Chapter 2 Vocab Flashcards
Articles of confederation
Weak constitution that governed u.s. During revolutionary war
Unalienable
A human right based on the nature of god
Constitutional convention
Meeting in Philly in 1787; produced new constitution
Shays rebellion
1787 rebellion in which ex revolutionary war soldiers attempted to prevent foreclosures of farms as a result of high interest and taxes
Virginia plan
Proposal to create a strong national govt
New Jersey plan
Proposal to create a weak national govt
Great compromise
Plan to have a popularly elected house based on state population and a state selected senate with two members for each state
Republic
A govt in which elected representatives make the decisions
Judicial review
Power of courts to declare law unconstitutional
Federalism
Govt authority shared by national and local govts
Enumerated powers
Powers given to national govt
Reserved powers
Powers given to state govt
Concurrent powers
Powers shared by national and local govts
Checks and balances
Authority shared by 3 branches of govt
Separation of powers
Constitutional authority is shared by 3 different branches of govt
Faction
Group with a distinct political interest
Federalists
Those who favor a strong national govt
Antifederalists
Favor a weak national govt
Bill of rights
First ten amendments to constitution
Habeas corpus
An order to produce an arrested person before a judge
Bill of attainder
A law that declares a person without a trial to be guilty of a crime
Ex post facto law
A law that makes an act criminal although the act was legal when it was committed
Amendments
New provision in the constitution that has been ratified by the states
Line item veto
An executive ability to block a particular provision in a bill passed by the legislature
Coalition
An alliance of factions
