Chapter 2 - American Government Vocab

Constitution

A set of rules people agree to follow ; the beliefs to which to run a government ; the country's highest law ; and a "house plan" for government

Preamble

The section that tells us what the government is supposed to do and its goals

Sovereign

Having its own government with no authority greater than the state

Federalism

A 50/50 split of power between the central government and the states

Interstate Commerce

Trade between states

Foreign Policy

Relations with other powers

1776-1781 Era

A period defined by 13 separate sovereign states where states held 100% of the power

American Revolution (1776 Highlights)

A total war fought to revolt against Great Britain where the very existence of the country was at stake

Shay’s Rebellion

A rebellion by farmer and Revolutionary soldier Daniel Shay, who burned down courthouses to prevent farm foreclosures. It proved the Articles of Confederation could not handle internal rebellions

Constitutional Convention (1787)

A secret meeting in Philadelphia, chaired by George Washington, originally intended to fix the Articles but resulting in a new Constitution

Whiskey Rebellion

A significant event noted during the period of writing and implementing the Constitution

Declaration of Independence

Written by Thomas Jefferson ("Little T"), it is a list of complaints explaining why we should be free rather than a document that made us free

Articles of Confederation (1781-1789)

The first US constitution. It gave states 80% of the power and the central government 20%.

Stamp Act

One of the highest taxes used to tax commerce

Virginia Plan

The "big state plan" where representation in government is based on population

New Jersey Plan

 A plan calling for equal representation for all states

Connecticut Compromise (The Great Compromise)

A compromise creating a bicameral legislature using both the Virginia and New Jersey plans

The Federalist Papers

Persuasive paragraphs written to persuade the public to support the Constitution

Bill of Rights (1790)

The first 10 amendments to the Constitution which define the people's civil liberties

Separation of Powers

Dividing government into three co-equal branches (Legislative, Executive, Judicial) so no one becomes too powerful

Checks and Balances

The system where no branch can make decisions without the others to keep branches equal

Judicial Review

A power originating from the court case Marbury v. Madison (1803) rather than the Constitution itself

Bicameral Legislature

A legislature with two chambers: the House and the Senate

3/5 Compromise

A population count agreement where all free people and 3/5 of slaves were counted

Slave Trade Compromise

An agreement to stop the importation of slaves into the US in 1808

Federalists

Those who were pro-Constitution and argued it was necessary to avoid chaos

Anti-Federalists

Those who opposed the Constitution, arguing the central government had too much power and lacked a Bill of Rights

Introduced

is just an idea (11,000+ total)

Proposed

actual action has been taken (33 total)

Ratification

The process of officially approving an amendment; 27 have been ratified in US history