Question

In 500 - 600 words define any two (2) of the following terms or concepts and provide at least one example for each.

• Social contract
• Articles of Confederation
• Federalism
• Full Faith and Credit clause
• Police powers
• Civil liberties

Be sure to use examples to support your definitions.

Note - This question is from the American government.

Answer 1

Social contract theory explains that public live together in society according to the agreement that establishes moral and political rules of behaviour. Some people believe that if we live according to a social contract, we can live morally by our own choice and not because a divine being requires it.

For example Philosopher Stuart Rachels suggests that morality is the set of rules governing behaviour that rational people accept, on the condition that others accept them too.

Social contracts can be explicit, such as laws, or implicit, such as raising one’s hand in class to speak. The U.S. Constitution is often cited as an explicit example of part of America’s social contract. It sets out what the government can and cannot do. People who choose to live in America must agreed to be governed by the moral and political compulsions outlined in the Constitution’s social contract. Certainly, regardless of whether social contracts are explicit or implicit, they provide a valuable framework for harmony in society.

In the United States, police power arises from the 10th Amendment to the Constitution, which gives states the power and rights "not delegated to the United States." States are thus granted the power to establish and enforce laws protecting the welfare, safety, and health of the public. In United States constitutional law, police power is explained as capacity of the states to control behaviour and impose order in their region for the improvement of the health, safety, morals, and general welfare of their inhabitants.

Some of the examples of the centralized usage of the police power are drug and food regulations, workplace safety laws, and environmental protection laws.