| A | B |
|---|
| constitution | set of basic principles that determine the powers of a gov't |
| Articles of Confederation | first U.S. constitution approved in 1777 |
| ratification | to pass/formal approval |
| land ordinance of 1785 | law passed by congress authorizing the division of western land |
| northwest ordinance of 1787 | established the laws for the Northwest territory |
| Northwest Territory | created Wis., Ill, Indiana, Mich.,and Ohio |
| tariff | tax on imports |
| constitutional convention | meeting in Philadelphia that wrote the current constitution |
| Virginia Plan | plan favored by large states based on popluation |
| New Jersey Plan | plan favored by small states created a one house gov't |
| Great Compromise | agreement that took both state population and equal representation to create congress |
| Three fifths compromise | agreement where three out of every five slaves were counted in the states population |
| federalist | people who supported the constitution |
| legislative Branch | Congress-part of gov't that proposed and passes laws |
| executive Branch | President- enforces the law |
| Judicial Branch | Supreme Court- interpret the laws |
| Checks and Balances | system established in the constiitution that prevents any branch of gov't from becoming to powerful |
| Antifederalist | people who opposed the passing the constitiution |
| amendments | changes made to the constitution |
| Bill of Rights | first 10 amendments added to the constitution in 1791 |
| suffrage | the right to vote |
| republic | type of gov't in which people hold power or have a say |
| government | an organized system that sets up rules and laws |
| federalism | systm of gov't in which power is distrubuted between a central authority and individual states |
| separation of powers | system in which each branch of gov't has it's own power |
| senate | the upper house of the legislative branch |
| congress | the legislative branch of gov't made up of the House of Resentatives and the Senate |
| House of Representatives | the lower house of the legislative branch based on determined by the population |
| Supreme Court | Makes up the Judicial branch of gov't and intreprets the constitution |
