Social Studies Flashcards
Constitutional convention
Meeting held in Philadelphia in 1787 to create a new Congress
James Madison
Delicate from Virginia known as the father of the constitution he also wrote the federalist papers
Virginia plan
A plan giving supreme power to the central government and creating a bicameral legislature made of two groups or houses of representatives
New Jersey plan
A plan creating a unicameral or one house legislature
The great compromise
An agreement that gave each state one to vote in the upper house of the legislature and a number of representatives based on its population in the lower house
3/5 compromise
Only 3/5 of slaves population were counted when deciding representation in Congress
Popular solverty
The idea that political power belongs to the people
Federalism
The sharing of power between a central government and the states
Legislative branch
A Congress of two houses that proposes and passes laws
Executive branch
The president and the departments that help run the government
Judicial branch
A system of all the national courts
Checks and balances
A system that keeps any branch of government from becoming to powerful
Anti-federalists
People who oppose the constitution and believed that people had rights
George Mason
Delicate, who oppose the constitution
Federalist
People who support the constitution
Federalist papers
Essays created by federalist Alexander Hamilton, John, J and James Madison
Amendments
Official change into a document
The bill rights
The first 10 amendments of the constitution
