Hippensteel, Block 2
constitution
a document that sets out the fundamental principles of governance and establishes the institutions of a government
republic
a government ruled by representatives of the people
Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union
a governing document that created a union of thirteen sovereign states in which the states, not the union, were supreme.
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
the right of people detained by the government to know the charges against them
bill of attainder
when the legislature declares someone guilty without a trial
ex post facto law
a law punishing people for acts that were not crimes at the time they were committed a
Virginia plan
a plan of government with a bicameral legislature, where more populous states would have more representation in Congress.
New Jersey Plan
a plan of government that provided for a unicameral legislature with equal votes for each state
Grand committee
a committee at the constitutional convention that worked out the compromise on representation
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.
Bicameral
a two-house legislature
Three-fifths compromise
an agreement reached by delegates at the Constitutional Convention that a slave would count as three-fifths of a person in calculating a state’s representation.
Compromise on importation
Congress could not restrict the slave trade until 1808.
Separation of powers
a design of government that distributes powers across institutions in order to avoid making one branch too powerful on it’s own.
checks and balances
a design of government in which each branch has powers that can prevent the other branches from making policy
federalism
the sharing of power between the national government and the states
legislative branch
the institution responsible for making laws
expressed/enumerated powers
authority specifically granted to a branch of the government in the Consitution
necessary and proper (elastic) clause
language in Article I, Section, granting Congress the powers necessary to carry out its enumerated powers.
implied powers
authority of the federal government that goes beyond its expressed powers; powers not granted specifically to the national government but considered necessary to carry out the enumerated powers.
executive branch
the institution responsible for carrying out laws passed by the legislative branch
judicial branch
the institution responsible for hearing and decided cases through federal courts
supremacy clause
constitutional provision declaring that the Constitution and all national laws and treaties are the supreme law of the land.
amendment
a constitutional provision for a process by which changes may be made to the Constitution.
federalists
supporter of the proposed Constitution, who called for a strong national government
antifederalists
a person opposed to the proposed Constitution who favored stronger state governments.
federalist papers
a series of eighty-five essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay published between 1787 and 1788 that lay out the theory behind the Constitution
federalist no. 51
an essay in which Madison argues that separation of powers and federalism will prevent tryanny
faction
a group of self-interested people
federalist no. 10
an essay in which Madison argues that the dangers of faction can be mitigated by a large republic and Republican government
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