ap gov chapter 2 vocabulary Flashcards
the Western Hemisphere of Earth, also called the Americas, which was unknown to Europeans before 1492
New World
a brilliant inventor and senior statesman at the Constitutional Convention who urged colonial unity as early as 1754, twenty-two years before the Declaration of Independence
Benjamin Franklin
the American phase of what was called the Seven Years War, fought from 1754 to 1763 between Britain and France with Indian allies
French and Indian War
an economic theory designed to increase a nation’s wealth through the development of commercial industry and a favorable balance of trade
mercantilism
cousin of President John Adams and an early leader against the British and loyalist oppressors; he played a key role in developing the Committees of Correspondence and was active in Massachusetts and colonial politics.
Samuel Adams
a gathering of nine colonial representatives in 1765 in New York City where a detailed list of Crown violations was drafted; first official meeting of the colonies and the first official step toward creating a unified meeting
Stamp Act Congress
loosely organized groups of patriotic American colonists who were early revolutionaries
Sons and Daughters of Liberty
an African American and first American to die in what became known as the Boston Massacre in 1770
Crispus Attucks
meeting held in Philadelphia from September 5 to October 26, 1774, in which 56 delegates (from every colony except Georgia) adopted a resolution in opposition to the Coercive Acts
First Continental Congress
the first sites of armed conflict between revolutionaries and British soldiers, remembered for the “shot heard round the world” in 1775
Lexington and Concord
meeting that convened in Philadelphia on May 10, 1775, at which it was decided that an army should be raised and George Washington of Virginia was named commander in chief
Second Continental Congress
the influential writer of Common Sense, a pamphlet that advocated for independence from Great Britain
Thomas Paine
a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine that challenged the authority of the British government to govern the colonies
Common Sense
principle drafter of the Declaration of Independence; second vice president of the United States; third president of the United States from 1801-1809, cofounder of the democratic republican party created to expose federalists
Thomas Jefferson
document drafted largely by Thomas Jefferson in 1776 that proclaimed the right of the American colonies to separate from Great Britain
Declaration of Independence
the belief that governments exist based on the consent of the governed
social contract theory
commonly shared attitudes, behaviors, and core values about how government should operate
political culture
the compact between the thirteen original colonies that created a loose league of friendship, with the national government drawing its powers from the states
Articles of Confederation
the chaotic period from 1781 to 1789 after the American Revolution during which the former colonies were governed under the Articles of Confederation
critical period
a rebellion in which an army of 1,500 disgruntled and angry farmers led by Daniel Shays marched to Springfield, Massachusetts, and forcibly restrained the state court from foreclosing mortgages on their farms
Shay’s Rebellion
the meeting in Philadelphia in 1787 that was first intended to revise the Articles of Confederation but produced an entirely new document, the US constitution
constitutional convention
widely considered “the father of the nation,” he was the commander of the revolutionary armies; served as the presiding officer of the Constitutional Convention; and as the United States’ first president from 1789-1797
George Washington
a document establishing the structure, functions, and limitations of a government
constitution
a proposed framework for the Constitution favoring large states, it called for a bicameral legislature, which would appoint executive and judicial officers
virginia plan
a framework for the Constitution proposed by a group of small states; it called for a one-house legislature with one vote for each state, a Congress with the ability to raise revenue, and a Supreme Court appointed for life
New Jersey Plan
the final decision of the Constitutional Convention to create a two-house legislature, with the lower house elected by the people and powers divided between the two houses; also made national law supreme
the Great Compromise
agreement reached at the Constitutional Convention stipulating that three-fifths of the total slave population of each state was to be for purposes of determining population for representation in the US House of Representatives
three-fifths compromise
the system established by the Constitution through which the president is chosen by electors from each state, which has as many electoral votes as it has members of Congress
electoral college
a key framer who envisioned a powerful central government, co-authored The Federalist Papers, and served as the first secretary of the treasury
Alexander Hamilton
the French baron and political theorist who first articulated the concept of separation of power with checks and balances
Montesquieu
the distribution of constitutional authority between state governments and the national government, with different powers and functions exercised by both
federalism
a way of dividing the power of government among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, each staffed separately, with equality and independence of each branch ensured by the Constitution
separation of powers
vests all legislative powers in the Congress and establishes a bicameral legislature, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives; it also sets out the qualifications for holding office in each house, the terms of office, the methods of selection of representatives and senators, and the system of apportionment among the states to determine membership in the House of Representatives
Article 1
the powers of the national government specifically granted to Congress in Article l, section 8 of the Constitution
the final paragraph of Article |, section 8, of the Constitution, which gives Congress the authority to pass all laws “necessary and proper” to carry out the enumerated powers specified in the Constitution; also called the elastic clause
necessary and proper clause
the powers of the national government derived from the enumerated powers and the necessary and proper clause
implied powers
vests the executive power, that is, the authority to execute the laws of the nation, in a president of the United States; section 1 sets the president’s term of office at 4 years and explains the electoral college and states the qualifications for office and describes a mechanism to replace the president in case of death, disability, or removal from office
article ||
powers that belong to the president because they can be inferred from the Constitution
inherent powers
establishes a supreme court and defines its jurisdiction
article |||
mandates that states honor the laws and judicial proceedings of other states, also includes the mechanisms for admitting new states to the union
article |V
section of article |V of the Constitution that ensures judicial decrees and contracts made in one state will be binding and enforceable in any other state
full faith and credit clause
specifies how amendments can be added to the constitution
article V
contains the supremacy clause, which asserts the basic primacy of the Constitution and national law over state laws and constitutions
article V|
portion of article V| of the constitution mandating that national law is supreme over all other laws passed by the states or by any other subdivision of government
supremacy clause
those who favored a stronger national government and supported the proposed US constitution; later became the first US political party
Federalists
those who favored strong state governments and a weak national government; opposed ratification of the US Constitution
Anti-Federalists
a key framer often called the “father of the Constitution” for his role in conceptualizing the federal government, co-authored The Federalist Papers; served as secretary of state; served as the fourth US president from 1809-1817
James Madison
a member of the founding generation who was the Chief Justice of the United States, a diplomat and co-author of The Federalist Papers
John Jay
a series of 85 political essays written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison in support ratification of the US Constitution
The Federalist Papers
the first ten amendments to the US Constitution, which largely guarantee specific rights and liberties
Bill of Rights
