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civics chapter 3
vocab
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Constitution | a detaited,written plan for government |
Bicameral | a legislature consisting of 2 parts, or house |
Confederation | a group of individuals or state government |
Ratify | to vote approval of |
Constitutional convention | meeting of state deldgates in 2787 leading to adoption of new constitution |
Great compromise | agreement providing a dual system of congressional representation |
Three-fifths compromise | agreement providing that enslaved persons would count as 3/5's of other persons in determining resentration in 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 state |
Anti-federalists | those who opposed ratification of the constitution |
Preamble | the opening section of the constitution |
legislative branch | the law making branch of government |
Executive branch | the branch of government that carries out the laws |
Judicial branch | the branch of government that interprets laws |
Amendment | any change in the constitution |
Popular sovereignty | the notion that power lies with the people |
rule of law | principle the the law applies to everyone,even those who govern |
Separation of powers | the split authority among the legislative,executive, and the judicial 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 government |