Constitution Vocabulary
Terms
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- Federalists
- supporters of the Constitution; led by: Alexander Hamilton, John Jay and James Madison
- Legislative branch
- the branch of the government that makes the laws
- Checks and balances
- a system in which each branch of the government is able to check, or restrain, the power of the others.
- Executive branch
- the branch of the government that carries out the laws
- Constitutional Convention
- a meeting of state delegates in 1787 leading to the adoption of the Constitution
- Separation of powers
- the split authority among the legislative, executive and judicial branches
- Preamble
- expresses the reasons the Constitution was written; purposes: form a more perfect union, to establish justice, to ensure domestic peace, to provide defense,
- Expressed powers
- powers that Congress has that are specifically listed in the Constitution
- Amendment
- any change in the Constitution
- Virginia Plan
- proposed representation based on population; idea that became the House of Representatives
- Federalism
- a form of government in which power is divided between the federal, or national, government and the states
- Anti-Federalists
- those who opposed the ratification of the Constitution; by George Mason and Thomas Jefferson
- Popular sovereignty
- the notion that power lies with the people
- Constitution
- establishes the structure of the US government; guarantees equality under the law with majority rule and the rights of the minority protected; affirms individual worth; protects the freedoms of religion, assembly, petition, press and speech
- Judicial branch
- the branch of the government that interprets the laws
- Implied powers
- powers that Congress has that are not stated explicitly in the Constitution
- Necessary and proper clause
- clause that allows Congress to exercise powers not listed in the Constitution
- Reserved powers
- powers that the Constitution does not give to the national government that are kept by the states
- New Jersey Plan
- proposed representation that each state get one vote; idea that became the Senate
- Great Compromise
- agreement providing a dual system of congressional representation