chapter 2 gov vocab

constitution

a nation’s basic law; it creates political institutions, assigns, or divides powers in government, and often provides certain guarantees to citizens; can be either written or unwritten

declaration of independence

document approved by representatives of the American colonies in 1776 that stated their grievances against the British monarch and declared their independence

natural rights

rights inherent in human beings, not dependent on governments, which includes life, liberty, and property; concept of this was central to English philosopher John Locke’s theories about government and was widely accepted among America’s founders

consent of the governed

the idea that government derives its authorities from the people

limited government

the idea that certain restrictions should be placed on government to protect the natural rights of citizens

articles of confederation

the 1st constitution of the US, adopted by congress in 1777 and ratified in 1781; this established the continental congress as the national legislature, but left most authority with the state legislatures

shays’s rebellion

a series of attacks on courthouses by a small band of farmers led by revolutionary war captain Daniel Shays to block foreclosure proceedings

US constitution

document written in 1787 and ratified in 1788 that sets forth the institutional structure of the US government; the tasks these institutions perform, and the relationships among them; replaced the Articles of Confederation

factions

groups such as interest groups that according to James Madison, arise from the unequal distribution of property or wealth and have the potential to cause instability in government

new jersey plan

proposal at the constitutional convention that called for equal representation of each state in congress regardless of the size of each state’s population

virginia plan

proposal at the constitutional convention that called for representation of each state in congress to be proportional to its population

connecticut compromise

the compromise reached at the constitutional convention that established 2 houses of congress: the House of Representatives, in which representation is based on a state’s population and the senate, in which each state has 2 representatives

writ of habeas corpus

a court order requiring authorities to explain to a judge what lawful reason they have for holding a prisoner in custody

separation of powers

a feature of the constitution that requires the 3 brances of government (executive, legislative, judicial) to be relatively independent of each other so that one cannot control the others; power is shared

checks and balances

features of the constitution that require each branch of the federal government to obtain the consent of the others for its actions; limit power of each branch

republic

a form of government in which the people select representatives to govern them and make laws

federalist

supporters of the US constitution at the time the states were contemplating its adoption

antifederalist

opponents of the US constitution at the time when the states were contemplating its adoption

federalist papers

set of 85 essays that advocate ratification of the constitution and provide insightful commentary on the nature of the new system of government

bill of rights

the 1st 10 amendments to the US constitution, drafted in response to some of the anti federalist's’ concerns; define basic liberties as freedom of religion, speech, press and guarantees defendant’s rights

equal rights amendments (ERA)

constitutional amendment passed by congress in 1972 stating that “equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the US or by any state on account of sex”; amendment failed to acquire the necessary support from ¾ of the state legislatures

marbury vs madison

1803 case in which the supreme court asserted its powers to determine its meaning of the US constitution; decision established the court’s power of judicial review over acts of congress

judicial review

the power of the courts to determine whether acts of congress and those of the executive branch are in accord with the US constitution; judicial review was established by marbury vs. madison