| A | B |
|---|
| state | political community that occupies a defined area with an organized gov't |
| nation | group of people united by a common race, language, custom, traditions, and religion |
| nation-state | country in which the boundaries of both the nation and the state coincide |
| government | institution through which the state maintains order & provides services |
| social contract | theory that people give the state power to maintain order and the state agrees to protect the people |
| sovereignty | absolute authority within a state's borders |
| Magna Carta | Great Charter; limited the power of the English king |
| English Bill of Rights | limited king's power & provided basic protections for citizens |
| John Locke | believed in the social contract and that all people were born free |
| amendment | change to the Constitution |
| checks and balances | system where each branch has some control over other branches |
| federalism | system in which power is divided between the federal and state gov'ts |
| limited government | system in which of the power of the gov't is not absolute |
| preamble | statement in the Const. that states the gov't's goals and purposes |
| ratify | to approve |
| separation of powers | division of powers among the branches of gov't |
| Anti-Federalists | opposed a strong central gov't and the Const. |
| Bill of Rights | first 10 amendments to the Const. |
| Federalists | supported a strong central gov't and the Const. |
| Rousseau | believed all men are equal |
| Montesquieu | believed in the separation of powers |
| James Madison | Father of the Constitution |
| Alexander Hamilton | wrote "The Federalist Papers" |
| House of Burgesses | 1st legislature in the Americas |
