AP United States Government and Politics: Chapter 2-3

Constitution

A document that establishes the framework for a government, outlining its powers, structures, and the rights of citizens.

Republic

A system of government where supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives.

AoC (and Perpetual Union)

The first constitution of the United States (1781-1789), which created a weak national government with a unicameral legislature and no independent executive or judiciary.

Unicameral

A legislature with only one house or chamber.

Shays's Rebellion

An armed uprising of Massachusetts farmers against high taxes and debt, which highlighted the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.

Constitutional Convention (Philadelphia-1787)

A meeting to revise the Articles of Confederation that resulted in the drafting of the new U.S. Constitution.

Writ of habeas corpus

A court order requiring authorities to explain to a judge why they are holding a person in custody; protects against unlawful detention.

Ex post facto laws

A law that makes an act criminal even though the act was legal when it was committed; prohibited by the Constitution.

Bill of attainder

A law that declares a person guilty of a crime and punishes them without a trial; prohibited by the Constitution.

Virginia Plan

A proposal for a bicameral legislature with representation in both houses based on state population; favored large states.

New Jersey Plan

A proposal for a unicameral legislature with equal representation for every state; favored small states.

Grand Committee

A committee at the Constitutional Convention tasked with resolving the dispute over representation between large and small states.

Great (Connecticut) Compromise

A compromise creating a bicameral legislature with a House of Representatives based on population and a Senate with two members from each state.

Bicameral

A legislature with two houses or chambers.

Three-Fifths Compromise

An agreement to count three-fifths of a state's enslaved population for purposes of representation and taxation.

Slave Trade Compromise (Compromise on Importation)

An agreement that Congress could not ban the importation of enslaved people until 1808.

Separation of powers

The division of government powers among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful.

Checks and balances

A system where each branch of government has the ability to limit the power of the other branches.

Federalism

A system of government that divides and shares power between a central national government and regional state governments.

The 3 branches (Leg./exec./jud.)

The legislative branch (makes laws), the executive branch (enforces laws), and the judicial branch (interprets laws).

Expressed (enumerated) powers

Powers explicitly granted to the national government in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution.

Necessary and Proper Clause (Elastic)

A clause in Article I, Section 8 that gives Congress the power to make all laws "necessary and proper" for carrying out its expressed powers.

Implied powers

Powers of the national government that are not explicitly stated in the Constitution but are derived from the necessary and proper clause.

Supremacy clause

Article VI of the Constitution, which states that the Constitution, federal laws, and treaties are the supreme law of the land.

mcculloch

neccessary&proper for national bank (and something else?)

gibbons ogden- federal power over state power

plessy v ferguson - seperate but equal to let state have power

brown v board of education - seperate is not equal and integrates schools

Amendment

A formal change or addition to the text of the Constitution.

Federalists/Anti-Federalists

Federalists supported the ratification of the Constitution and a strong central government; Anti-Federalists opposed it, fearing it would threaten states' rights and individual liberties.

Federalist Papers

A series of 85 essays written by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay to persuade the public to ratify the Constitution.

Fed. 10

An essay by James Madison arguing that a large, diverse republic is the best way to control the negative effects of factions.

Fed. 51

An essay by James Madison explaining how separation of powers and checks and balances will prevent tyranny and safeguard liberty.

Brutus No. 1

An Anti-Federalist essay arguing that the new Constitution would create an overly powerful national government that would destroy state sovereignty and individual freedom.

Faction

A group of citizens (either a majority or minority) united by a common interest that is opposed to the rights of other citizens or the community's best interests.