American Government - Midterms chapter 1-2

Democracy

A form of government where political power rests in the hands of the people

Government

The means by which a society organizes itself and allocates authority to accomplish collective goals.

Politics

The process through which we decide how resources will be allocated and which policies a government will pursue.

Republic

A form of government in which political power rests in the hands of the people

Anti-Federalist

those who did not support ratification of the Constitution

Bicameralism

A legislature with two houses

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution; most were designed to protect fundamental rights and liberties

Checks and Balances

System that allows each branch of government to limit the others.

Federalist

Supported ratification of the Constitution and a stronger national government.

Great Compromise

a compromise between the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan that created a two-house Congress; representation based on population in the House of Representatives and equal representation of states in the Senate

Supremacy Clause

the statement in Article VI of the Constitution that federal law is superior to laws passed by state legislatures

The Federalist Papers

a collection of eighty-five essays written by Alexander Hamilton

Three-Fifths Compromise

a compromise between northern and southern states that called for counting of all a state’s free population and 60 percent of its enslaved population for both federal taxation and representation in Congress