Unit 1- Vocabulary Flashcards
Advice and Consent Clause
the Senate’s formal approval on presidential appointments
Antifederalist
group of people who opposed the Constitution
Articles of Confederation
series of statements that defined the initial national governments and redefined the former colonies as states
Bicameral
two-house
Bill of Rights
list of rights that guaranteed basic liberties
Checks and Balances
limiting powers each branch can use on the others
Commerce Clause
empowers Congress to “regulate commerce with other nations, and among the several states”
Declaration of Independence
an official statement which justified the colonies break from Britain, listing the moral and legal justification for the rebellion
Electoral College
compromise for choosing Chief Executive in which each state had same number electors as representatives in Congress, and the people would vote for the electors
Elite Democracy
elected representatives make decisions and act as trustees for the people who elected them
Enumerated powers
powers that are listed out
Extradition
states were expected to return fugitives to states where they had committed crimes and runaway slaves to states that they had fled
Federalist Papers
series of essays written to argue in favor of the Constitution
Federalism
a system of government that divides the power between the national and state governments
Federalists
a group of people who endorsed the Constitution
Full Faith and Credit Clause
requires states to be open about their laws and encourages states to respect one another’s law
Grand Committee
committee made up of one delegate from each of the states represented at the convention
Great (Connecticut) Compromise
compromise between Virginia and New Jersey Plan
House of Representative
house of Congress which would award seats based on population of state
Impeachment
an accusation, an indictment of wrongdoing
James Madison
his influence in creating the plan for the new government and his stalwart support of it during the ratification process earned him the nickname Father of the Constitution
Judicial Review
federal courts can deem an act of the legislature unconstitutional when deciding on a case
National supremacy
unite the nation under stronger national policy
Natural Law
law of god, acknowledge through human sense and reason under which people were born free and equal
Necessary and Proper (elastic) Clause
“Congress shall have power to make all law which shall necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers” granting implicit powers
New Jersey Plan
proposed system of government in which states would retain sovereignty
Participatory Democracy
people vote directly for laws and other matters that affect them
Pluralist Democracy
nongovernment groups organize to try to exert influence on political decision making
Pocket veto
president refusing to sign a bill at the end of a legislative session, killing the bill
Popular sovereignty
the people as the ultimate ruling authority
Preamble
mission statement of the Constitution
Representative republic
collection of sovereignty states gathered for the national interest, national needs, and national defense
Republicanism
political ideology in which men were entitled to “life, liberty, and property” and these could not be taken away except under laws created through the consent of the governed
Reserved Powers
powers given to the states
Senate
house of Congress which would receive two senators from each state regardless of the two state’s size
Separation of powers
distinct responsibilities and limits each branch to keep any one branch from becoming too powerful
Social Contract
agreement between a democratic government and its’ people that if violated, the people could take the power back
Supremacy Clause
makes certain that all states must adhere to the Constitution
Three-Fifths Compromise
agreement to count only three of every five slaves to determine representation in the House
Two-thirds Override
each house of Congress separately votes in favor of a vetoed bill by a supermajority of two-thirds can make a vetoed bill into law
USA PATRIOT Act
Act law covering intelligence gathering and sharing by executive branch agencies, points of criminal procedure, and border protection
Veto
president reject a bill
Virginia Plan
proposed three-branch system of government bicameral legislature, and made the national government supreme over the states which became blueprint for the Constitution
