GOVT 2305 Lone Star Final Exam 2023 Study Guide with
complete solution
John Locke
influenced early American pol thought with natural rights
Natural Rights
God-given rights to life, liberty, and property
Magna Carta
document that gave the English rights and protected them from harm from the
monarchy
What document influenced the 5th and 6th amendments?
Magna Carta
English Bill of Rights
influenced by Locke, explicitly guaranteed natural rights
Property Rights in early America
all free white men had the right to acquire property and it was the gov's duty to protect it
Origins and purpose of Government
Human beings created government not God
Social Contract
people sacrifice a small portion of their freedom and consent to be ruled in exchange for
the government's protection of their natural rights
Self Government
the American colonists had a long tradition of governing themselves within their colonies
Seven Years War
Changes that led to Am Rev
Seven Years War, gold and silver, direct taxation, right to jury trial suspended, Stamp
Act, Townshend Acts
Stamp Act
tax on all paper products
Townshend Acts
tax on everyday items, like glass, tea, and paint
Am response to direct taxation
letters of petition, boycotts, Boston Tea Party, First Continental Congress, Second
Continental Congress, Declaration of Independence
Boston Massacre
Brit response to boycotts, sent troops to Boston where 3 Am died, details exaggerated
to influence public
Boston Tea Party
protest on British East India Co. monopoly on tea, bc of this Brit took away Boston's
town meetings
First Continental Congress
a unified opposition to Brit Gov, declaration of rights and grievances
Second Continental Congress
where the Declaration of Independence was signed
Declaration of Independence
,outlines important rights and lists all of the wrongs committed by Brits
Articles of Confederation
the first constitution of the US
Republic
regime in which the people, not a monarch, held power and
elected representatives to govern according to the rule of law
Confederation
an entity in which
independent, self-governing states form a union for the purpose of acting
together in areas such as defense
Problems with the Articles of Confereration
weak nat gov: could't impose taxes, regulate trade, raise an army, or be amended
without a unanimous vote, each state only had one vote, no judicial system
Shay's Rebellion
uprising of Massachusetts farmers led by Daniel Shays bc of unfair taxes
bc of Articles gov couldn't raise and army and were powerless
Constitutional Convention
Meeting to revise the Articles
Virginia Plan
bicameral, two-chamber legislature, representatives reflect state's population
New Jersey Plan
unicameral, single-chamber legislature, each state gets one vote
The Great Compromise
Made congress bicameral with senate beings 2 votes per state and House = population
The Three-Fifths Compromise
made slaves 3/5 of person so they could be counted into the population of the states for
more representatives
Separation of Powers
dividing the nat gov into 3 branches
Checks and Balances
gives each of the 3 branches the power to restrict the actions of the others
Federal System
power is divided between the federal (or national) government
and the state governments
Enumerated Powers
powers given explicitly to the federal government in the US
Constitution
Reserved Powers
All powers not expressly given to the national government,
which were intended to be exercised by the states
Supremacy Clause
the federal
government is "the supreme Law of the Land."
When there is a legal dispute between the state and federal governments,
and both are acting constitutionally, the federal government wins
Necessary and Proper
, Gives the federal government implicit powers
Federalists
supported Constitution and strong Gov
Anti-Federalists
opposed Constitution and wanted weak nat gov
The Federalist Papers
eighty-five essays arguing for a strong federal government and
support of the Constitution
The Bill of Rights
the first ten amendments gave citizens rights influenced by Brits
Federalism
an institutional arrangement that creates two relatively autonomous levels
of government, each possessing the capacity to act directly on behalf of the people with
the authority granted to it by the national constitution
Five Common Structural Characteristics
2 levels of elected gov, constitution, both levels of gov have power, nat courts, states
have rep in nat gov
Unitary System
system in which subnational governments are dependent on the national
government
Devolution
process through which governing powers can be decentralized, i.e. away
from the national government to the subnational governments
Confederation
authority is decentralized, and the central government's ability to act depends on the
consent of the subnational governments
Commerce Clause
empowers the federal government to regulate interstate economic
transactions
10th amendments
affirms the states' reserved powers
Concurrent Powers
powers that are shared or overlap between national and subnational levels
Writ of habeas corpus
enables someone in custody to petition a judge to determine
whether that person's detention is legal
Bill of attainder
a legislative action declaring someone guilty without a trial
Ex post facto law
criminalizes an action retroactively
Full faith and credit clause
comity clause
requires the states to accept court decisions, public acts, and contracts of other states
Privileges and immunities clause
complete solution
John Locke
influenced early American pol thought with natural rights
Natural Rights
God-given rights to life, liberty, and property
Magna Carta
document that gave the English rights and protected them from harm from the
monarchy
What document influenced the 5th and 6th amendments?
