Ch.2 Vocab Flashcards
The Constitution: A New Vision of Government
a government ruled by representatives of the people
republic
a document that sets out the fundamental principles of governance and establishes the institutions of government
constitution
a governing document that created a union of 13 sovereign states in which the states, not the national government, were supreme
Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union
a one-house legislature
unicameral
a popular uprising against the government of Massachusetts
Shay’s Rebellion
a meeting attended by state delegates in 1787 to fix the Articles of Confederation
Constitutional Convention
the right of people detained by the government to know the charges against them
writ of habeas corpus
when the legislature declares someone guilty without a trial
bills of attainder
laws punishing people for acts that were not crimes at the time they were committed
ex post facto laws
a plan of government calling for a 3-branch government with a bicameral legislature, where more populous states would have more representation in Congress
Virginia Plan
a plan of government that provided for a unicameral legislature with equal votes for each state.
New Jersey Plan
a committee at the Constitutional Convention that worked out the compromise on representation
Grand Committee
drew upon both the Virginia and New Jersey plans; settled issues of state representation by calling for a bicameral legislature with a HOR and a Senate apportioned proportionately
Great (Connecticut) Compromise
a two-house legislature
bicameral
an agreement reached by delegates at the Constitutional Convention that a slave would count as 3/5th of a person in calculating a state’s representation
3/5 Compromise
congress could not restrict the slave trade until 1808
Compromise on Importation
a design of government that distributes powers across institutions in order to avoid making one branch too powerful on its own
separation of powers
design of government in which each branch has powers that can prevent the other branches from making policy
checks and balances
the sharing of power between the national government and the states
federalism
the institutions responsible for making laws
legislative branch
authority specifically granted to a branch of government in the Constitution
expressed of enumerated powers
language in Article 1, Section 8. granting Congress the powers necessary to carry out its enumerated powers
necessary and proper/elastic clause
authority of the federal government that goes beyond its expressed powers
implied powers
the institution responsible for carrying out laws passed by the legislative branch
executive branch
the institution responsible for hearing and deciding causes through the federal courts
judicial branch
constitutional provisions declaring that the Constitution and all national laws and treaties are the supreme law of the land
supremacy clause
the process by which changes may be made to the Constitution
amendment
supporters of the proposed Constitution, who called for a strong national government
Federalist
those opposed to the proposed Constitution, who favored stronger state governments
Antifederalists
a series of 85 essays written by Alexander Hamilton (51), James Madison (29), and John Jay (5) and published between 1787 and 1788 that lay out the theory behind the Constitution
Federalist Papers
a essay in which Madison argues that separation of powers and federalism will prevent tyranny
Federalist No.51
a group of self-interested people who use the government to get what they want, trampling the rights of others in the process
faction
an essay in which Madison argues that the dangers of faction can be mitigated by a large republic and republican government
Federalist No.10
an Antifederalist paper arguing that the country was too large to be governed as a republic and that the Constitution gave too much power to the national government
Brutus No.1
