Unit 1 Constitution Review

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering Unit 1 Constitution Review, including constitutional principles, key historical documents, clauses, branches of government, federalism, and political theories.

Articles of Confederation

The first constitution of the United States, also known as "A League of Friendship," adopted by the Continental Congress on November 15, 1777, and ratified on March 1, 1781.

Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation

A governmental structure where states had too much power while the federal government lacked power, lacked money, had no authority to levy taxes, and allowed each state to issue its own currency.

Shays' Rebellion

An uprising in Massachusetts that caused widespread concern and sounded the call for a meeting to revise the Articles of Confederation.

James Madison (Constitutional Convention)

The only delegate at the 1787 Constitutional Convention who arrived with a clear plan for the new government; he took comprehensive notes and authored 29 of The Federalist Papers.

George Washington (Constitutional Convention Role)

A widely known and respected figure whose involvement was critical to the Convention's success because he did not seize power, choosing instead to return home to farm following the Revolution.

Edmund Randolph

A Virginia delegate who proposed on the third day of the Constitutional Convention to discard the Articles of Confederation and begin anew by presenting the Virginia Plan.

Virginia Plan

A proposal also known as the Randolph Plan or the Large-State Plan that called for a bicameral legislature with representation based on population.

New Jersey Plan

A proposal also known as the Small State Plan that offered an alternative structure for the United States government with equal representation for each state.

The Great Compromise

An agreement reached between large and small states during the 1787 Convention establishing a bicameral legislature with a House of Representatives based on population and a Senate with two members per state.

Three-Fifths Compromise

An agreement reached at the Constitutional Convention stipulating that enslaved individuals would be counted as three-fifths of a person for taxation and representation in the House of Representatives.

Omission of the Bill of Rights (Original Constitution)

The decision to exclude a federal bill of rights from the 1787 draft because every state already possessed one, delegates wished to conclude proceedings and go home, and further compromise would cause lengthy delays.

House of Representatives Age Requirement

The constitutional requirement specified in Article 1, Section 2 stating that a Representative must have attained the age of 25 years.

Senate Term of Office

The term length established in Article 1, Section 3 stipulating that each senator serves for a period of six years before facing re-election.

Origination Clause

The provision in Article 1, Section 7 requiring all bills for raising revenue or federal taxes to originate in the House of Representatives.

Congressional War Power

The authority granted to Congress under Article 1, Section 8 to declare war against an foreign aggressor or nation.

Treaty-Making Power

The constitutional authority under Article 2, Section 2 allowing the President to enter into international treaties, subject to the advice and consent of two-thirds of the Senate.

Ambassadorial Appointment Power

The power under Article 2, Section 2 allowing the President to nominate ambassadors, which requires confirmation by the Senate before taking effect.

Supreme Court Judicial Appointment Power

The authority established in Article 2, Section 2 granting the President the power to nominate Supreme Court justices with the advice and consent of the Senate.

Presidential Age Requirement

The qualification under Article 2, Section 1 requiring a candidate to have attained the age of 35 years to hold the office of President.

Presidential Term Length

The four-year duration that the President of the United States holds office under Article 2, Section 1 before the next presidential election.

Impeachment Process

The two-stage constitutional procedure where the House of Representatives has sole power to impeach by majority vote, and the Senate has sole power to conduct the trial, requiring a two-thirds vote to convict.

Commerce Clause

The provision in Article 1, Section 8 granting Congress the power to regulate commerce with foreign nations and among the several states.

Vice President's Constitutional Role

Serving as the President of the Senate with no voting privileges unless the chamber is equally divided, as defined in Article 1, Section 3.

Interstate Dispute Jurisdiction

The constitutional authority granted to the federal judicial branch under Article 3, Section 2 to resolve legal controversies arising between two or more states.

Good Behaviour Clause

The rule under Article 3, Section 1 establishing that federal judges of both the Supreme Court and inferior courts hold their offices for life during good behavior.

Electoral College

The system established to elect the President, comprising 538 state-appointed electors (matching House and Senate seats plus electors for D.C.), in which a majority of 270 votes is required to win.

Commander in Chief

The constitutional title and role designated to the President of the United States under Article 2, Section 2 as leader of the U.S. military forces.

Supremacy Clause

The clause in Article VI, Clause 2 declaring that the U.S. Constitution, federal laws, and treaties constitute the supreme law of the land, taking precedence over state laws.

