| Term | Definition |
|---|
| U.S. Constitution | The government of the United States. A set of principles (guidelines) that describe the duties and powers of the government. |
| federalism | a system in which power is divided between the national and state governments |
| popular sovereignty | rule by the people- a principle of the U.S. Constitution that allows for citizens to routinely replace members of their government by voting |
| legislative branch | The part of the U.S. government makes the laws (Congress) |
| executive branch | The part of the U.S. government that enforces the laws (the President and federal agencies) |
| judicial branch | The part of the U.S. government that interprets the laws. (the federal courts) |
| checks and balances | A system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power |
| separation of powers | the division of power among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government |
| federalists | supporters of the stronger central govt. who advocated the ratification of the new constitution |
| antifederalists | opponents of a strong central government who campaigned against the ratification of the Constitution in favor of a confederation of independant states |
| Bill of Rights | The first ten amendments to the Constitution that protect indviduals' rights agains government abuse |
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