Term
|
Definition
| Changes in, or additions to, the US constitution. Proposed by a 2/3 vote of both houses of Congress or by a convention called by Congress at the request of 2/3 of the state legislatures and ratified by 3/4 of the states |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Opponents of a strong central government who campaigned against ratification of the of the constitution in favor of a confederation of largely independent states. Successfully got a Bill of Rights added in. |
|
|
Term
| Articles of Confederation |
|
Definition
| A constitution drafted by the newly independent states in 1777 and ratified in 1781. Created weak national government that could not levy taxes or regulate commerce. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Law that declares a person, without a trial, to be guilty of a crime. These are forbidden to be passed by Article I of the constitution |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A list of individual rights and liberties, such as freedom of speech, religion, and press |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The power of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government to block some acts by the other two branches. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| An alliance among different interest groups (factions) or parties to achieve some political goal. An example is the coalition sometimes formed between Republicans and conservative democrats |
|
|
Term
| Constitutional Convention |
|
Definition
| A meeting of delegates in 1787 to revise the Articles of Confederation, which produced a totally new constitution |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Latin for "after the fact." A law that makes criminal an act that was legal when it was commmited, that increases the penalty for a crime after it was committed, or that changes the rules of evidence to make conviction easier; a retroactive criminal law. Forbidden by Constitution Article I |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| According to James Madison, a group of people who seek to influence public policy in ways contrary to the public good |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A political system in which ultimate authority is shared between a central government and state or regional governments |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A series of eighty-five essays written by Alexander Hamilton, Madison, and John Jay (all under the name "publius") that were published in New York newspapers in 1787-1788 to convince New Yorkers to adopt the Constitution |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Supporters of a stronger central government who advocated ratification of the Constitution. After ratification they founded a political party supporting a strong executive policy (and policies of Hamilton) |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Compromise at the Constitutional Convention in 1787 that reconciled the interests of small and large states by allowing the former to predominate in the Senate and the latter in the House |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The power of the courts to declare acts of the legislature and executive as unconstitutional and hence null and void |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The power of an executive to veto some provisions in an appropriations bill while approving others. President can't do this; must either accept or block whole bill |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A form of democracy in which power is vested in representative selected by means of popular elections |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Constitutional authority is shared by three separate branches: judicial, legislative, executive |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| 1787 led by Daniel Shays and other ex-Revolutionary War soldiers and officers to prevent foreclosures of farms as a result of high interest rates and taxes. Showed weakness of Articles of Confederation in the suppression of the rebellion |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Based on nature and providence rather than on the preferences of the people |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Latin for "you shall not have the body." Court order that mandates law enforcement to bring a person in custody before a judge and show sufficient reason for arrest. Prevents illegal imprisonments |
|
|
