| A | B |
|---|
| Constitutional Convention | met in 1787 to improve the Articles of Confederation |
| James Madison | one of the main authors of the Constitution |
| Virginia Plan | supreme power given to the central government with representation based on population |
| New Jersey Plan | each state would get one vote |
| Great Compromise | two-house legislature, equal representation in Senate, proportional representation in House of Representatives |
| Three-Fifths Compromise | 3/5 of a state's slave population would be counted to determine representation |
| popular sovereignty | authority belongs to the people |
| federalism | sharing of power between a central government and states |
| legislative branch | Congress-responsible for proposing and passing laws |
| executive branch | president, vice president, cabinet-responsible for carrying out laws |
| judicial branch | national courts-responsible for interpreting laws, punishing criminals, and settling disputes between states |
| checks and balances | keeps any branch of government from becoming too strong |
