| A | B |
|---|
| Describe the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation. | Congress had no power to collect taxes, regulate trade, and enforce its laws. No single leader directed government policy. No national court system existed. Congress could not pass laws without approval of 9 states. The Articles could not be changed without agreement of all 13 states. |
| Basic principles of government. | Popular sovereignty, limited government and rule of law, separation of powers, checks and balances, and federalism. |
| Father of the Constitution | James Madison |
| Federalist | supporter of the Constitution |
| Anti-Federalist | A person who opposed ratification of the Constitution |
| Confederation | A group of individual state governments that unite for a common purpose |
| Constitution | A detailed, written plan for government |
| Presiding officer of the Constitutional Convention | George Washington |
| Ordinance of 1785 | A plan for surveying western lands and described how the land was to be sold and divided up |
| Northwest Ordinance | A law to set up a government for the area located between the Mississippi River adn the Ohio River adn established a plan for admitting new states. |
| Shays Rebellion | An uprising of Massachusetts farmers who did not want to lose their farms because of debt caused by heavy state taxes after the American Revolution |
| Electoral Collecge | A group of people named by each state legislature to select the president and vice president |
| Enumerated Powers | Powers directly granted to the national government by the Constitution |
| Concurrent POwers | Powers shared by the state adn federal governments |
| Reserved Powers | Powers the Constitution does not give to the federal government; powers set aside for the states |
| Constitutional Convention | Refers to the meetings of state delegates in 1787 leading to the adoption of a new Constitution |
| Separation of Powers | The split of authority among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches |
| Federalism | A form of government in which power is divided between the federal government and the states |
| Rule of Law | The principle that the law applies to everyone, even those who govern |
| Under the "necessary and proper" clause who has the ability to use powers not directly listed in the Constitution? | Congress |
| Which level's laws override all of the other laws under the supremacy clause? | National Laws |
| What year could Congress pass a law ending the slave trade? | 1808 |
| Responsible for interpreting the law | Judicial Branch |
| Responsible for making laws | Legislative Branch |
| Responsible for enforcing the laws | Executive Branch |
| Explains the structure of the government | Articles |
| States the goals and purposes of the government and makes it clear that the government's power comes from the people | Preamble |
| Amendments | Changes to the Constitution |
| Not allowed to take part in the Constitutional Convention | Women, Native Americans, and African Americans |
| Number of Amendments | 27 |
| First form of government of the U.S. | Articles of Confederation |
| Federalist Papers | A group of essays that supported the Constitution |
| "We the People" echoed this idea | Popular Sovereignty |
| Three-Fifths Compromise | Every five slaves would equal three free persons, which would count for representation in Congress |
| Great Compromise | Senate - each state has two members; House - representation based on population |
| Virginia Plan | Large state plan; called for 3 branches; bicameral congress; representation based on population |
| New Jersey Plan | small state plan; similar to the Articles of Confederation; unicameral congress; one vote per state; representation based on equality; proposed that Congress could set taxes and regulate trade |