Treason (Constitutional Definition)

The crime defined strictly under Article 3, Section 3 as consisting solely of levying war against the United States or adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort.

Constitutional Amendment Proposal Power

The power defined in Article 5 granting Congress the ability to propose amendments whenever two-thirds of both houses deem it necessary.

Presidential Veto Power

The constitutional authority granted under Article 1, Section 7 for the President to approve and sign a bill or refuse it and return it to Congress.

Popular Sovereignty

The principle that power resides with the people rather than the government or its leaders, exercised through voting for representatives in a democracy.

Rule of Law

The principle that both the citizens and the government must abide by a set of established laws rather than arbitrary decrees, ensuring limits on governmental power.

Separation of Powers

The constitutional division of responsibilities and power among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches to prevent any single group from concentrating power.

Checks and Balances

A constitutional system that enables each branch of government to monitor, check, and limit the actions of the others (e.g., vetoes, judicial review, impeachment, and overrides).

Federalism

A governmental system in which power is divided between the central (national) government and individual state and local governments.

Independent Judiciary

A judicial branch established free from external pressures or political influences from the executive and legislative branches, headed by the Supreme Court.

Individual Rights

Fundamental liberties and legal protections secured for individuals against encroachment or abuse by the government.

Amendments

Formal, legally binding additions or alterations made to the text of the Constitution.

Magna Carta

A foundational charter agreed to by King John of England on June 15, 1215, establishing legal limits on executive authority.

Petition of Right

A major English constitutional document ratified in 1628 setting forth specific personal liberties that the English monarch was prohibited from infringing.

English Bill of Rights

An act passed by the English Parliament on December 16, 1689, that established separation of powers, limited royal authority, bolstered free speech, and enhanced democratic elections.

Declaration of Independence

A formal document adopted on July 4, 1776, by the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia declaring the thirteen American colonies independent of Great Britain.

Northwest Ordinance

Legislation passed on July 13, 1787, organizing the first official territory of the United States from lands between the Appalachian Mountains, the Great Lakes, and the Ohio River.

Constitutional Convention

The formal gathering of state delegates that convened from May 25 to September 17, 1787, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to draft the U.S. Constitution.

New Deal

A series of domestic economic programs launched under President Franklin D. Roosevelt that began the modern era of Cooperative Federalism in 1937.

Federal Grants

Funds transferred from the federal government to state and local governments that allow national authorities to influence state policies by providing or withholding money.

Federal Mandates

Direct federal orders that impose responsibilities, procedures, or binding actions on state and local governments or the private sector via constitutional, judicial, or executive directives.

Devolution

The intentional policy or practice of transferring governmental powers and responsibilities from the central national government down to state and local authorities.

10th Amendment

The constitutional amendment providing that powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited to the states, are reserved to the states or to the people.

The Federalist Papers

A collection of 85 political essays written under the pseudonym "Publius" by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay to urge New York citizens to ratify the Constitution.

Alexander Hamilton

A leading Federalist delegate who wrote 51 of The Federalist Papers, served as the first Secretary of the Treasury, and died after being shot in a duel by Aaron Burr.

John Jay

A prominent Federalist contributor who authored 5 of The Federalist Papers and was appointed the first Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Monarchy

A system of government where a single hereditary ruler holds supreme authority based on divine right or familial lineage.

Dictatorship

A system of rule in which supreme state power is concentrated in an individual or small group through complete control of the military and police forces.

Direct Democracy

A system of governance where citizens formulate and decide upon public policy initiatives directly in an open assembly or through popular vote.

Representative Democracy

A political system in which citizens elect officials to formulate legislation and make administrative decisions on their behalf.

Communism

A political and economic system in which a single governing political party maintains monopolistic control over both the state apparatus and all economic production.

Theocracy

A governmental structure where political authority is held and administered directly by religious leadership.

Unitary System

A centralized political structure in which the constitution delegates primary sovereign power to the national government, leaving subnational units dependent.

Federal System

A political structure wherein legal sovereignty and governing authority are constitutionally shared between a central national government and regional state administrations.

Confederal System

An alliance of sovereign, independent states united under a weak central authority that holds only limited delegated powers.

Market Economy

An economic structure where the production, distribution, and pricing of goods and services are guided primarily by the decisions of private businesses and consumers.

Traditional Economy

An economic system where production methods, trade, and economic decision-making rely directly on longstanding ancestral customs, cultural traditions, and religious beliefs.

