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Federalist Papers

This was a collection of essays written by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and John Jay urging the importance of ratifying the newly drafted Constitution to replace the Articles of Confederation.

Preamble

This is the introductory statement of the Constitution's basic principles and states that its authority comes from the people rather than the states.

Article I

This part of the Constitution puts all law making powers in the Congress of the United States made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Article II

This part of the Constitution creates an executive branch to enforce the laws made by Congress.

Article III

This part of the Constitution creates a judicial branch to interpret the laws made by Congress and to determine the validity of those laws.

Ratification

This was the process by which the Constitution was drafted and approved by the states. Citizens elected representatives to state conventions and when nine of the original thirteen states agreed, the Constitution was approved.

Egalitarianism

This is a term that refers to the ideal that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities.

Laissez-faire government

This concept emphasizes that an economy will function best when it is left to operate without government intervention or interference.

E Pluribus Unum

"In God We Trust" replaced this Latin phrase as the official motto in 1956. It translates to "out of many, one," has also come to represent the concept of a melting pot, where diverse cultures and backgrounds contribute to the American identity.

Bill of Rights

This collection of the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution were adopted as a single unit in 1791. They constitute a collection of guarantees of individual rights and limitations on both national and state governments.

Constitution Day

In 2005, the federal government designated September 17th as a holiday that recognizes the adoption of the supreme law of the United States and those who have become citizens.

Checks and balances

This is an important principle of constitutional governments under which separate branches are empowered to prevent actions by other branches and are required to share power.

Supremacy clause

This part of the constitution establishes that the federal constitution and federal laws are the supreme law of the land and take precedence over state laws and if a state law conflicts with a federal law or the Constitution, the state law is deemed invalid.

Federalism

This term simply means that power is divided between a national government and state governments.

Amendment process

This refers to the formal procedure for changing or adding to the constitution.

Democracy in America

Written by Alexis de Tocqueville in the 1830s, this work explores the structure and culture of America and in a second volume he examines the impact of our unique government on various spheres such as religion, literature, and the economy.

James Madison

This founder was known as the "Father of the Constitution," co-wrote essays in favor of the Constitution, served as Secretary of State under Thomas Jefferson, co-founded the Democratic-Republican party, and was the fourth president of the United States.

Elastic Clause

Also known as "necessary and proper", this is a provision in Article I, Section 8 clause 18 that grants Congress the power to make laws needed to carry out its enumerated powers.

Judicial review

This power was established in the landmark case of Marbury v. Madison (1803) and serves as a crucial check on the power of the legislative and executive branches of government.

Eminent domain

This the right of the government to take private property for public use, typically with "fair" compensation.