CL Unit 3 Constitution

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering the structural plans, compromises, and legal clauses of the US Constitution, as well as essential civic terms and legal concepts.

Virginia Plan

"Large state" proposal for the new constitution, calling for proportional representation in both houses of a bicameral Congress.

New Jersey Plan

A constitutional proposal that would have given each state one vote in a new congress

Great Compromise (Connecticut Compromise)

Plan to have a popularly elected House based on state population and a state-selected Senate, with two members for each state

Three-Fifths Compromise

Compromise between northern and southern states at the Constitutional Convention that three-fifths of the slave population would be counted for determining direct taxation and representation in the House of Representatives.

Federalists

supporters of the Constitution

Anti-Federalists

people who opposed the Constitution

Preamble

Introduction to the Constitution

amendments

Changes to the Constitution

implied powers

Powers not specifically mentioned in the Constitution

Full Faith and Credit Clause

Constitution's requirement that each state accept the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other state

neccessary and proper clause (elastic clause)

Article $1$, Section $8$, Clause $18$. Congress retains the power to pass any law that is necessary and proper to carry out its constitutional duties. It does not JUST have those powers enumerated In Article $1$ Section $8$.

Supremacy Clause

Article VI of the Constitution, which makes the Constitution, national laws, and treaties supreme over state laws when the national government is acting within its constitutional limits.

Popular Sovereignty

Rule by the people

Rule of Law

principle that the law applies to everyone, even those who govern

Separation of Powers

Constitutional division of powers among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, with the legislative branch making law, the executive applying and enforcing the law, and the judiciary interpreting the law

checks and balances

A system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power

expressed/enumerated powers

powers directly stated in the Constitution

concurrent powers

Powers shared by the national and state governments.

reserved powers

powers that the Constitution does not give to the national government that are kept by the states

Civil Liberties

freedoms to think and act without government interference or fear of unfair legal treatment

censorship

the banning of printed materials or films due to alarming or offensive ideas

Prior Restrant

government censorship of materials before it is published. Banned by the First Amendment

petition

a formal request for government action

slander

spoken lies

Libel

written lies

search warrant

A court order allowing law enforcement officers to search a suspect's home or business and take specific items as evidence

indictment

A formal charge by a grand jury

grand jury

A group of citizens that decides whether there is sufficient evidence to charge someone with a crime.

double jeopardy

Trial or punishment for the same crime by the same government; forbidden by the Constitution.

Due Process

following established legal procedures

eminent domain

Power of a government to take private property for public use, government must pay a fair price

Suffrage

the right to vote

poll taxes

required citizens of a state to pay a special tax in order to vote