Constitution
a written detailed plan for government
bicameral
a legislature consisting of two parts or houses
New states based their constitutions off of
bill of rights
confederation
a group of states that unit for a certain reason
articles of confederation
first constitution for the US
ratify
to vote and approve of
ordinnce
a law usually of a city or a country
Ordinance of 1785
a law that set up a plan for surveying western lands; this method is still used today.
Northwest Ordinance
1787 law that set up a government for the Northwest Territory and served as a model for other new territories and as a plan for admitting new states to the Union
Shay's Rebellion
an uprising of Massachusetts farmers who did not want to lose their farms because of debt caused by heavy state taxes after the American Revolution
Constitutional Convention
meeting of state delegates in 1787 leading to adoption of a new Constitution
James Madison
father of the Constitution
The Virginia Plan
had a federal government much like ours. It had a president, courts, and a congress with two houses. State population would decide how many representatives were in each house. Larger states would have more votes than smaller states
New Jersey Plan
It was based on the Articles of Confederation, with some changes. The plan kept the Confederation's one-house congress. Each state would have one vote. But Congress could set taxes and regulate, or control, trade. These were powers it did not have under t
Great Compromise
The compromise which there would be two houses in the legislature
Three Fifths Compromise
agreement providing that enslaved persons would count as three-fifths of other persons in determining representation in Congress
Electoral College
agreement providing that enslaved persons would count as three-fifths of other persons in determining representation in Congress
Can regulate trade
congress
cant tax exports
congresssss
9/13 decide
ratify constitution
Federalists
liked the constitution
Anti-federalists
against ratifying the constitution
The federalist papers
a series of essays written to defend the Constitution
Preamble
the openning for the consitution
article
one of the several main parts of the constitution
amendment
any change to the constitution
Article 1
shows the powers of the legislative branch and congress
legislature
the lawmaiking branch of the government
Article 2
says powers of the executive branch
executive
carries out the laws
Article 3
says powers of the judicial branch
judicial
the branch of government that interprets laws
Article 4
the relationship between the states and the national government
Article 5
describes when and how the Constitution can be changed
Aricle 6
declares the Constitution the "supreme Law of the Land.
Article 7
describes how the Constitution was to be ratified.
27
__________:amendments
Bill of Rights
first 10 amendments
Formal amendment
amendments are part of the Constitution
Informal amendment
informal, or unofficial, changes
Dinal authority of interpreting the constitution
supreme court
Five basic principals of government
popular sovereignty
limited government and the rule of law
separation of powers
checks and balances
federalism
popular sovereignty
the idea that power lies with the people
limited government
the principal that a ruler or a government is not all-powerful; a government that can do only what the people allow it to do
rule of law
principle that the law applies to everyone, even those who govern
seperation of powers
the split of authority among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches
checks and balances
a system in which each branch of government is able to check, or restrain, the power of the others
enumerated powers
powers granted directly to the national government by the Constitution; another name for expressed powers
reserved powers
powers that the Constitution does not give to the national government that are kept by the states
concurrent powers
powers shared by the state and federal governments
supremacy clause
the clause in Article VI of the Constitution that makes federal laws prevail over state laws when there is a conflict