Studied by 71 people
constitution
a written plan for government
confederation
a group of individuals or state governments that make decisions together
articles
main parts of the Constitution
amendment
any change made to the Constitution
ratify
to confirm a decision (make an amendment to the Constitution official)
Checks and Balances
The system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other two branches.
Discrimination
to treat a person or group unfairly
Diverse
a group of people or things with obvious differences among them
Domestic
relating to issues within a country
Executive Branch
The part of government that carries out or enforces the law.
Federalism
The Constitutional system that shares power between the national and state government.
Interest Groups
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 and applies the law in specific court cases.
Judicial Review
the power of the Supreme Court and other federal courts to decide whether laws and acts made by legislative and executive branches are unconstitutional
Legislative Branch
The law making 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
Republic
a country governed by elected representatives.
Rule of Law
the idea that the law applies to everyone, including officials in government. This idea ensures that no one is above the law.
Limited Government
the idea that government can only do what the people allow it to do. The Constitution limits the power of government by reserving some power to the states and creating a system of checks and balances.
bicameral
(of a legislative body) having two branches or chambers.
Separation of Powers
The division of government powers into three branches of executive, legislative, and judicial powers
Individual Rights
people have basic rights and freedoms that the government cannot interfere with or take away
James Madison
Considered the "Father of the Constitution" because of his role in writing most of it.
Federalists
A term used to describe supporters of the Constitution during ratification debates in state legislatures.
Anti-Federalists
Anti-Federalists rose up as the opponents of the Constitution during the period of ratification. They opposed the Constitution's powerful centralized government, arguing that the Constitution gave too much political, economic, and military control. They instead advocated a decentralized governmental structure that granted most power to the states
