AP Gov Unit 1 Key Terms P2

Articles of Confederation

A governing document that created a union of thirteen sovereign states, in which the states, not the union, were supreme.

Annapolis Convention

A 1786 meeting of delegates from five states to discuss the trade and commerce issues under the Articles of Confederation

Constitutional Convention

A meeting attended by state delegates in 1787 to fix the Articles of Confederation.

Shay’s Rebellion

A popular uprising against the government of Massachusetts that was fueled by economic hardship, including high taxes and debt collection practices that threatened farmers' livelihoods. The rebellion involved about 1,500 armed men who attempted to seize the federal armory in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Bicameral

A two-house legislature

Virginia Plan

A plan of government calling for a three-branch government with a bicameral legislature, where the more populous states would have more representation in congress.

New Jersey Plan

A plan of government that provided for a unicameral legislature with equal votes for each state.

Conneticut Compromise

An agreement for a plan of government that drew upon both the Virginia and New Jersey plans; it settled issues of state representation by calling for a bicameral legislature with a House of Representatives apportioned proportionately and a Senate apportioned equally.

Three-Fifths Compromise

An agreement reached by delegates at the Constitutional Convention that a slave would count as three-fifths of a person in counting a states representation.

Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise

An agreement at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that allowed Congress to regulate commerce while prohibiting any changes to the transatlantic slave trade for 20 years, until 1808.

Federalist

Supporter of the proposed constitution, who called for a strong national government.

Anti-Federalist

A person opposed to the proposed constitution  who favored stronger state governments.

Liberal Constructionist

Someone who advocates for a broad interpretation of the Constitution, particularly regarding the powers of the federal government

Strict Constructionist

A person who believes the government's power should be limited to what is explicitly granted in the Constitution, interpreting the document literally and narrowly.

Federalist Papers

A series of 85 essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay and published between 1787 and 1788 that lay ot the theory behind the constitution.