Ch. 3 Vocab APGOVPO

Declaration of independence

drafted by Thomas Jefferson, the document that proclaimed the right of the colonies to separate from Great Britain

social contract theory

the belief that the people agree to set up rulers for certain purposes and thus have the right to resist or remove rulers who act against those purposes

republic

a government without a monarchy; a government rooted in the consent of the governed, who’s power is exercised by elected representatives responsible to the governed

confederation

a loose association of independent states that agree to cooperate on specified matters

articles of confederation

the compact among the thirteen original states that established the first government of the US

virginia plan

a set of proposals for a new government, submitted to the constitutional convention of 1787; it included separation of the government into three branches, division of the legislature into two houses, and proportional representation in the legislature

legislative branch

the lawmaking branch of government

executive branch

the law-enforcing branch of government

judicial branch

the law-interpreting branch of government

new Jersey plan

submitted by the head of the New Jersey delegation it the Constitutional Convention, a set of nine resolutions that would have, in effect, preserved the Articles of Confederation by amending rather than

great compromise

submitted by the Connecticut delegation to the constitutional convention, and thus also known as the Connecticut compromise, a plan calling for bicameral legislature in which the House of Representatives would be apportioned according to population and the states would be represented equally in the Senate

electoral college

a body of electors chosen by voters to cast ballots for president and vice president

extraordinary majority

a majority greater than the minimum of 50 percent plus one

republicanism

a form of government in which power resides in the people and is exercised by their elected representatives

federalism

the division of power between a central government and regional governments

separation of powers

the assignment of lawmaking, law-enforcing, and law-interpreting functions to separate branches of government

checks and balances

A government structure that gives each branch some scrutiny of and control over the other branches

enumerated powers

the powers explicitly granted to Congress by the Constitution

necessary and proper clause

the last clause in Section 8 of Article I of the Constitution, which gives Congress the means to execute its enumerated powers. This clause is the basis for Congress’s implied powers. Also called the elastic clause

implied powers

those powers that Congress needs to execute its enumerated powers

judicial review

the power to declare congressional (and presidential) acts invalid because they violate the Constitution

supremacy clause

the clause in Article VI of the Constitution that asserts that national laws take precedence over state and local laws when they conflict 

bill of rights

the first ten amendments to the constitution. They prevent the national government from tampering with fundamental rights and civil liberties, and emphasize the limited character of national power