clue
dealt with the representation of non-citizens
1 point clue
resolved the question of how to count slaves in the population

21. Republic
3 point clue
The name of Plato’s most famous work
2 point clue
the framers thought of the United States as this, as opposed to a
democracy
1 point clue
involves representation, unlike direct democracy

22. Pluralist theory
3 point clue
Many non government groups use their resources to exert
influence.
2 point clue
because there are so many competing interests everybody gets some
of what they want.
1 point clue
a theory of who really hold power in government.

23. Natural Rights
3 point clue
the abuse of these, according to Locke, were enough to break the social
contract
2 point clue
another name for them are unalienable, or God given rights
1 point clue
life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness

24. Federalist Paper #10
3 point clue
written by Madison
2 point clue
warned of the dangers of factions
1 point clue
argued that the best form of government to limit the influence of the
majority (of the faction that is in the majority) is a republic.

25. Common Sense
3 point clue
the author of this pamphlet supported the Pennsylvania constitution
2 point clue
influenced thoughts of independence
1 point clue
written by Thomas Paine

26. Hobbes
3 point clue
thought that life without laws was “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and
short.”
2 point clue
along with Locke, thought that people would give up some freedom to
gain security and order
1 point clue
wrote Leviathan

27. Magna Carta
3 point clue
written in 1215
2 point clue
forced King John of England to observe the rights of freemen and
accept that his will could be bound by the law, or helped establish the
concept of rule of law.
1 point clue
the first example of limited government because the powers of King John
were restricted

28. Madisonian Model
3 point clue
helped eliminate the threat of the tyranny of the majority.
2 point clue
only the House of Representatives was directly elected under this.
1 point clue
As much government as possible was placed beyond the control of the
majority in this model. This model also included separation of powers,
checks and balances, and federalism.

29. Hyperpluralist theory
3 point clue
This could help explain gridlock in government.
2 point clue
Interests groups are so powerful that the government is weakened.
1 point clue
Theory of who really hold power in the government.

30. Majoritarian Democracy
3 point clue
One criticism of the type of democracy is that it can turn into a “tyranny of
the majority” where minority ideas or groups could be oppressed.
2 point clue
initiatives, recall & referendum are a return to this.
1 point clue
A government where decisions are made according to the majority
rule.