AP Gov: Constitution

vocab

Amendments

A new provision in the Constitution that has been ratified by the states

Antifederalists

Those who favor a weaker national gov

• against constitution

Articles of Confederation

A weak constitution that governed America during the Revolutionary War

• weak central gov’t

Bill of attainder

law that declares a person, without trial, to be guilty of a crime

• no due process

Bill of Rights

First 10 amendments to the Constitution

• basic rights and liberties

Checks and Balances

Authority shared by the 3 branches of gov’t

• the legislative, executive, and judiciary branch and check and balance each other

• so no one branch has all the power

Coalition

an alliance of groups

concurrent powers

powers shared by the national and state gov’t

Constitutional Convention

meeting in Philadelphia in 1787 that produced a new constitution

Electoral College

The gov’t body which casts the votes used to elect a president

• designed to insulate the executive from direct popular control

enumerated powers

powers given to the national gov’t alone

ex post facto law

a law that makes an act criminal even though the act was legal when it was committed

Faction

group w/ a distinct political interest

Federalism

those who favor a stronger national gov’t

Great Compromise

Plan for legislative branch

• House is popularly elected based on state population

• Senate is state selected, 2 from each state

Habeas Corpus

An order to produce an arrested person before a judge

Importation Compromise

importation of slaves could be banned 20 yrs after the document’s ratification (1808)

• according to constitution

• this was offered in exchange for keeping the institution of slavery legal in the nation

Judicial Review

power of 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

Proposal to create a weak national gov’t

Republic

A gov’t in which elected representatives make the decisions

Reserved Powers

powers given to the state gov’t alone

separation of powers

constitutional authority is shared by 3 branches of gov’t

• legislative, executive, judicial

Shay’s Rebellion

1787 rebellion in which ex-Revolutionary War soldiers attempted to prevent foreclosures of farms as a result of high interest rates and taxes

• highlighted the weakness of the articles

Three-Fifths Compromise

Having 3/5 of the slave population count towards representation in the House

• plan to appease both slave and non-slave states

Unalienable

A human right based on nature or God

Virginia Plan

Proposal to create a strong national gov’t