constitution vocabulary list Flashcards
what is articles of confederation?
the written document that established the functions of the national government of the United States after it declared independence from Great Britain.
what is the declaration of independence
states the principles on which our government, and our identity as Americans, are based.
what is Treason
the crime of betraying one’s country, especially by attempting to kill the sovereign or overthrow the government.
what is Checks and balances
provides each branch of government with individual powers to check the other branches and prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful.
what is Separation of powers
an act of vesting the legislative, executive, and judicial powers of government in separate bodies.
what is Great Compromise
proposed a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the lower house and equal representation of the states in the upper house.
what is Tariff
a tax or duty to be paid on a particular class of imports or exports.
what is Repeal
revoke or annul (a law or congressional act).
what is Civil Discourse
being able to show respect for others.
what is 3/5ths Compromise
determined that three out of every five slaves was counted when determining a state’s total population for legislative representation and taxation.
what is Constitution
a set of rules that guides how a country, state, or other political organization works.
what is Preamble
a preliminary or preparatory statement; an introduction
what is Bill of Rights
It guarantees civil rights and liberties to the individual—like freedom of speech, press, and religion.
what is Legislative Branch
made up of the House and Senate, known collectively as the Congress.
what is Executive Branch
The executive branch consists of the President, his or her advisors and various departments and agencies.
what is Judicial Branch
includes the Supreme Court and other federal courts.
what is Congress
The legislative branch, which makes our laws, is the Congress.
what is Senate
The Senate takes action on bills, resolutions, amendments, motions, nominations, and treaties by voting.
what is House of Representatives
As per the Constitution, the U.S. House of Representatives makes and passes federal laws.
what is Equal representation
Apportionment (politics), the way that representatives are assigned to voting groups, with equal representation meaning that all groups are fairly represented.
what is Proportional representation
an electoral system in which parties gain seats in proportion to the number of votes cast for them.
what is President
the elected head of a republic.
what is Supreme Court
to interpret the meaning of a law, to decide whether a law is relevant to a particular set of facts, or to rule on how a law should be applied.
what is Fugitive Slave Clause
gives enslavers the right to seize enslaved people who escaped to free states
