Constitution Flashcards
Constitution
a document that’s sets out the fundamental principals of governance + establishes the institutions of government
Republic
a government ruled by representatives of the people
Articles of Confederation
a governing document that created a union of 13 sovereign states in which the states, not the union were supreme
Unicameral
a one house legislative
shay’s rebellion
a popular uprising against the government of Massachusetts
Constitutional convention
a meeting atended by state delegates in 1787 to fix the articles of confederation
Writ of Habeas corpus
the right of people detained by the government to know the changes against them
Bills of Attainder
when the legislature declares someone guilty without trial
Ex post facto
a law pushing people for acts that were not crimes at the time they were committed
Virgina plan
a plan of government calling for a three branch government with bicameral legislature, where more populous states would have more representation in congress
New Jersey plan
a plan of government that provided for a unicameral legislature with equal votes for each state
grand committee
a committee at the constitutional convention that worked out the compromise on representation
Great (Connecticut ) compromise
an agreement of plan of government that drew upon both the Virgina and New Jersey plans; it settled issues of state representation by calling for bicameral legislature with a House of Representatives apportioned proportionately and a senate apportioned equally
Bicameral
a two house legislative
three fifths compromise
an agreement reached by the delegates at the constitutional convention that a slave would count as three firths of a person in calculating a states representation
compromise on importation
Congress could not restrict the slave trade until 1808
separation of powers
a design of government that distributes powers across institutions in order to avoid making one branch too powerful on its own
checks and balances
a design of government in which each branch has powers that can prevent the other branches from making policy
federalism
the sharing of power between the national government and the states
legislative branch
the institution responsible for making laws
expressed and Enumerated powers
authority specifically granted to a branch of government in the constitution
necessary and proper or elastic clause
language in article l section 8, granting congress the powers necessary to carry out its enumerated powers
implied powers
authority of the federal government that goes beyond its expressed powers; power not granted specifically to the national government but considered nessary to carry out the enumerated powers
executive branch
the institution responsible for carrying out laws passed by the legislative branch
judicial branch
the institution responsible for hearing and deciding cases though federal courts
supremacy clause
constitutional provision decalring that the consitution and all national laws and treaties are the sunpreme law of the land
amendment
a constitutional provision for a process by which changes may be made to the constitution
federalists
supporters of the proposed constitution who called for a strong national government
antifederalists
a person opposing ratification of the proposed constitution
federalist papers
A collection of 85 articles and essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay to promote the ratification of the U.S. Constitution
federalist 51
an essay in which Madison argues that separation of powers and federalism will prevent tyranny
fraction
a group of self interested people
federalist 10
an essay in which Madison argues that the dangers of fraction can be mitigated by a large republic and republican government
brutus 1
antifederalist paper arguing that the country was too large to be governed as a republic and that the constitution gave too much power to the national government
