| A | B |
|---|
| Framers | The men who drafted or wrote the Constitution. |
| Preamble | The introduction for the Constitution. This stated the goals and the purpose for the Constitution. |
| Supremacy Clause | This part of the Constitution states that its laws are superior to any other laws in the country. That National Law is superior to state law and the President, a civilian, is the Commander and Chief of the military. |
| Electoral College | This was designed by the framers to reduce the possibility of people making unwise choices through direct election. The person who receives the majority of the electoral votes will become President. |
| James Madison | He favored a strong central government. He had a deep understanding of past governments. He wrote essays that were part of the "federalist papers." |
| John Marshall | Was the Chief Justice to the Supreme Court. Marshall was the first to establish the practice of reviewing laws of congress to determine if they were constitutional or not. |
| Elastic Clause | The necessary and proper clause. It gives the federal government the power to stretch its' power and carry out already delegated power. |
| Popular sovereignty | The idea that the supreme governing power belongs to the people who are governed. |
| Republic | a government in which the power is held by the people, who then elect representatives to act for them. |
| Limited government | The idea that the government may act only with those powers given it by the people, and does not have unlimited power. |
| Federalism | The division of power between a central government and a number of state governments. |
| Separation of powers | a division of power between the federal and state levels of government, as well as among the branches of government. |
| Monarchy | government headed by a single person, usually a king or queen. |
| Checks and balances | a system in which each branch of the government limits the power of the other branches. |
| Judicial review | The courts' power to decide whether actions of Congress or the President are according to the Constitution |
| Supremacy of national law | the concept that the national law is superior to state law. |
| Bicameral | a legislature with two houses. |
| Revenue bills | Legislative bills to raise or spend money. |
| Impeach | bring charges against |
| Executive orders | rules made by the President that have the power of a law. |