Command Economy

An economic arrangement where a central government makes all key decisions regarding the allocation of resources and the production of goods and services.

Mixed Economy

An economic structure that blends decentralized market forces with elements of governmental regulation and command directives.

New Federalism

A political philosophy closely aligned with devolution and the 10th Amendment aimed at returning powers and administrative control back to individual states.

Cooperative Federalism

A model of federal-state relations initiated during FDR's New Deal characterized by intertwined, collaborative jurisdiction between national and state governments.

Dual Federalism

The historical era of American governance lasting from 1789 until 1937, defined by strict, distinct boundaries separating federal and state responsibilities.

Bicameral

A term designating a legislative body that consists of two separate houses, chambers, or branches.

Senate

The upper chamber of the United States Congress consisting of two elected representatives from each state.

House of Representatives

The lower chamber of the United States Congress whose membership allocation is based on the proportional population of each state.

Republic

The form of government utilized in the United States wherein sovereign power is held by the populace and administered through chosen representatives.

Executive Branch

The branch of government led by the President that is constitutionally charged with carrying out and executing federal laws.

Legislative Branch

The branch of government comprising Congress that holds constitutional authority to draft and enact laws.

Judicial Branch

The branch of government consisting of the Supreme Court and lower federal courts responsible for interpreting the laws.

Federalist No. 51

An essay written by James Madison explaining and defending the necessity of checks and balances and the separation of powers within the national government.

Federalists

Supporters of the proposed 1787 U.S. Constitution who advocated for a strong national government during the ratification debates.

Anti-Federalists

Opponents of the 1787 Constitution who feared excessive centralized federal power and demanded explicit constitutional protection for individual rights.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the United States Constitution, authored by James Madison to safeguard civil liberties against federal overreach.

John Locke

An English Enlightenment philosopher who articulated the social contract theory, holding that governments derive authority from the consent of the governed and must protect life, liberty, and property.

Interstate Compact Clause

A provision in Article 1, Section 10 of the Constitution requiring state governments to obtain congressional approval before entering into formal pacts with one another.

Extradition Clause

The constitutional requirement in Article IV obligating states to deliver up and return individuals charged with crimes to the state having jurisdiction of the offense.

Delegated Powers

Powers specifically granted to the federal government by the Constitution, such as the authority to coin money and regulate foreign trade.

Reserved Powers

Powers protected under the 10th Amendment that are neither delegated to the national government nor prohibited to the states, remaining with the states or the people.

Concurrent Powers

Governmental authorities and responsibilities held and exercised independently by both national and state governments simultaneously, such as taxation.

Block Grants

Federal funds provided automatically to states or local communities to support broad functional initiatives like community development or social welfare programs.

Revenue Sharing Grants

A federal financing mechanism through which a portion of federal tax receipts was directly allocated to state and local governments with minimal conditions.

Categorical Grants

Federal grants allocated for narrowly defined purposes that come attached with strict operational regulations and non-discrimination mandates.

Project Grants

A specific variety of categorical federal grant awarded to applicants on a competitive basis evaluated by application merit.

Enumerated Powers

Expressed governmental authorities explicitly cataloged in the text of Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution, including the powers to tax, coin money, and declare war.

Judicial Review

The power of federal courts to evaluate executive and legislative actions and declare them null and void if they violate the Constitution.

Judicial Activism

A legal philosophy maintaining that judges should interpret constitutional provisions dynamically to reflect contemporary realities, values, and societal shifts.

Judicial Restraint

A legal philosophy asserting that judges should strictly adhere to the literal phrasing and original intent of the framers when interpreting constitutional texts.

Preamble of the US Constitution

The introductory statement of the Constitution that establishes the core purposes, values, and foundational goals of the American federal government.

Article 1 of the Constitution

The constitutional article that defines, organizes, and enumerates the powers and structure of the Legislative Branch.

Article 2 of the Constitution

The constitutional article establishing the organization, duties, qualifications, and operational powers of the Executive Branch.

Article 3 of the Constitution

The constitutional article outlining the framework, tenure, and jurisdictional parameters of the Judicial Branch.

Jurisdiction

The legally recognized authority and scope of a court to preside over, hear, and adjudicate legal disputes.

Full Faith and Credit Clause

The Article IV provision mandating that each state recognize and honor the public acts, records, court decrees, and contracts of all other states.