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4th Grade Government
Congresses, Constitution, Branches of Government
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Articles of Confederation | First form of national government, Congress was the only ruling body for this government, it was weak |
| Constitutional Convention | 1787, 55 delegates met in Philadelphia, PA to discuss the changing of the national government |
| Congress | Heads up the Legislative Branch, split into 2 houses (Senate and House of Representatives), makes laws |
| The Great Compromise | The compromise made during the Constitutional Convention that split Congress into 2 houses (Senate and House of Representatives), came about out of the New Jersey Plan and the Virginia Plan |
| James Madison | Known as the "Father of the Constitution", arrived in Philadelphia two weeks early, took many notes on all issues, wrote the Bill of Rights |
| Legislative Branch | made up of Congress (Senate and House of Representatives), makes the nation's laws, state senators work there |
| Executive Branch | Headed up by the President, Vice President and the Cabinet, work from the White House, carries out the nation's laws and policies |
| Judicial Branch | the Federal court system headed up by the Supreme Court, evaluates/interprets laws, Supreme Court Justices |
| Checks and Balances | the system in which each branch is to "check" on the other two branches, so that no one branch gains too much power...in this they keep each other "balanced" |
| Checks and Balances example: | the President (Executive) does not agree with a law passed by Congress (Legislative), he can then veto the law so that it never goes into effect ~ If the law passes, it hurts a citizens rights then the Supreme Court (Judicial) can rule it as illegal |
| "separation of power" and "checks and balances" | 2 important principles that help make sure the government works correctly, with no one branch (or a person from that branch) becoming too powerful |
| the Constitution | replaced the Articles of Confederation, provided a separation of powers that established the 3 branches of government |
| 1st Amendment | Freedom of religion, speech, press, and assembly, the right to petition the government |
| Bill of Rights | the 1st 10 Amendments to the Constitution |
| Benjamin Franklin | Helped Congress listen and make compromises to create the Constitution. He was the oldest delegate. |
| Three Fifths Compromise | 3 out of 5 slaves could be counted in a state's free population count for representation in Congress |
Created by:
cseckinger
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