APGovCh.2.Gerardo.Michel Flashcards
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Alexander Hamilton
One of the founding fathers of the United States of America and interpreters of the Constitution; sought to establish a national bank.
Anti-Federalists
Received their name from Federalists; opposed a strong national government and insisted on a bill of rights
Article I
Gives Congress its power and limits; legislative branch
Article II
The Executive branch that has the responsibility and administration on a daily basis; President
Article III
The Judicial branch is the court system that interprets the law; Supreme Court
Article IV
Gives responsibilities and duties the states have along with what responsibilities the federal government has to each state.
Article V
Explains how to add amendments
Article VI
The Supremacy Clause; states that laws by Congress are the ‘supreme law of the land’ and superior to state laws
Article VII
Final article of the Constitution; explains how many states are needed to ratify the Constitution
Articles of Confederation
Served as the first constitution of the United States; document established the government of the union in thirteen states; ratified in 1781 and replaced by US Consitution
Benjamin Franklin
Signed the Declaration of Independence, traveled to French for support during the American Revolution, and helped write the Constitution
Bill of Rights
Added because people were afraid of individual rights being stripped away; includes 10 amendments
Checks and balances
Ensuring that political power is not concentrated in the hands of individuals or groups; distributing a balance of power
‘Common Sense’
Pamphlet written by Thomas Paine in 1775-76 that advocated for independence from Great Britain and that it was “common sense”
Constitution
A document establishing the structure, functions, and limitations of a government
Constitutional Convention
A convention that took place in a summer in Philadelphia, 1787, that sought to amend the Articles of Confederation when it became clear the Articles were not good enough to coordinate the country.
Crispus Attucks
In 1770, an African-American who became the first American casualty of the American Revolution when he was shot and killed in the Boston Massacre.
Critical Period
The chaotic period from 1781 to 1789 after the American Revolution during which the former colonies were governed under the Articles of Confederation.
Declaration of Independence
Statement adopted by he Second Continental Congress meeting at the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 4, 1776.
Electoral College
A body of electors established by the United States Constitution, constituted every four years for the sole purpose of electing the President and Vice President of the US.
Enumerated Powers
The powers of the federal government that are specifically described in the Constitution in Article I, Section 8.
Federalism
A mixed or compound mode of government, combining a general government with regional governments in a single political system; practices balance of powers
Federalists
The first American political party; sought a stronger national government and supported the proposed US Constitution.
The Federalist Papers
A series of eighty-five political essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay in support of ratification of the U.S. Constitution.
First Continental Congress
Meeting held in Philadelphia from September 5 to October 26, 1774, in which fifty-six delegates (from every colony except Georgia) adopted a resolution in opposition to the Coercive Acts.
French and Indian War
The American phase of what was called the Seven Years War, fought from 1754 to 1763 between Britain and France with Indian allies.
Full Faith and Credit Clause
Section of Article IV of the Constitution that ensures judicial degrees and contracts made in one state will be binding and enforceable in any other state
George Washington
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 President of the United States from 1789-1797.
Great Compromise
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 the national law supreme.
Implied Powers
The powers of the national government derived from the enumerated powers and the necessary and proper clause
Inherent Powers
Powers that belong to the President because they can be inferred from the Constitution.
James Madison
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 the fourth U.s. President
John Jay
A member of the Founding generation who was the first Chief Justice of the United States.
Lexington and Concord
The first sites of armed conflict between revolutionaries and British soldiers, remembered for the “shot and heard round the world” in 1775.
Mercantilism
An economic theory designed to increase a nation’s wealth through the development of commercial industry and a favorable balance of trade
Montesquieu
The French baron and political theorist who first articulated the concept of separation of powers with checks and balances
Necessary and Proper Clause
The final paragraph of Article I, 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
New Jersey 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 World
The Western Hemisphere of Earth, also called The Americas, which was unknown to Europeans before 1492.
Political Culture
Commonly shared attitudes, behaviors, and core values about how government should operate
Samuel Adams
Cousin of President John Adams; played a *key role in developing the Committees of Correspondence and was active in Massachusetts and colonial politics
Second Continental Congress
Meeting that convened in Philadelphia on May 10, 1775, at which it was decided than army should be raised and George Washington was named Commander in Chief
Separation of Powers
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
Shay’s Rebellion
A rebellion in which an army of 1,500 disgruntled and angry farmers led by Daniel Shays marched to Massachusetts and forcibly restrained the state court from foreclosing mortgages on their farms; revealed the inefficiency of the Articles of Confederation
Social Contract Theory
The belief that governments exist based on the consent of the governed
Sons and Daughters of Liberty
Loosely organized groups of patriotic American colonists who were early revolutionaries
Stamp Act Congress
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 nation*
Supremacy Clause
Portion of Article VI of the Constitution mandating that national law is supreme over all other laws passed by the states or by any other subdivision of government
Thomas Jefferson
Principle drafter of the Declaration of Independence; second vice president of the United States; third President; co-founder of the Democratic-Republican Party created to oppose Federalists
Thomas Paine
The influential writer of Common Sense, a pamphlet that advocated for independence from Great Britain
Three-Fifths Compromise
Agreement reached at the Constitutional Convention stipulating that three-fifths of the total slave population of each state was to be fore purposes of determining population for representation in the U.S. House of Representatives
Virginia Plan
A proposed framework for the Constitution favoring large states; it called for a bicameral legislature, which would appoint executive and judicial officers
