Vocab
What does federal mean?
It means national government
Name the 3 branches:
Legislative, Executive, and Judicial
How did James Madison relate to the constitution?
He was the father of the constitution
Who was the 4th president of the United States?
James Madison
What is a constitution?
A written document that describes the structure and powers of a national or state government.
The Senate and the House of Representatives were a part of what?
The Great Compromise
What is the Bill of Rights?
A written list of people’s rights
What were delegates at the constitutional convention called?
Framers
What is an amendment?
A formal change in a document or a law by editing, deleting, and/or adding to an existing document
Why did small states like the Senate?
Every states had the same number of representatives(2) no matter what their population was
What does to ratify/ratification mean?
Formal approval of an official document or treaty
What did antifederalists want?
They wanted a weak government in fear of tyranny. They did not want to change the government and were against the constitution.
What is a compromise?
An agreement between 2 or more parties to settle a difficult issue
Why did largely populated states like the House of Representatives?
The number of representatives each state had was based off of population. More people = more votes
What was the document added to the constitution called?
The Bill of Rights
What did federalists want?
They wanted a strong central government. They were for the constitution.
What does “checks and balances” mean?
It is a word used to describe a government in which each branch can check, or limit, the power of the other branches
What do you call the limit of power between each state so no one branch has all the power?
Separation of power
What were the series of essays written to encourage ratification of the US constitution called?
Federalist Papers
What was the Three Fifths Compromise?
A compromise between the Northern and Southern states that three fifths of enslaved people would be counted toward the states population.