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civics
chapter 3 vocab
Question | Answer |
---|---|
constitution | a detained, written plan for government |
biocameral | a legislature consisting of two parts or houses |
confederation | a group of individuals or state governments |
Article of confederation | the first constitution of the United States |
ratify | to vote approval of |
ordinance | a law, usually of a city or country |
ordinance of 1785 | a law that set up a plan for surveying western land |
northwest ordinance | 1787 law that set up a government for the northwest territory and a plan for admitting new states to the union |
shays'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 revoluton |
constitution convention | agreement providing a duel system of congressional representation |
three-fifths compromise | agreement providing that enslaved persons would count as three firths of other person in determining representation in congress |
electoral college | a group of people named by each state legislature to select the president and Vice President |
federalist | a supporter of the constitution |
federalism | a form of government in which power is divided between the federal, national government, or the states |
the federalist papers | a series of essays written to defend the constitution |
anti-federalist | a person who opposed ratification of the constitution |
preamble | the opening section of the constitution |
article | on elf several main parts of the constitution |
amendment | any changes made in the constitution |
legislative branch | the law making branch of government |
executive branch | the branch of government that carries out laws |
judicial branch | the branch of government that interprets laws |
popular sovereignty | the idea that power lied with the people |
limited government | a government that can do only what the people allow it to do |
rule of law | the principle that the law applies to everyone, even those who govern |
separation of powers | the split of authority among the legislative, executive and judicial branch |
checks and balances | a system in which each branch of government is able to check or restrain the powers of the others |
enumerated powers | powers directly granted to the national government, by the constitution |
reserved powers | powers the constitution does not give to the federal government, powers set aside for the states |
concurrent powers | powers shared by the state and federal government |
supremacy clause | a clause stating that the constitution and other laws and treaties made by the national government are "the supreme law of the land" |