| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Democracy | Government by the people, both directly or indirectly, with free and frequent elections |
| Direct Democracy | Government in which citizens vote on laws and select officials directly |
| Representative Democracy | Goverment in which the people elect those who govern and pass laws; also called a republic |
| Constitution Democracy | Government that enforces recognized limits on those who govern and allow the voice of the people to be heard through fair, free, and relatively frequent elections |
| Constitutionalism | The set of arragements, including checks and balances, federalisn, separation of powers, rule of law, due process, and a bill of rights, that requiresour leaders to listens, think, bargain, and exsplain before they act or make laws. We then hold them politically and legally accountable for how they exercise their powers |
| Statism | The idea that the rights of the nation are supreme over the rights of the individuals who make up the nation |
| Popular Consent | The idea that a just government most derive its powers from the consent of the people it governs |
| Majority Rule | Governance according to the expressed preferences of the majority |
| Majority | The candidate or party that wins more than half the votes cast in an election |
| Plurality | The candidate or party with the most votes cast in an election, not necessarily more than half |
| Constitutional Convention | The convention in Philadelphia, from May 25 to Sep 17, 1787 that debates and agreed on the Constitution of the United States |
| Bicameralism | The principle of a two-house legislature |
| Virginia Plan | The initial proposal at the Constitutional Convention made by the Virginia delefation for a strong central government with a bicameral legislature dominted by the big states |
| New Jersey Plan | The proposal at the Constitual Convention made by William Paterson of New Jersey for a central government with a single-house legislature in which each state would represnted equally |
| Connectitcut Compromise | The comperomise agreement by states at the Constitutional Convention for a bicameral legislature with a lower house in which representation would be based on population and an upper house in which each state would have two senators |
| Three-Fifths Compromise | The compromise between northern and southern states at the Constitutional Convention that three-fifths of the slave populationwould be counted for dtermining direct taxation and representation in the House of Representative |
| Federalists | Supports of ratification of the Constitution and of a strong cetral government |
| Antifederalists | Opponents of retification of the constitution and of a strong central government generally |
| The Federalist | Essays promoting ratification of the Constitution, published anonymously by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison in 1787 and 1788 |
| Natural Law | God's or nature's law that defines right from wrong and is higher than human law |
| Seperation of Powers | Constitutional division of powers among the legislative, esecutive, judicial branches, with the lesislative brance making law,the executive applying and enforcing the law, and the judiciary interpreting the law |
| Checks and Balances | A constitutional grant of powers that enables each of the three branches of government to check some acts of the others and therefore ensure taht no branch can dominate |
| Judicial Review | The power of a court to refuse to enforce a law or a covernment regulation that in the opinion of the judges conflicts with the US Constiturion or, in a state court, the state constitution |
| Writ of Mandamus | A court order directing an official to perform an official duty |
| Congressional Elaboration | Congressional legislation that gives further meaning to the Constitution based on sometimes vague constitutional autority, such as the necessary and proper clauses |
| Impeachment | A formal accusation by the lower house of a legislature against a public official, the first step in removeal from office. |
| Executive Order | A directive issued by a president or covernor that has force of law |
| Executive Privilege | The power to keep executive communications conidential, especially if they relate to national security |
| Impoundment | Presidential refusal toallow an agency to spend funds that Congress authorized and approiated. |
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