| Term | Definition |
|---|
| constitution | a formal plan of government |
| bicameral | consisting of 2 houses, or chambers, especially in a legislature |
| republic | a government in which citizens rule through elected representatives |
| petition | a formal request |
| ordinance | a law or regulation |
| depreciate | to fall in value |
| depression | a period of low economic activity and widespread unemployment |
| manumission | the freeing of some enslaved persons |
| proportional | to be the same as or corresponding to |
| compromise | agreement between two or more sides in which each side gives up some of what it wants |
| Enlightenment | movement during the 1700s that spread the idea that knowledge, reason, and science could improve society |
| federalism | the sharing of power between federal and state governments |
| article | a part of a document, such as the Constitution, that deals with a single subject |
| legislative branch | branch of government that makes the nations laws |
| executive branch | the branch of government, headed by the president, that carries out the nations laws and policies |
| Electoral College | a special group of voters selected by their states voters to vote for the president and vice president |
| judicial branch | the branch of government, including the federal court system, that interprets the nation's laws |
| checks and balances | the system in which each branch of government has a check on the other 2 branches so that no one branch becomes too powerful |
| ratify | to give official approval to |
| Federalist | supporters of the Constitution |
| AntiFederalist | individuals who opposed ratification of the Constitution |
| ammendment | an addition to a formal document such as the Constitution |
Combine with other sets
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