Chapter 3: Vocab

Question 0

BICAMERAL

Answer 0

a legislature consisting of two parts, or houses

Question 1

CONSTITUTION

Answer 1

a detailed, written plan for government

Question 2

CONFEDERATION

Answer 2

a group of individuals or state governments

Question 3

RATIFY

Answer 3

to vote approval of

Question 4

CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION

Answer 4

meeting of state delegate in 1787 leading to an adoption of a new Constitution

Question 5

GREAT COMPROMISE

Answer 5

agreement providing a dual system of confessional representation

Question 6

THREE-FIFTHS COMPROMISE

Answer 6

agreement providing that enslaved persons would count as three-fifths of other persons in determining representation in Congress

Question 7

ELECTORAL COLLEGE

Answer 7

a group of people named by each state legislature to select the president and vice president

Question 8

FEDERALISTS

Answer 8

supporters of the Constitution

Question 9

FEDERALISM

Answer 9

a form of government in which power is divided between the federal, or national, government and the states

Question 10

ANTI-FEDERALISTS

Answer 10

those who opposed ratification of the Constituion

Question 11

PREAMBLE

Answer 11

the opening section of the Constitution

Question 12

LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

Answer 12

the lawmaking branch of the government

Question 13

EXECUTIVE BRANCH

Answer 13

the branch of government that carries out laws

Question 14

JUDICIAL BRANCH

Answer 14

the branch of government that interprets laws

Question 15

AMENDMENT

Answer 15

any change in the Constitution

Question 16

RULE OF LAW

Answer 16

principle that the law applies to everyone, even those who govern

Question 17

SEPARATION OF POWERS

Answer 17

the split of authority among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches

Question 18

CHECKS AND BALANCES

Answer 18

a system in which each branch of government is able to check, or restrain, the power of the others

Question 19

EXPRESSED POWERS

Answer 19

powers that the Congress has that are specifically listed in the Constitution

Question 20

RESERVED POWERS

Answer 20

powers that the Constitution does not give to the national government that are kept by the states

Question 21

CONCURRENT POWERS

Answer 21

powers shared by the state and federal governments