Chapter 5 Flashcards
A form of government in which power is divided between the federal or national government and the states
Federalism
A law, usually of a city or country
Ordinance
A clause stating that the Constitution and other laws and treaties made by the national government are “the supreme law of the land”
Supremacy clause
Powers shared by the state and federal government
Concurrent powers
Powers the Constitution does not give to the federal government; power set aside for the states
Reserved powers
Powers directly granted to the national government by the Constitution
Enumerated powers
A system in which each branch of government is able to check, or restrain, the power of others
Checks and Balances
The split of authority among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches
Separation of powers
The principle that the law applies to everyone, even those who govern
Rule of law
A government that can do only what the people allow it to
Limited government
The idea that power lies with the people
Popular sovereignty
The branch of government that interprets laws
Judicial branch
The branch of government that carries out laws
Executive branch
The lawmaking branch of government
Legislative branch
Any change in the Constitution
Amendment
One of several main parts of the Constitution
Article
The opening section of the Constitution
Preamble
A person who opposed ratification of the Constitution
Anti-Federalist
A series of essays written to defend the Constitution
The Federalist papers
A supporter of the Constitution
Federalist
A group of people named by each state legislator to select the President and the Vice President
Electoral college
Agreement providing that enslaved persons will count as 3/5 of other persons in determining representation in Congress
Three-Fifths Compromise
Agreement providing a dual system of congressional representation
Great compromise
Meetings of state delegates in 1787 leading to adoption of a new Constitution
Constitutional convention
An uprising of Massachusetts farmers who did not want to lose their farms because of debt caused by heavy state taxes after the American Revolution
Shays rebellion
1787 law that set up a government for the Northwest Territory and a plan for admitting new states to the Union
Northwest ordinance
A law that set up a plan for surveying Western lands
Ordinance of 1785
To vote approval of
Ratify
The first Constitution of the United States
Articles of Confederation
A group of individuals or state governments
Confederation
A detailed, written plan for government
Constitution
A legislator consisting of two parts or houses
Bicameral
