Constiution Flashcards
Shays rebellion
Was a series of violent attacks on courthouses and other government properties in Massachusetts that began in 1786 and led to a full-blown military confrontation in 1787. The rebels were mostly ex-Revolutionary War soldiers-turned farmers who opposed state economic policies causing poverty and property foreclosures. The rebellion was named after Daniel Shays, a farmer and former soldier who fought at Bunker Hill and was one of several leaders of the insurrection.
NJ plan
One of two major competing proposals for the structure and functioning of the United States government that were introduced at the constitutional convention in 1787 in Philadelphia. Put forth in June by William Paterson, the head of the New Jersey delegation, the New Jersey plan was intended to benefit small states such as New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland
VA plan
Sling with the New Jersey plan one of two major proposals for the framework of the United States government presented at the constitutional convention in Philadelphia in 1787. It was known as the Virginia plan because it was presented to the convention by delegates of the state of Virginia, most notably Edmund Jennings Randolph, the head of the delegation, and James Madison, the plans primary author. It was something called the Large-state plan because it’s provisions favored more populous states such as Virginia. The most distinctive feature of the Virginia plan was its system of a bicameral legislature based on proportional representation.
3/5 clause
The three fifths compromise was an agreement made in 1787 by the delegates of the constitutional convention saying that three fifths of a states slave population would count towards its total population, a number which was used for determining representation in congress and the tax obligations of each state
Fugitive slave clause
Were a pair of federal laws that allowed for the capture and return of runaway enslaved people within the territory of the United States
Federalist papers
A collection of 85 articles and essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John jay to promote the ratification of the constitution of the United States
Bill of rights
The bill of rights is the first 10 amendments to the U.S. constitution, adopted as a single unit in 1791. It spells out the rights of the people of the United States in relation to their government
Electoral college
The electoral college consists of 538 electors. A majority of 270 electoral votes is required to elect the president. Your state has the same number of electors as it does members in its congressional delegation: one for each member in the House of Representatives plus two senators
Winner take all system
Is an electoral system in which a single political party or group can elect every office within a given district or jurisdiction. Winner take it all is contested with proportional representation, in which more than one political party or group can elect offices in proportion to their voting power
Impeachment
Is the process by which a legislature may bring charges against an officeholder for misconduct alleged to have been committed with a penalty of removal
Separation of powers
Separation of powers is a doctrine of constitutional law under which three branches of government (executive, legislative, and judicial) are kept separate
Checks/balances
Checks and balances are various procedures set in place to reduce mistakes, prevent improper behavior, or decrease the risk of centralization of power. Checks and balances usually ensure that no one person or department has absolute control over decisions, clearly define the assigned duties, and force cooperation in completing tasks
James Madison
Was a founding father of the United States and the fourth American president. An advocate for a strong federal government, the Virginia-born Madison composed the first draft of the U.S. Constitution and the bill of rights and earned the nickname “father of the constitution”
Article of confederation
A 13-articled agreement between the 13 founding states that covered issues of state sovereignty, (theoretical) equal treatment of citizenry, congressional development and delegations, international diplomacy, armed forces, fund raising, supermajority lawmaking, the U.S. Canadian relationship, and war debt.
