The Constitution Flashcards
(35 cards)
Articles of Confederation
the first constitution of the 13 American states, adopted in 1781 and replaced in 1789 by the Constitution of the United States.
Declaration of Independence
he public act by which the Second Continental Congress, on July 4, 1776, declared the Colonies to be free and independent of England.
Treason
the offense of acting to overthrow one’s government or to harm or kill its sovereign.
Checks and balances
limits imposed on all branches of a government by vesting in each branch the right to amend or void those acts of another that fall within its purview.
Separation of powers
the principle or system of vesting in separate branches the executive, legislative, and judicial powers of a government.
Great Compromise
The Connecticut Compromise (also known as the Great Compromise of 1787 or Sherman Compromise) was an agreement reached during the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that in part defined the legislative structure and representation each state would have under the United States Constitution.
Tariff
an official list or table showing the duties or customs imposed by a government on imports or exports.
Repeal
to revoke or withdraw formally or officiall
Civil Discourse
Civil discourse is the practice of engaging in conversation to seek and foster understanding with mutual airing of views. It is not a contest; rather, it is intended to promote mutual understanding.
3/5ths Compromise
three out of every five slaves was counted when determining a state’s total population for legislative representation and taxation.
Constitution
the system of fundamental principles according to which a nation, state, corporation, or the like, is governed.
Preamble
an introductory statement; preface; introduction.
Bill of Rights
the Bill of Rights, a formal statement of the fundamental rights of the people of the United States, such as freedom of religion, speech, and the press, incorporated in the Constitution as Amendments 1–10, and in all state constitutions.
Legislative Branch
the branch of government having the power to make laws; the legislature.
Executive Branch
the branch of government charged with the execution and enforcement of laws and policies and the administration of public affairs; the executive.
Judicial Branch
the branch of government charged with the interpretation of laws and the administration of justice; the judiciary.
Congress
the national legislative body of the U.S., consisting of the Senate, or upper house, and the House of Representatives, or lower house, as a continuous institution.
Senate
an assembly or council of citizens having the highest deliberative functions in a government, especially a legislative assembly of a state or nation.
Equal representation
Apportionment (politics), the way that representatives are assigned to voting groups, with equal representation meaning that all groups are fairly represented. One man, one vote, the principle that each vote must have equal value.
House of Representatives
As per the Constitution, the U.S. House of Representatives makes and passes federal laws. The House is one of Congress’s two chambers (the other is the U.S. Senate), and part of the federal government’s legislative branch.
Proportional representation
an electoral system in which parties gain seats in proportion to the number of votes cast for them.
President
the elected head of a republic.
Supreme Court
the highest federal court in the US, consisting of nine justices and taking judicial precedence over all other courts in the nation.
Fugitive Slave Clause
gives enslavers the right to seize enslaved people who escaped to free states.
