| A | B |
|---|
| Articles of Confederation | 1st plan of government of the United States. In effect from 1781-1789, it gave more power to the states than the central government. |
| confederation | government in which the central government has only those powers given to it by the state. |
| Shay's Rebellion | A revolt in 1786 of Massachusetts farmers, led by Daniel Shays who opposed tax decisions of the state courts. |
| territory | an area of land that belongs to a government |
| statehood | becoming a state in the United States |
| Constitutional Convention | meeting of state delegates in Philadelphia, that replaced the Articles of Confederation with a new constitution. |
| republic | form of government in which the people elect representatitves to run the country |
| Virginia Plan | plan of government adopted by the Constitutional Convention that established 3 branches of the federal government |
| legislative | branch of government that makes the laws for our country |
| executive | branch of government, headed by the president, that carries out the laws |
| judicial | branch of the government that decides the meaning of the laws |
| amendments | an addition or change to the Constitution |
| Preamble | the introduction to the Constitution |
| federal system | system of government in which power is shared between the central government and the state governments |
| checks and balances | system in which the power of each branch of government is balanced by the powers of the other branches |
| veto | to refuse to approve |
| ratify | to officially approve |
| Bill of Rights | the first 10 amendments of the Constitution, ratified in 1791 |
| secretary | the head of each department in the executive branch of government. As a group the secretaries are called the President's Cabinet |
| political parties | group of people who share similiar ideas about the government |
