the beginning
a set of basic principles that determines the powers and duties of a government
Constitution
the plan for government proposed at the Constitutional Convention in which the national government would have supreme power and a legislative branch would have two houses with representation determined by state population
Virginia Plan
the division of the government that proposes bills and passes them into laws
Legislative branch
this group makes up the Legislative Branch
the Congress or The Senate & The House of Representatives
the first 10 amendments to the Constitution; ratified in 1791
Bill of Rights
the document that created the first central government for the United States; was replaced by the Constitution in 1789
Articles of Confederation
a proposal to create a unicameral legislature with equal representation of states rather than representation by population; rejected at the Constitutional Convention
New Jersey Plan
the division of the federal government that includes the president and the administrative departments; enforces the nation’s laws
Executive branch
these people make up the executive branch
the President, Vice President and the Cabinet
an official change, correction, or addition to a law or constitution
Amendments
a meeting held in Philadelphia at which delegates from the states wrote the Constitution
Constitutional Convention
an agreement worked out at the Constitutional Convention establishing that a state’s population would determine representation in the lower house of the legislature, while each state would have equal representation in the upper house of the legislature
The Great Compromise
the division of the federal government that is made up of the national courts; interprets laws, punishes criminals, and settles disputes between states
Judicial branch
this group makes up the judicial branch
The Court System / the Supreme Court
this many amendments are in the Bill of Rights
10
American statesman, he was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention, the fourth president of the United States, the author of some of the Federalist Papers, and is called the "father of the Constitution"
James Madison
an agreement worked out at the Constitutional Convention stating that only three-fifths of the slaves in a state would count when determining a state’s population for representation in the lower house of Congress
Three-Fifths Compromise
a system established by the Constitution that prevents any branch of government from becoming too powerful
checks and balances
people who supported ratification of the Constitution
Federalists
there are this many amendments in total right now
27
The Constitution was written in this year.
1787
voting rights
suffrage
U.S. system of government in which power is distributed between a central government and individual states
Federalism
people who opposed ratification of the Constitution
Anti-Federalists
The Constitution is also known as ...
The Law of The Land