| A | B |
|---|
| Amendment | A new provision in the Constitution that has been ratified by the states |
| Antifederalist | Those who favor a weaker national government |
| Articles of Confederation | A weak constitution that governed America during and immediately after the Revolutionary War |
| Bill of Attainer | A law that declares a person, without trial, to be guilty of a crime |
| Bill of Rights | The first ten amendments to the costitution |
| Checks and Balances | The poer of legislative, executive and judicial branches of government to block some acts by the other two branches |
| Coalition | An alliance of factions |
| Concurrent Powers | Powers shared by the national and state governments |
| Constitutional Convention | Metting Philadelphia in 1787 that produced a new constitution |
| Enumerated Powers | Powers given to the national government alone |
| Ex Post Facto Law | A law that makes an act criminal although the act was legal when it was committed |
| Faction | A group with distinct political interest |
| Federalism | Government authority shared by national and state governments |
| Federalist | Those who favor a stronger national government |
| Great Compromise | Plan to have popularly elected House based on state population and a stated selected Senate, with two members for each state |
| Habeas Corpus | An order to produce an arrested person before a judge |
| Inalienable | A human right based on nature or God |
| Line Item Veto | An executive's ability to block a particular provision in a bill passed by the legilature |
| New Jersey Plan | Porposal to create a weak national government |
| Republic | A government in which elected representatives make the decisions |
| Reserved Powers | Powers given to the state governments alone |
| Separation of Powers | Constitutional authority is shared by three different branches of government |
| Shay's Rebellion | A 1787 rebellion in whch exRevotionary War soldiers attempted to prevent foreclosures of farms as result of high interest rates and taxes |
| Unalenable | A human right based on nature or God |
| Virginia Plan | Proposal to create a strong national government |
