A document which spells out the principles by which a government runs and the fundamental laws that govern a society
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republic
a government ruled by the representatives of the people
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Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union
a governing document that created a union of thirteen sovereign states in which the states, not the national government, were supreme
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Shay's Rebellion
a popular uprising against the government of Massachusetts
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constitutional convention
a meeting attended by state delegates in 1787 to fix the Articles of Confederation
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writ of habeas corpus
the right of people detained by the government to know the charges against them
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Bills of attainder
when the legislature declares someone guilty without a trial
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ex post facto law
a law that would allow a person to be punished for an action that was not against the law when it was committed
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The Virginia Plan
a plan of government calling for a three-branch government with a bicameral legislature, where more populous states would have more representation in Congress
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New Jersey Plan
a plan of government that provided for a unicameral legislature with equal votes for each state
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Great (Connecticut) Compromise
an agreement for a plan of government that drew upon both the Virginia and New Jersey Plans; it settled issues of state representation by calling for a bicameral legislature with a House of Representatives apportioned proportionately and a Senate apportioned equally
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unicameral
One-house legislature
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bicameral
Two house legislature
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3/5 Compromise
an agreement reached at the Constitutional Convention where for every 5 slaves 3 would count as part of the population in order to determine representation in Congress and taxation.
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Compromise on Importation
Congress could not restrict the slave trade until 1808
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Right to trial by jury
Article 3, Section 2
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two witnesses must be present or confess to a judge over acts of treason
Article 3, Section 3
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Grand Committee
a committee at the Constitutional Convention that worked out the compromise on representation
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separation of powers
a design of government that distributes powers across institutions in order to avoid making one branch too powerful on its own
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Checks and Balances
a design of government in which each branch has powers that can prevent the other branches from making policy
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federalism
the sharing of power between the national government and the states
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Legislative branch
the branch of government that makes the laws
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Expressed/Enumerated Powers
Powers specifically granted to a branch of the government by the Constitution.
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elastic cause (necessary and proper clause)
statement from article I of US constitution granting congress the power to pass laws that are necessary and proper for carrying out enumerated powers (administrative law).
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implied powers
powers that congress has that are not stated explicitly in the constitution
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Executive branch
the branch of government that carries out laws
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Judicial branch
the branch of government that interprets laws
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Supremacy clause
The constitutional provision that makes the Constitution and federal laws superior to all conflicting state and local laws.
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amendment
the process by which changes may be made to the Constitution
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federalists
supporters of the Constitution and of a strong national government
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anti-federalists
those opposed to the proposed constitution, who favored stronger state governments
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federalist papers
A collection of 85 articles written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison under the name "Publius" to defend the Constitution in detail.
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Federalist no. 51
an essay in which Madison argues that separation of powers and federalism will prevent tyranny
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faction
a group of self-interested people who use the government to get what they want, trampling the rights of others in the process
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federalist no. 10
an essay in which Madison argues that the dangers of faction can be mitigated by a large republic and republican government
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Brutus no. 1
an Antifederalist Paper arguing that the country was too large to be governed as a republic and that the Constitution gave too much power to the national government
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Flashcard (66)