Magna Carta
English Bill of Rights
influenced by Locke, explicitly guaranteed natural rights
Property Rights in early America
all free white men had the right to acquire property and it was the gov's duty to protect it
Origins and purpose of Government
Human beings created government not God
Social Contract
people sacrifice a small portion of their freedom and consent to be ruled in exchange for
the government's protection of their natural rights
Self Government
the American colonists had a long tradition of governing themselves within their colonies
Seven Years War
Changes that led to Am Rev
Seven Years War, gold and silver, direct taxation, right to jury trial suspended, Stamp
Act, Townshend Acts
Stamp Act
tax on all paper products
Townshend Acts
tax on everyday items, like glass, tea, and paint
Am response to direct taxation
letters of petition, boycotts, Boston Tea Party, First Continental Congress, Second
Continental Congress, Declaration of Independence
Boston Massacre
Brit response to boycotts, sent troops to Boston where 3 Am died, details exaggerated
to influence public
Boston Tea Party
protest on British East India Co. monopoly on tea, bc of this Brit took away Boston's
town meetings
First Continental Congress
a unified opposition to Brit Gov, declaration of rights and grievances
Second Continental Congress
where the Declaration of Independence was signed
Declaration of Independence
,outlines important rights and lists all of the wrongs committed by Brits
Articles of Confederation
the first constitution of the US
Republic
regime in which the people, not a monarch, held power and
elected representatives to govern according to the rule of law
Confederation
an entity in which
independent, self-governing states form a union for the purpose of acting
together in areas such as defense
Problems with the Articles of Confereration
weak nat gov: could't impose taxes, regulate trade, raise an army, or be amended
without a unanimous vote, each state only had one vote, no judicial system
Shay's Rebellion
uprising of Massachusetts farmers led by Daniel Shays bc of unfair taxes
bc of Articles gov couldn't raise and army and were powerless
Constitutional Convention
Meeting to revise the Articles
Virginia Plan
bicameral, two-chamber legislature, representatives reflect state's population
New Jersey Plan
unicameral, single-chamber legislature, each state gets one vote
The Great Compromise
Made congress bicameral with senate beings 2 votes per state and House = population
The Three-Fifths Compromise
made slaves 3/5 of person so they could be counted into the population of the states for
more representatives
Separation of Powers
dividing the nat gov into 3 branches
Checks and Balances
gives each of the 3 branches the power to restrict the actions of the others
Federal System
power is divided between the federal (or national) government
and the state governments
Enumerated Powers
powers given explicitly to the federal government in the US
Constitution
Reserved Powers
All powers not expressly given to the national government,
which were intended to be exercised by the states
Supremacy Clause
the federal
government is "the supreme Law of the Land."
When there is a legal dispute between the state and federal governments,
and both are acting constitutionally, the federal government wins
Necessary and Proper
, Gives the federal government implicit powers
Federalists
supported Constitution and strong Gov
Anti-Federalists
opposed Constitution and wanted weak nat gov
The Federalist Papers
eighty-five essays arguing for a strong federal government and
support of the Constitution
The Bill of Rights
the first ten amendments gave citizens rights influenced by Brits
Federalism
an institutional arrangement that creates two relatively autonomous levels
of government, each possessing the capacity to act directly on behalf of the people with
the authority granted to it by the national constitution
Five Common Structural Characteristics
2 levels of elected gov, constitution, both levels of gov have power, nat courts, states
have rep in nat gov
Unitary System
system in which subnational governments are dependent on the national
government
Devolution
process through which governing powers can be decentralized, i.e. away
from the national government to the subnational governments
Confederation
authority is decentralized, and the central government's ability to act depends on the
consent of the subnational governments
Commerce Clause
empowers the federal government to regulate interstate economic
transactions
10th amendments
affirms the states' reserved powers
Concurrent Powers
powers that are shared or overlap between national and subnational levels
Writ of habeas corpus
enables someone in custody to petition a judge to determine
whether that person's detention is legal
Bill of attainder
a legislative action declaring someone guilty without a trial
Ex post facto law
criminalizes an action retroactively
Full faith and credit clause
comity clause
requires the states to accept court decisions, public acts, and contracts of other states
Privileges and immunities clause
