| A | B |
|---|
| suffrage | voting rights |
| republic | type of government in which the head of state is elected and the people hold the political power |
| ratification | formal approval |
| Articles of Confederation | The United States first plan of government that created a central government with limited powers |
| Constitutional Convention | convention in which delegates discussed revising the Articles of Confederation |
| constitution | set of basic principles and laws that determine the powers and duties of the government |
| Virginia Plan | proposal that favored the larger states by basing all representation on population and a bicameral house |
| amendments | official changes, corrections or additions |
| Three - Fifths Compromise | compromise that 3 out of 5 slaves would be counted towards representation in the lower house |
| federalism | distribution of governmental power between a central authority and the states or provinces that make up the nation |
| checks and balances | a system to prevent any branch of government from becoming too powerful |
| Antifederalists | people who opposed the Constitution |
| Federalists | believed that the Constitution provided a good balance of power |
| Federalist Papers | essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay defending the Constitution |
| Bill of Rights | 1st ten amendments to the Constitution |
| Antifederalists | group of people who wanted a bill of rights added to the Constitution |
| natural rights | fundamental rights such as religious liberty and equality |
| Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. | legislation that gave people in Virginia freedom of worship and freedom to speak their opinions about religion |
| Virginia House of Burgesses | American idea that was an example of legislative government |
| New Jersey Plan | proposal to create a unicameral or one-house government where each state had one vote |
| exeutive branch | branch that carries out the laws |
| judicial | branch of the federal government that is made up of the national courts; interprets laws, punishes criminals and settles disputes between states |
| legislative | branch of government that proposes bills and passes them into laws |
| revise the Articles of Confederation | purpose of the Constitutional Convention |
| no power to tax, no executive branch, no federal courts, couldn't require military service | weaknesses under the Articles of Confederation |
