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Government
the procedures and institutions (such as elections, courts and legislatures) by which a people govern and rule themselves
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Politics
the process by which people decide who shall govern and what policies shall be adopted
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Politicians
people who fulfill the tasks of overseeing and directing a government
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Political Science
the study of the principles, procedures and structures of government and the analysis of political ideas, institutions, heavier, and practices
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Democracy
government by the people, both directly or indirectly, with free and frequent elections
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Direct Democracy
citizens assembled to discuss and pass laws and select their officials, government in which citizens vote on laws and select officials directly
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Representative democracy/republic
government in which the people elect those who govern and pass laws
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Constitutional democracy
government that enforces recognized limits on those who govern and allows the voice of the people to be hard through free, fair, and relatively frequent elections
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Constitutionalism
The set of arrangements, including checks and balances, federalism, separation of powers, rule of law, due process, and a bill of rights that requires our leaders to listen, think, bargain, and explain before they act or make laws. We then hold them politically and legally accountable for how they exercise their powers
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Statism
the idea that the rights of the nation are supreme over the rights of the individuals who make up the nation (China, Vietnam, Cuba)
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Popular Consent
the idea that a just government must derive its powers from the consent of the people it governs
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Majority Rule
governance according to the expressed preferences of the majority
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Majority
the candidate or party that wins more than half the votes cast in an election
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Plurality
the candidate or party with the most votes cast in an election, not necessarily more than half
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Federalism
the division of powers between the national and state government
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Separation of powers
divisions between the executive, judicial, and legislative branches
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Checks and Balances
each branch is given the constitutional means, the political independence, and the motives to check the powers of the other branches so that a relative balance of power between the branches endures
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Theocracy
government by religious leaders, who claim divine guidance (Ex: Puritans in Mass.)
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Articles of Confederation
the first governing document of the confederated states, drafted in 1777, ratified in 1781, and replaced by the present Constitution in 1789
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Annapolis Convention
a convention held in 1786 to consider problems of trade and navigation, attended by five states and important because it issued the call to Congress and the states for what became the Constitutional Convention
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Constitutional Convention
the convention in Philadelphia that debated and agreed on the Constitution of the United States
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ShaysÂ’ Rebellion
a rebellion led by Daniel Shay of farmers in western Massachusetts protesting mortgage foreclosures. It highlighted the need for a strong national government just as the call for the Constitutional Convention went out
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Bicameralism
the principle of a two-house legislature
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Virginia Plan
the initial proposal at the Constitutional Convention made by the Virginia delegation for a strong central government with a bicameral legislature dominated by the big states
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New Jersey Plan
The proposal at the Constitutional Convention for a central government with a single-house legislature in which each state would be represented equally. Also states that federal law is supreme to state law
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Connecticut Compromise
the compromise agreement by states at the Constitutional Convention for a bicameral legislature with a lower house in which representation would be based on population and an upper house in which each state would have two senators
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Three fifths Compromise
the compromise between northern and southern states at the Constitutional Convention that three-fifths of the slave population would be counted for determining direct taxation and representation in the House of Representatives
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Federalists
Supporters of ratification of the Constitution and a strong central government
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Antifederalists
Opponents of ratification of the Constitution and of a generally strong central government
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The Federalist
essays promoting ratification of the Constitution, published anonymously by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay and James Madison
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