chapter 2

republic

a government by the representatives of the people

articles of confederation and perpetual union

a governing documents that created a union of thirteen sovereign states which the states, not national governments were supreme

constitution

a documents that sets out the fundamental principles of governance and establishes the instructions of government.

unicameral

a one house legislature

shay’s rebellion

a popular uprising against the government of massachusetts

constitutional convention

a meeting attended by state delegates in 1787 to fix the articles of confederation

writ of habeas corpus’s

the right of people denied by the government to know the charges against them

bills of attainder

when the legislature declares someone guilty without trial

es post facto laws

laws punishing people for acts that were not crimes at the time they were commited

virginia plan

a plan of government that called for a three branch government with a bicameral legislature, where more popular states would have more representation in congress

new jersey plan

provided for a unicameral legislature with equal votes for each state

bicameral

two house legislature

Grand committee

a committee at the constitutional convention that worked out the compromise on representation

Great (connecticut) promise

an agreement that drew up 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 proportionally and senate equally

three faiths compromise

reached by the delegates at the constitutional convention that a slave would count as three fiths of a person in calculating a states representation

compromise on importation

congress could not regift salve trade until 1808

separation of powers

a design of government that contributes to powers across institutions in order to avoid making one branch powerful on its own

checks and balances

where each branch has powers that can prevent the other branches from making policy

federalism

the sharing of power between national government and states

legislative branch

the institution responsible for making laws

enumerated power

authority specifically granted to a branch of government in the constitution

necessary and proper elastic clause

language in article 1, section 8, granting congress the power necessary to carry out its enumerated powers.

implied powers

authority of the federal government that goes beyond its expressed powers

executive branch

the institutions responsible for hearing and deciding cases through federal courts

judicial branch

the institutions responsible for hearing and deciding cases through the federal courts

supremacy clause

constitutional provision declaring that the constitutional and all national laws and treaties are the supreme law of the land

amendment

the process by which changes are made in the constitution

federalist

supporters of the proposed constitution, who called for a strong national government

anti federalist

the opposed to the proposed constitution who favored stronger state governments

federalist papers

a series of eight five essays written by hamilton, madison, and jay, and published between 1787 and 1788

federalist no. 51

and essay in which madison argues that separation of powers and federalism will prevent tyranny

faction

a group of self interested people who use the government to get what they want, trampling the rights of others in the process

federalist no.10

an essay in which madison argues that dangers of faction can be mitigated by a republican goverment

Brutus no.1

an anti federalist 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