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Chapter 3 vocabulary
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| CONSTITUTION | A detailed, written plan for government. |
| BICAMERAL | A legislature consisting of two parts, or houses. |
| CONFEDERATION | A group of individuals or state governments. |
| RATIFY | To vote approval. |
| CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION | Meeting of state delegates in 1787 leading to adoption of new Constitution. |
| GREAT COMPROMISE | Agreement providing a dual system of congressional representation. |
| THREE-FIFTHS COMPROMISE | Agreement providing that ensalved persons would count as three-fifths of other person in determining representation on Congress. |
| ELECTORAL COLLEGE | A group of people named by each state legislature to select the president and vice president. |
| FEDERALISTS | Supporters of the Constitution. |
| FEDERALISM | A form of government in which power is divided between the federal, or national, government and the states. |
| ANTI-FEDERALISTS | Those who opposed ratification of the Constitution. |
| PREAMBLE | The opening section of the Constitution. |
| LEGISLATIVE BRANCH | The lawmaking branch of government. |
| EXECUTIVE BRANCH | The branch of government that carries out laws. |
| JUDICIAL BRANCH | The branch of government that interprets laws. |
| AMENDMENT | Any change in the Constitution. |
| POPULAR SOVERIGHNTY | The notion that power lies with the people. |
| RULE OF LAW | Principle that the law applies to everyone, even those who govern. |
| SEPARATION OF POWERS | The split of authority among the legislative, executive, and judical branches. |
| CHECKS AND BALANCES | A system in which each branch of government is able to check, or restrain, the power of the others. |
| EXPRESSED POWERS | Powers that Congress has that are specifically listed in the constitution. |
| 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. |