AP Gov Chapter 2 Key Terms

constitution

a nation’s basic law, creates political institutions, assigns or divides powers in government, and often provides certain guarantees to citizens, it can be written or unwritten

Declaration of Independence

the doc approved by representatives of the american colonies in 1776 that stated their grievances against the British monarch and declared their independence

natural rights

rights inherited in human beings, not dependent on governments, which include life, liberty, and property. concept of this was central to english philosopher john locke’s theories abt gov and was widely accepted among america’s Founders

consent of the governed

the idea that government derives its authority from the people

limited government

the idea that certain restrictions should be placed on gov to protect the natural rights of citizens

articles of confederation

the first constitution of the US, adopted by congress in 1777 and ratified in 1781, this est the continental congress as the national legislature, but left most authority with the state legislatures

shays’s rebellion

a series of attacks on courthouses by a small band of farmers led by revolutionary war captain daniel shays to block foreclosure proceedings

US constitution

the document written in 1787 and ratified in 1788 that sets forth the institutional structure of the US gov, the tasks these institutions perform, and the relationships among them. it replaced the AoC

factions

groups such as interest groups that, according to james madison, arise from the unequal distribution of property or wealth and have the potential to cause instability in gov

New Jersey plan

proposal at the constitutional convention that called for equal representations of each state in congress regardless of the size of the state's population

virginia plan

the proposal at the constitutional convention that called for representation of each state in Congress to be proportional to its population

connecticut compromise

compromise reached at the constitutional convention that est 2 houses of congress: house of representatives in which representation based on state’s pop and the senate in which each state has 2 representatives

writ of habeus corpus

a court order requiring authorities to explain to a judge what lawful reason they have for holding a prisoner in custody

separation of powers

feature of the constitution that requires the 3 branches of gov to be relatively independent of each other so that one cannot control the others. power is shared among these 3 institutions

checks and balances

features of the constitution that require each branch of federal gov to obtain the consent of the others for its actions; they limit the power of each branch

republic

a form of gov in which the people select representatives to govern them and make laws

federalists

supporters of the US constitution at the time the states were contemplating its adoption

anti-federalists

opponents of the US constitution at the time when the states were contemplating its adoption

federalist papers

a set of 85 essays that advocate ratification of the Constitution and provide insightful commentary on the nature of the new system of government

bill of rights

the first 10 amendments to the US constitution, drafted in response to some of the anti-federalists’ concerns, these amendments define such basic liberties as freedom of religion, speech, and press, and they guarantee defendants’ rights

equal rights amendment

a constitutional amendment passed by congress in 1972 stating that “equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the US or by any state on account of sex”, the amendment failed to acquire the necessary support from ¾ of the state legislatures

marbury v. madison

the 1803 case in which the supreme court asserted its power to determine the meaning of the US constitution, the decision est the court’s power of judicial review over acts of congress

judicial review

the power of the courts to determine whether acts of congress and those of the executive branch are in accord with the US constitution. was est in marbury v madison