Chapter 2

Question 0

Charles A. Beard

Answer 0

Historian who argued that the founders were largely motivated by the economic advantage of their class in writing the Constitution

Question 1

Articles of Confederation

Answer 1

The government charter of the states from 1776 until the Constitution of 1787

Question 2

Constitution

Answer 2

A set of principles, either written or unwritten, that makes up the fundamental law of the state

Question 3

Constitutional Convention

Answer 3

A meeting of the delegates in Philadelphia in 1787 charged with revising the Articles of Confederation

Question 4

Declaration of Independence

Answer 4

A document written in 1776 declaring the colonists’ intention to declare independence from Britain

Question 5

Federalism

Answer 5

A Constitutional principle reserving separate powers to the national and state governments

Question 6

Federalist Papers

Answer 6

Series of 85 essays published in New York newspapers to convince New Yorkers to adopt the Constitution.

Question 7

Great Compromise

Answer 7

Proposal for two houses in congress, the Senate and the House of Representatives so states have equal power. Senate: Two senators per state. House: Based upon population

Question 8

John Locke

Answer 8

British philosopher whose ideas on civil government greatly influenced the Founders

Question 9

James Madison

Answer 9

Principle architect of the Constitution who felt that a government powerful enough to encourage virtue in it’s citizens is too powerful

Question 10

Massachusetts Constitution

Answer 10

State constitution with a clear separation of powers but produced too weak of a government

Question 11

Natural Rights

Answer 11

Rights of all human beings that are ordained by God, discoverable in nature and history, and essential to human progress

Question 12

New Jersey Plan

Answer 12

Constitutional proposal that would give each state one vote in congress

Question 13

Pennsylvania Constitution

Answer 13

A governing document considered to be highly democratic yet with a tendency towards tyranny as a result of concentrating all powers in one set of hands

Question 14

Separation of Powers

Answer 14

A constitutional principle of creating three branches of government into the judicial, executive, and legislative branches

Question 15

Shay’s Rebellion

Answer 15

Armed attempt by Revolutionary War veterans to avoid losing their property by preventing the courts in western Massachusetts from meeting

Question 16

Virginia Plan

Answer 16

A Constitutional principle that the smaller states feared would give permanent supremacy to larger states. Representatives based upon population

Question 17

Constitutional Amendment

Answer 17

Change in, or addition to, a constitution

Question 18

Antifederalists

Answer 18

Those who are opposed to giving as much power to the national government as the Constitution did, favoring instead stronger states’ rights

Question 19

Bill of Attainder

Answer 19

A law that would declare a person guilty of a crime without a trial

Question 20

Bill of Rights

Answer 20

The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution

Question 21

Checks and Balances

Answer 21

The power of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government to block some acts by the other two branches

Question 22

Coalition

Answer 22

An alliance between different interest groups or parties to achieve some political goal

Question 23

Confederation

Answer 23

An agreement among sovereign states that delegates certain powers to a national government

Question 24

Constitutional Convention

Answer 24

A meeting of the delegates in 1878 to revise the Articles of Confederation

Question 25

Republic

Answer 25

A form of democracy in which leaders and representatives are selected by means of popular competitive elections

Question 26

Unalienable Rights

Answer 26

Rights thought to be based on nature and providence rather than on the preferences of the people

Question 27

Ex Post Facto Law

Answer 27

A law that would declare an act criminal after the act was committed

Question 28

Faction

Answer 28

A group of people sharing a common interest who seek to influence public policy for their collective benefit

Question 29

Judicial Review

Answer 29

The power of the courts to declare acts of the legislature and of the executive unconstitutional and therefore null and void

Question 30

Federalists

Answer 30

Supporters of a strong central government who advocated the ratification of the Constitution and then founded a political party; Federalism

Question 31

Line-Item Veto

Answer 31

The power of an executive to veto some provisions in an appropriations bill while approving others

Question 32

Madisonian View

Answer 32

A philosophy holding that accommodating individual self-interest provided a more practical solution to the problem of government than aiming to cultivate virtue

Question 33

Writ of Habeas Corpus

Answer 33

A court order requiring political officials to produce an individual held in custody and show sufficient cause for that person’s detention

Question 34

Natural Rights

Answer 34

Rights that exist by virtue of natural law