American Democracy Now Chapter 2 Vocabulary

Advice and consent

The Senate's authority to approve or reject the president's top appointments.

Anti-Federalists

Individuals who opposed ratification of the Constitution because they were deeply suspicious of the powers it gave to the national government and of the impact these powers would have on states' authority and individual freedoms.

Bicameral

A legislative body composed of two chambers.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the Constitution, which were ratified in 1791, constituting an enumeration of the individual liberties with which the government is forbidden to interfere.

Checks and balances

a system in which each branch of government can monitor and limit the functions of the other branches

confederation

a union of independent states in which each state retains it sovereignty--that is, its ultimate power to govern--and agrees to work collaboratively on matters the states expressly agree to delegate to a central governing body

Connecticut Compromise (Great Compromise)

the compromise between the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan that created a bicameral legislature with one chamber's representation based on population and the other having two members for each state.

constitution

the fundamental principles of a government and the basic structures and procedures by which the government operates to fulfill those principles; may be written or unwritten

Electoral College

A group of people elected by voters in each state to elect the president and the vice president.

Federalists

Individuals who supported the new Constitution as presented by the Constitutional Convention in 1787.

judicial review

Court authority to determine that an action taken by any government official or governing body violates the Constitution.

Marbury v. Madison

The 1803 Supreme Court case that established the power of judicial review, which allows the Court to strike down laws passed by the other branches that it views to be in conflict with the Constitution.

natural rights (unalienable rights)

The rights possessed by all humans as a gift from nature, or God, including the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

New Jersey Plan

The proposal presented by states with smaller populations at the Constitutional Convention in response to James Madison's Virginia Plan.

separation of powers

The Constitution's delegation of authority for the primary governing functions among three branches of government so that no one group of government officials controls all the governing functions.

The Federalist Papers

A series of essays, written by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay, that argued for the ratification of the Constitution.

Three-Fifths Compromise

The negotiated agreement by the delegates to the Constitutional Convention to count each slave as three-fifths a free man for the purpose of representation and taxes.

unicameral

A legislative body with a single chamber.

veto

An executive power held by the president, who can reject a bill and return it to Congress with reasons for the rejection.

Virginia Plan

James Madison's proposal at the Constitutional Convention for a new governmental structure, which favored states with larger populations.

dual sovereignty

a system of government in which ultimate governing authority is divided between two levels of government, a central government and regional governments, with each level having ultimate authority over different policy matters

republic

a government that derives its authority from the people and in which citizens elect government officials to represent them in the processes by which laws are made; a representative democracy

supremacy clause

a clause in Article VI of the Constitution that states that the Constitution and the treaties and laws created by the national government in compliance with the Constitution are the supreme law of the land