{"id":518,"date":"2016-08-23T23:35:36","date_gmt":"2016-08-23T23:35:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/americangovernment\/?post_type=chapter&p=518"},"modified":"2016-08-23T23:37:08","modified_gmt":"2016-08-23T23:37:08","slug":"glossary-2","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-amgovernment\/chapter\/glossary-2\/","title":{"raw":"Glossary","rendered":"Glossary"},"content":{"raw":"

The Pre-Revolutionary Period and the Roots of the American Political Tradition<\/h2>\r\nDeclaration of Independence<\/strong> a document written in 1776 in which the American colonists proclaimed their independence from Great Britain and listed their grievances against the British king\r\n\r\nnatural rights<\/strong> the right to life, liberty, and property; believed to be given by God; no government may take away\r\n\r\nsocial contract<\/strong> an agreement between people and government in which citizens consent to be governed so long as the government protects their natural rights\r\n

The Articles of Confederation<\/h2>\r\nArticles of Confederation<\/strong> the first basis for the new nation\u2019s government; adopted in 1781; created an alliance of sovereign states held together by a weak central government\r\n\r\nconfederation<\/strong> a highly decentralized form of government; sovereign states form a union for purposes such as mutual defense\r\n\r\nrepublic<\/strong> a form of government in which political power rests in the hands of the people, not a monarch, and is exercised by elected representatives\r\n

The Development of the Constitution<\/h2>\r\nbicameral legislature<\/strong> a legislature with two houses, such as the U.S. Congress\r\n\r\nchecks and balances<\/strong> a system that allows one branch of government to limit the exercise of power by another branch; requires the different parts of government to work together\r\n\r\nenumerated powers<\/strong> the powers given explicitly to the federal government by the Constitution (Article I, Section 8); power to regulate interstate and foreign commerce, raise and support armies, declare war, coin money, and conduct foreign affairs\r\n\r\nfederal system<\/strong> a form of government in which power is divided between state governments and a national government\r\n\r\nGreat Compromise<\/strong> a compromise between the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan that created a two-house Congress; representation based on population in the House of Representatives and equal representation of states in the Senate\r\n\r\nNew Jersey Plan<\/strong> a plan that called for a one-house national legislature; each state would receive one vote\r\n\r\nreserved powers<\/strong> any powers not prohibited by the Constitution or delegated to the national government; powers reserved to the states and denied to the federal government\r\n\r\nseparation of powers<\/strong> the sharing of powers among three separate branches of government\r\n\r\nsupremacy clause<\/strong> the statement in Article VI of the Constitution that federal law is superior to laws passed by state legislatures\r\n\r\nThree-Fifths Compromise<\/strong> a compromise between northern and southern states that called for counting of all a state\u2019s free population and 60 percent of its slave population for both federal taxation and representation in Congress\r\n\r\nunicameral legislature<\/strong> a legislature with only one house, like the Confederation Congress or the legislature proposed by the New Jersey Plan\r\n\r\nveto<\/strong> the power of the president to reject a law proposed by Congress\r\n\r\nVirginia Plan<\/strong> a plan for a two-house legislature; representatives would be elected to the lower house based on each state\u2019s population; representatives for the upper house would be chosen by the lower house\r\n

The Ratification of the Constitution<\/h2>\r\nAnti-Federalists<\/strong> those who did not support ratification of the Constitution\r\n\r\nFederalists<\/strong> those who supported ratification of the Constitution\r\n\r\nThe Federalist Papers<\/em><\/strong> a collection of eighty-five essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay in support of ratification of the Constitution\r\n

Constitutional Change<\/h2>\r\nBill of Rights<\/strong> the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution; most were designed to protect fundamental rights and liberties","rendered":"

The Pre-Revolutionary Period and the Roots of the American Political Tradition<\/h2>\n

Declaration of Independence<\/strong> a document written in 1776 in which the American colonists proclaimed their independence from Great Britain and listed their grievances against the British king<\/p>\n

natural rights<\/strong> the right to life, liberty, and property; believed to be given by God; no government may take away<\/p>\n

social contract<\/strong> an agreement between people and government in which citizens consent to be governed so long as the government protects their natural rights<\/p>\n

The Articles of Confederation<\/h2>\n

Articles of Confederation<\/strong> the first basis for the new nation\u2019s government; adopted in 1781; created an alliance of sovereign states held together by a weak central government<\/p>\n

confederation<\/strong> a highly decentralized form of government; sovereign states form a union for purposes such as mutual defense<\/p>\n

republic<\/strong> a form of government in which political power rests in the hands of the people, not a monarch, and is exercised by elected representatives<\/p>\n

The Development of the Constitution<\/h2>\n

bicameral legislature<\/strong> a legislature with two houses, such as the U.S. Congress<\/p>\n

checks and balances<\/strong> a system that allows one branch of government to limit the exercise of power by another branch; requires the different parts of government to work together<\/p>\n

enumerated powers<\/strong> the powers given explicitly to the federal government by the Constitution (Article I, Section 8); power to regulate interstate and foreign commerce, raise and support armies, declare war, coin money, and conduct foreign affairs<\/p>\n

federal system<\/strong> a form of government in which power is divided between state governments and a national government<\/p>\n

Great Compromise<\/strong> a compromise between the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan that created a two-house Congress; representation based on population in the House of Representatives and equal representation of states in the Senate<\/p>\n

New Jersey Plan<\/strong> a plan that called for a one-house national legislature; each state would receive one vote<\/p>\n

reserved powers<\/strong> any powers not prohibited by the Constitution or delegated to the national government; powers reserved to the states and denied to the federal government<\/p>\n

separation of powers<\/strong> the sharing of powers among three separate branches of government<\/p>\n

supremacy clause<\/strong> the statement in Article VI of the Constitution that federal law is superior to laws passed by state legislatures<\/p>\n

Three-Fifths Compromise<\/strong> a compromise between northern and southern states that called for counting of all a state\u2019s free population and 60 percent of its slave population for both federal taxation and representation in Congress<\/p>\n

unicameral legislature<\/strong> a legislature with only one house, like the Confederation Congress or the legislature proposed by the New Jersey Plan<\/p>\n

veto<\/strong> the power of the president to reject a law proposed by Congress<\/p>\n

Virginia Plan<\/strong> a plan for a two-house legislature; representatives would be elected to the lower house based on each state\u2019s population; representatives for the upper house would be chosen by the lower house<\/p>\n

The Ratification of the Constitution<\/h2>\n

Anti-Federalists<\/strong> those who did not support ratification of the Constitution<\/p>\n

Federalists<\/strong> those who supported ratification of the Constitution<\/p>\n

The Federalist Papers<\/em><\/strong> a collection of eighty-five essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay in support of ratification of the Constitution<\/p>\n

Constitutional Change<\/h2>\n

Bill of Rights<\/strong> the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution; most were designed to protect fundamental rights and liberties<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t

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Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t
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