Chapter 2 - Terms Flashcards
Anti-Federalist
An individual who opposed the ratification of the new Constitution in 1787. The Anti-Federalists were opposed to a strong central government.
bicameral legislature
A legislature made up of two parts, called chambers. The U.S. Congress, composed of the House of Representatives and the Senate, is a bicameral legislature.
checks and balances
A major principle of the American system of government whereby each branch of the government can check the actions of the others.
confederation
A political system in which states or regional governments retain ultimate authority except for those powers they expressly delegate to a central government; a voluntary association of independent states, in which the member states agree to limited restraints on their freedom of action.
electoral college
A group of persons called electors selected by the voters in each state and the District of Columbia (D.C.). This group officially elects the president and vice president of the United States. The number of electors in each state is equal to the number of each state’s representatives in both chambers of Congress. The Twenty-third Amendment to the Constitution grants D.C. as many electors as the state with the smallest population.
executive order
A rule or regulation issued by the president that has the effect of law. Executive orders can implement and give administrative effect to provisions in the U.S. Constitution, treaties, or statutes.
federal system
A system of government in which power is divided between a central government and regional, or subdivisional, governments. Each level must have some domain in which its policies are dominant and some genuine political or constitutional guarantee of its authority.
Federalist
The name given to one who was in favor of the adoption of the U.S. Constitution and the creation of a federal union with a strong central government.
judicial review
The power of the Supreme Court and other courts to declare unconstitutional federal or state laws and other acts of government.
Madisonian model
A structure of government proposed by James Madison in which the powers of the government are separated into three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial.
natural rights
Rights held to be inherent in natural law, not dependent on governments. John Locke stated that natural law, being superior to human law, specifies certain rights of “life, liberty, and property.” These rights, altered to become “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” are asserted in the Declaration of Independence.
ratification
Formal approval.
representative assembly
A legislature composed of individuals who represent the population.
separation of powers
The principle of dividing governmental powers among different branches of government.
social contract
A voluntary agreement among individuals to secure their rights and welfare by creating a government and abiding by its rules.
