Studied by 56 peopleamendments
a new provision in the Constitution that has been ratified by the states
Antifederalists
those who favor a weaker national government
Articles of Confederation
A weak constitution that governed America during the Revolutionary War.
bill of attainder
a law that declares a person, without a trial, to be guilty of a crime
Bill of Rights
The first ten amendments to the Constitution
checks and balances
a system that allows each branch of government to amend or veto acts of another branch so as to prevent any one branch from exerting too much power.
coalition
an alliance of groups
concurrent powers
powers shared by the national and state governments
Constitutional Convention
A meeting in Philadelphia in 1787 that produced a new constitution
Electoral College
The government body which casts the votes used to elect a president. It was designed to insulate the executive branch from direct popular control.
enumerated powers
Powers given to the national government alone.
ex post facto law
A law that makes an act criminal although the act was legal when it was committed.
faction
A group with a distinct political interest.
federalism
Government authority shared by national and local governments.
Federalists
Those who favor a stronger national government
Great Compromise
Plan to have a popular elected House based on state population and a state-selected Senate, with two members for each state.
habeas corpus
An order to produce an arrested person before a judge.
Importation Compromise
According to the Constitution, the importation of slaves could be banned twenty years after the document's ratification (1808). This was offered in exchange for keeping the institution of slavery legal in the nation.
judicial review
The power of the courts to declare laws unconstitutional
line-item veto
An executive's ability to block a particular provision in a bill passed by the legislature
New Jersey Plan
A plan unsuccessfully proposed at the Constitutional Convention, providing for a single legislative house with equal representation for each state.
republic
A government in which elected representatives make the decisions.
reserved powers
Powers given to the state government alone.
separation of powers
The division of government responsibilities into distinct branches to limit any one branch from exercising the core functions of another.
Shay's Rebellion
A 1787 rebellion in which ex-Revolutionary War soldiers attempted to prevent foreclosures of farms as a result of high interest rates and taxes
Three-Fifths Compromise
The plan to appease both slave and non-slave states by having three-fifths of the slave population count towards representation in the House
unalienable
A human right based on nature or God
Virginia Plan
outlined a strong national government with three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. The plan called for a legislature divided into two bodies (the Senate and the House) with proportional representation.
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