Vocabulary
A meeting held in Philadelphia in 1787 at which delegates from the states wrote the U.S. Constitution
Constitutional Convention
the part of government that carries out, or executes, the laws
Executive branch
How many amendments are there to the bill of rights?
10
the group established by the Constitution to elect the president and vice president. Voters in each state choose their electors.
Electoral College
What are the 5 basic freedoms of the first amendment?
Religion, speech, press, assembly & right to petition the gov.
The first written plan of government for the US.
Articles of Confederation
the lawmaking part of government, called the legislature.
Legislative branch
putting a person on trial more than once for the same crime
Double jeopardy
a key constitutional principle that divides the functions of government among three branches—legislative, executive, and judicial—to prevent any one branch from gaining too much power
Separation of powers
What rights are guaranteed under the second amendment?
“a well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed [limited].”
Group who opposed the ratification of the constitution
Anti-federalists
the part of government, consisting of the Supreme Court and lower federal courts, that interprets the laws
Judicial branch
an order from a judge that authorizes police or other officials to take a certain action, such as searching someone’s property
Warrant
agreement made stating that enslaved persons would be counted as three-fifths of a person when determining a state’s population for representation in the House of Representatives
Three-Fifths Compromise
What rights are guaranteed under the fourth amendment?
The Fourth Amendment protects people and their belongings from “unreasonable searches and seizures.”
the constitutional system that shares power between the national and state governments
Federalism
the power of the Supreme Court to decide whether laws and acts made by the legislative and executive branches are unconstitutional
Judicial review
formal listing of the basic rights of people in the United States
A Bill of Rights
A law passed by congress in 1787 that specified how western lands would be governed
Northwest Ordinance
How many amendments to the constitution are there?
27
trade and other business dealings between two or more states
Interstate commerce
the system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other two branches
Checks & balances
the concept that the government must follow clear rules and act reasonably as it carries out the law
Due process
Equal vote in congress regardless of population/state size
New-Jersey Plan
What amendment abolished slavery?
13th