| A | B |
|---|
| traditions | cultural beliefs and practices |
| Magna Carta | 1215, placed limits on the power of the monarch |
| John Locke | philosopher who beleived that all people have natural rights. |
| Baron de Montesquieu | French writer wrote "Spirit of Laws" 1748 that said power should be seperated. |
| Federalism | sharing power between the federal and state governments |
| legislative branch | law making branch |
| executive branch | headed by the president to carry out the nation's laws |
| Electoral College | President & V.P. who are elected by this special group made of presidential electors. |
| judicial branch | court system |
| resides | exists |
| checks and balances | system where each branch has ways to check, or limit the power of the others |
| amendment | something added to a document |
| depression | a period when economic activity slows and unemployment rises. |
| Shay's Rebellion | Farmer's revolt of more than 1,000 people towards the federal arsenal in Mass. |
| manumission | freeing of individual enslaved persons. |
| James Madison | Virginia planter was pushing for change in the Articles. |
| Alexander Hamilton | NY lawyer pushing for change in the Articles. |
| Virginia Plan | two-house legislature with upper house being chosen by the lower house with proportional representation. |
| proportional | corresponding to the size of the population of each state. |
| NJ Plan | one-house legislature, with one vote for each state. |
| Great Compromise | Roger Sherman proposed two-house legislature, one on population, one with equal votes. |
| compromise | An agreement between two or more sides in which each side gives up something of what it wants. |
| 3/5ths Compromise | Compromise on how to count slave population in a state's population count. |
| constitution | plan of government |
| bicameral | two-house legislature |
| Articles of Confederation | America's first constitution, provided for a central government. |
| abandoned | gave up |
| petition | apply to |
| Ordinance of 1785 | Law that established a procedure for surveying and selling land. |
| clause | condition |
| depreciated | fell in value |
| preamble | introduction to the Constitution |
| popular sovereignty | "authority of the people" |
| republicanism | voters hold sovereign power |
| federalism | Power is shared between the national & state governments |
| Enumerated powers | powers that belong only to the federal government |
| reserved powers | powers retained by the states |
| concurrent powers | powers shared by state and federal government |
| amending | changing or adding to the document |
| implied powers | powers not specifically defined in the Constitution |
