15 Glossary
The Pre-Revolutionary Period and the Roots of the American Political Tradition
Declaration of Independence a document written in 1776 in which the American colonists proclaimed their independence from Great Britain and listed their grievances against the British king
natural rights the right to life, liberty, and property; believed to be given by God; no government may take away
social contract an agreement between people and government in which citizens consent to be governed so long as the government protects their natural rights
The Articles of Confederation
Articles of Confederation the first basis for the new nation’s government; adopted in 1781; created an alliance of sovereign states held together by a weak central government
confederation a highly decentralized form of government; sovereign states form a union for purposes such as mutual defense
republic a form of government in which political power rests in the hands of the people, not a monarch, and is exercised by elected representatives
The Development of the Constitution
bicameral legislature a legislature with two houses, such as the U.S. Congress
checks and balances 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
enumerated powers 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
federal system a form of government in which power is divided between state governments and a national government
Great Compromise 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
New Jersey Plan a plan that called for a one-house national legislature; each state would receive one vote
reserved powers any powers not prohibited by the Constitution or delegated to the national government; powers reserved to the states and denied to the federal government
separation of powers the sharing of powers among three separate branches of government
supremacy clause the statement in Article VI of the Constitution that federal law is superior to laws passed by state legislatures
Three-Fifths Compromise a compromise between northern and southern states that called for counting of all a state’s free population and 60 percent of its slave population for both federal taxation and representation in Congress
unicameral legislature a legislature with only one house, like the Confederation Congress or the legislature proposed by the New Jersey Plan
veto the power of the president to reject a law proposed by Congress
Virginia Plan a plan for a two-house legislature; representatives would be elected to the lower house based on each state’s population; representatives for the upper house would be chosen by the lower house
The Ratification of the Constitution
Anti-Federalists those who did not support ratification of the Constitution
Federalists those who supported ratification of the Constitution
The Federalist Papers a collection of eighty-five essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay in support of ratification of the Constitution
Constitutional Change
Bill of Rights the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution; most were designed to protect fundamental rights and liberties