| A | B |
|---|
| bicameral | having two separate lawmaking chambers |
| republic | a government in which citizens rule through elected representatives |
| ordinance | law |
| proportional | having the proper size in relation to other objects or items |
| compromise | a settlement of a dispute by each party giving up some demands |
| federalism | sharing power between federal and state governments |
| legislative branch | lawmaking branch of government |
| executive branch | branch of government that carries out the laws; headed by the president |
| judicial branch | branch of government that settles disputes and questions of law |
| checks and balances | a system by which each branch limits the power of the other branches |
| Electoral College | special group of electors chosen to vote for president and vice president |
| amendment | a change, correction, or improvement to a document |
| popular sovereignty | the belief that government is subject to the will of the people |
| limited government | government with limited powers strictly defined by law |
| enumerated power | power specifically given to Congress by the Constitution |
| reserved power | power belonging only to the states |
| concurrent power | power shared by the states and federal government |
| separation of powers | a principle by which powers are divided among different branches of government |
| implied power | a power not listed in the Constitution but suggested in its language |
| judicial review | power of the court to judge whether or not actions of other branches are constitutional |
| due process | the legal rules and procedures the government must observe before depriving a person of life, liberty, or property |
| naturalization | the process of becoming a citizen of another country |
| equal protection | the equal application of the law regardless of a person's race, religion, political beliefs, etc. |
| Virginia Plan | system of a bicameral legislature based on proportional representation |
| New Jersey Plan | single legislative house with equal representation for each state |
| Great Compromise | established the United States legislature as a bicameral, or two-house law-making body. In the Senate, each state would be allowed two representatives; in the House of Representatives, the number of representatives allowed for each state would be determined by its population |
| Senate | the upper chamber of the United States Congress with equal representation for each state |
| House of Representatives | the lower chamber of the United States Congress with proportional representation for each state |
| President | the head of state and head of government of the United States of America at the head of the Executive Branch of government |
| Vice President | the second-highest officer in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States |
| Supreme Court | the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States |
| confirm | make (something, especially a person's appointment to a position or an agreement) official; ratify |
| welfare | the health, happiness, and fortunes of a person or group |
| regulate | control or supervise (something, especially a company or business activity) by means of rules and regulations |
| supremacy clause | the Constitution and federal laws (of the types listed in the first part of the Clause) have power over any conflicting rules of state law. |
| Electoral College | a body of people representing the states of the US, who formally cast votes for the election of the president and vice president |
| elastic clause | allows Congress to exercise implied powers—necessary and proper for carrying out the enumerated powers, though not explicitly stated in the Constitution |
| manumisison | release from slavery |
| amend | modify formally, as a legal document or legislative bill |
| merchant | a person or company involved in wholesale trade, especially one dealing with foreign countries or supplying merchandise to a particular trade |
| delegate | a person sent or authorized to represent others, in particular an elected representative sent to a conference |
| arsenal | a collection of weapons and military equipment stored by a country, person, or group |
| Shays's Rebellion | an armed uprising in Western Massachusetts and Worcester in response to a debt crisis among the citizenry and in opposition to the state government's increased efforts to collect taxes |
| trade | the action of buying and selling goods and services |
| representative government | also known as a republic, government in which elected officials will represent, lead, and act on behalf of the citizens of a distinct community |
| discrimination | the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people |
| Three-Fifths Compromise | an agreement reached at the 1787 United States Constitutional Convention that determined how enslaved people would be counted in a state's population |
| nominate | to choose, select, or appoint |
