| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Constitutional Convention | a 1787 meeting in Philadelphia during which the United State Constitution was written |
| constitution | a document presenting a plan of government |
| compromise | an agreement acceptable to both sides |
| Great Compromise | a committee chaired by Ben Franklin debated and negotiated this compromise using part of the New Jersey Plan and parts of the Virginia Plan. It passed on July 16, 1787 |
| Three-fifths Compromise | compromise agreement reached on the issue of slaves. According to the terms, only three-fifths of the enslaved people in Sourthern states would be counted for both representation and taxation |
| federalism | system of government in which power isshared among the central government and the states |
| separation of powers | the division of power among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government |
| veto | action by which an executive rejects a bill submitted by a legislature; to refuse to approve |
| bicameral | two houses of the legislative branch of government |
| electoral college | representatives of voters in each state who select the President and Vice President |
| checks and balances | system set up in the Consttuton where each branch of the government has some authority over the other |
| impeach | to bring formal charges against a federal or state public official with the intent of removing the official from office |
| amendment | alteration, or written change, to a document |
| Bill of Rights | the first 10 amendments to the United States Constitution, listing the essential freedoms guaranteed to all citizens |
| preamble | the first part, or introduction, of a document |
| article | section of a document, e.g. U. S. Constitution |
| liberty | freedom of people to live as they choose |
| popular sovereignty | the belief that people should have the right to rule themselves |
| representative democracy | government in which people elect leaders or officials to make decisions for them |
| direct democracy | government in which decisions are made by all the people |
| tyranny | cruel and unjust rule |
| precedent | a model to be used as a guide for future actions |
| bureaucracy | an organization of government workers |
| diplomacy | relations with foreign countries |
| executive agreement | an agreement that the President makes directly with the head of state of another country |
| constituent | voter who elects public officials to represent him or her |
| duties | tasks citizens are required to do |
| responsibilities | tasks citizens should do |
| toleration | the acceptance of different beliefs |
| Federalists | those who supported the Consitiution and a strong national government in the late 1700s |
| Anti-Federalists | those who attacked almost everything about the Constituton and complained that it failed to protect basic liberties, supported a weak national government |
| legislative branch | the lawmaking branch of government |
| executive branch | the branch of government that carries out the laws made by the legislative branch |
| judicial branch | the branch of government that interprets the laws made by the legislative branch |
| legislature | a lawmaking body |
Combine with other sets
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