US Constitution Flashcards (Vocabulary Style)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from the lecture notes on the US Constitution.

We the People

Opening phrase asserting consent of the governed and popular sovereignty.

Domestic Tranquility

Goal of the government to maintain peace and order at home.

Common Defense

Duty to protect the nation from external threats.

General Welfare

Purpose of promoting the public’s well-being.

Constitution

The supreme law establishing the structure of the US government.

Preamble

Introduction outlining the aims and purposes of the Constitution.

Divine Right of Kings

Medieval belief that kings derive authority from God; rejected by the colonists.

Electoral College

Body that formally elects the President, not the direct popular vote.

President

Head of the executive branch who enforces laws; elected via the Electoral College.

Declaration of Independence

1776 document asserting rights and independence; not a legal constitution.

Natural Rights

Rights inherent to all people by virtue of being human.

All men are created equal

Declaration phrase asserting equality by nature.

Thomas Jefferson

Author of the Declaration; slave owner.

Social Contract Theory

Idea that government legitimacy comes from the consent of the governed.

Life, Liberty, Pursuit of Happiness

Unalienable rights listed in the Declaration.

Independence

Sovereignty achieved by separating from Britain, secured on the battlefield.

Articles of Confederation

First US framework; a loose confederation with weak central power.

Republic (Representative Government)

Government where citizens elect representatives to govern.

Confederation

Union of states with a weak central authority.

National Government

Central government created by the Constitution.

State Government

Governments of the states; retained sovereignty under the Articles.

Ratification

Process by which states approve the Constitution.

The Great Compromise

Connecticut Compromise; created a bicameral Congress balancing large and small states.

Connecticut Compromise

Bicameral legislature with House by population and Senate by state equality.

Virginia Plan

Proposal for a strong central government with representation by population.

New Jersey Plan

Proposal for a unicameral legislature with equal state representation.

Bicameral Legislature

Two-chamber Congress (House and Senate).

House of Representatives

Lower house; representation by population; revenue bills originate here; 2-year terms.

Senate

Upper house; equal state representation; 6-year terms.

Population-based representation

Representation in the House based on state population.

Equal representation

Senate representation is equal for all states.

Three-Fifths Compromise

Enslaved people counted as three-fifths for representation and taxation.

Enslaved persons

Individuals held as property; central to the 3/5 Compromise.

Slavery

Institution of servitude; protected through political compromises.

Bill of Rights

First ten amendments protecting individual liberties.

Amendment

Formal change or addition to the Constitution.

First Amendment

Freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition.

Ninth Amendment

Rights retained by the people not listed in the Constitution.

Tenth Amendment

Powers not delegated to the federal government belong to the states or people.

Alexander Hamilton

Advocate of a strong central government; debated need for a Bill of Rights.

James Madison

Framer; co-author of the Federalist Papers; instrumental in drafting the Constitution.

John Jay

Co-author of the Federalist Papers; later a Supreme Court Justice.

Federalist Papers

Essays arguing for ratification and explaining the Constitution.

Federalist No. 51

Essay arguing for checks and balances to prevent tyranny.

Separation of Powers

Dividing government into three branches to prevent power concentration.

Legislative

Branch that writes laws (Congress).

Executive

Branch that enforces laws (President and Cabinet).

Judicial

Branch that interprets laws (courts, including Supreme Court).

Checks and Balances

Each branch can limit the others to prevent abuse.

Limited Government

Government powers are restricted by the Constitution.

Article I

Section describing the legislative branch and its powers.

Article II

Section describing the executive branch and its powers.

Article III

Section describing the judicial branch and its powers.

Federalism

System of shared power between national and state governments.

No Direct Democracy

Constitution relies on representative governance rather than direct democracy for most decisions.

Hard to Amend

Amendment process is deliberately difficult.

Shays' Rebellion

1786-87 Massachusetts uprising testing the Articles' weaknesses.

Daniel Shays

Leader of the rebellion; farmer.

Massachusetts

State where Shays' Rebellion occurred.

Foreclosure

Legal process to reclaim property due to debt.

Rule of Law

Government operates under law, not arbitrary power.

The Constitutional Convention

1787 meeting that produced the new framework for the Constitution.

Amendments 9 and 10

Rights not listed retained by the people; powers not listed reserved to the states.

The Bill of Rights was added

Addition of the first ten amendments to protect civil liberties.

15th Amendment

Gave African-American men the right to vote.

17th Amendment

Direct election of United States Senators by the people.

19th Amendment

Women's suffrage.

26th Amendment

Voting age lowered to 18.

1870

Year commonly associated with the 15th Amendment’s ratification.

1913

Year commonly associated with the 17th Amendment’s ratification.

1920

Year of the 19th Amendment’s ratification.

1971

Year of the 26th Amendment’s ratification.

Direct Election of US Senators

Citizens vote directly for senators (17th Amendment).

Revenue Bills

Laws that raise money; originate in the House.

Impeachment Initiation

House of Representatives has the power to impeach federal officials.

Ratification by nine of thirteen states

Required during the founding to adopt the Constitution.

Federalist Papers as propaganda

Political essays aimed at persuading ratification.

British rule

Colonial governance before independence.

Social Contract

Legitimacy of government based on the consent of the governed.

Life, Liberty, Pursuit of Happiness

Unalienable rights listed in the Declaration.

No power to tax

Weakness of the Articles; central government could not levy taxes.

One vote per state

Equal representation in the Confederation for each state.

Unanimity to amend

All states’ consent required to change the Articles.

No President under Articles

The Articles created no separate executive branch.

Shays' Rebellion's lessons

Demonstrated the need for a stronger central government and rule of law.

The Constitutional Convention

1787 meeting that produced the new framework.

"We the People" phrase usage

Emphasizes popular sovereignty in the Constitution.

The preamble's purposes

Establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for defense, promote general welfare, secure liberty.

The Divine Right of Kings rejected

Colonists rejected hereditary divine authority for rulers.

The idea of representation

System where citizens elect representatives to govern.

The vacancy of monarch

A government without a king; a republic.

The national government could not tax

Under the Articles, central government lacked taxing power.

The federal government could tax after ratification

Constitution grants the central government the power to levy taxes.

The separation of powers as a guard against tyranny

Tri-partite structure reduces risk of concentrated power.

The House starts revenue bills

Revenue measures originate in the House of Representatives.

Impeachment from the Senate trial

Impeached officials face trial in the Senate for removal.

The President's term length and election by Electoral College

Four-year term; President elected via Electoral College.

Supreme Court life tenure

Justices serve for life, ensuring judicial independence.

Civil rights and equality criticisms

Critiques note the Constitution originally did not fully guarantee civil rights and equality.

The difficulty of changing the Constitution

Amendments require broad, stringent procedures to alter foundational rules.