Help
Options
Didn't know it?
click below
click below
Knew it?
click below
click below
Don't Know
Remaining cards (0)
Know
retry
shuffle
restart
0:00
Embed Code - If you would like this activity on your web page, copy the script below and paste it into your web page.
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Normal Size Small Size show me how
US History Unit 4
Constitution - Forming a New Nation
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Anti-Federalists | opponents of ratifying the U.S. Constitution. They favored the loose association of states established under the Articles of Confederation. |
| Articles of Confederation | the first written plan of government for the United States. A confederation is an association of states that cooperate for a common purpose. |
| constitution | a written plan that provides the basic framework of a government |
| Constitutional Convention | a meeting held in Philadelphia in 1787 at which delegates from the states wrote the U.S. Constitution |
| Electoral College | the group established by the Constitution to elect the president and vice president. Voters in each state choose their electors when they vote for president. |
| Enlightenment | the “Age of Reason” in 17th- and 18th-century Europe. Enlightenment thinkers emphasized using rational thought to discover truths about nature and society. |
| Federalists | supporters of ratifying the U.S. Constitution. They favored the creation of a strong federal government that shared power with the states. |
| Great Compromise | the plan of government adopted at the Constitutional Convention that established a two-house Congress. In the House of Representatives, representation from each state is based on state population. In the Senate, each state is represented by two senators. |
| Northwest Ordinance | a law passed by Congress in 1787 that specified how western lands would be governed |
| Northwest Territory | a region of the United States bounded by the Ohio and Mississippi rivers and the Great Lakes. The region was given to the United States by the Treaty of Paris in 1783. |
| ratify | to formally approve a plan or an agreement. The process of approval is called ratification. |
| republic | a country governed by elected representatives |
| The Federalist Papers | a series of essays written by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay in support of the ratification of the Constitution by the states |
| Three-Fifths Compromise | an agreement made at the Constitutional Convention stating that enslaved persons would be counted as three-fifths of a person when determining a state’s population for representation in the House of Representatives |
| checks and balances | the system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other two branches |
| disenfranchise | to take away the right to vote |
| executive branch | the part of government that carries out, or executes, the laws |
| federalism | the constitutional system that shares power between the national and state governments |
| interest group | an organization that actively promotes the view of some part of the public on specific issues in order to influence government policy |
| interstate commerce | trade and other business dealings between two or more states |
| judicial branch | the part of government, consisting of the Supreme Court and lower federal courts, that interprets the laws |
| judicial review | the power of the Supreme Court to decide whether laws and acts made by the legislative and executive branches are unconstitutional |
| legislative branch | the lawmaking part of government, called the legislature. To legislate is to make a law. |
| majority rule | a basic principle of democracy that says laws are passed by majority vote and elections are decided by a majority of the voters |
| popular sovereignty | the idea that the government’s authority comes from the people |
| separation of powers | a key constitutional principle that divides the functions of government among three branches—legislative, executive, and judicial—to prevent any one branch from gaining too much power |
| tribal sovereignty | the power of Indigenous tribes to govern themselves |
| Bill of Rights | a formal listing of the basic rights of people in the United States; the first ten amendments to the Constitution |
| defendant | a person who is required to defend himself or herself in a legal action. An example is an accused person who is put on trial for a crime. |
| double jeopardy | putting a person on trial more than once for the same crime |
| due process | the concept that the government must follow clear rules and act reasonably as it carries out the law |
| self-incrimination | giving testimony that can be used against oneself |
| warrant | an order from a judge that authorizes police or other officials to take a certain action, such as searching someone’s property |
Created by:
msjonesbss
Popular U.S. History sets