US History Chapter 5 – The Constitution of the United States – Flashcards

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Articles of Confederation
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Plan that established, in 1781, a limited national government in the United States, later replaced by the Constitution of the United States.
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Legislative Branch
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Branch of government that makes the laws; Congress.
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Executive Branch
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Branch of government, headed by the President, that enforces the laws.
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Judicial Branch
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Branch of government, made up of courts and judges, that interprets and applies the laws.
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Constitution
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Plan of government that describes the different parts of the government and their duties and powers.
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Democracy
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Government by the people.
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Republic
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Government run by the people through their elected representatives.
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Shay's Rebellion
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An uprising against taxes in Massachusetts in 1786 and 1787.
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Specie
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Gold or silver coin.
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Constitutional Convention
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Convention that met in Philadelphia in 1787 to draft the Constitution of the United States.
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United States Constitution
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Plan of government that describes the different parts of the government and their duties and powers, established in 1787.
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Amend
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To revise.
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Veto
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To prevent from becoming a law.
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Great Compromise
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Compromise at the Constitutional Convention calling for a two-house legislature, with one house elected on the basis of population and the other representing each state equally.
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Three-Fifths Compromise
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Compromise at the Constitutional Convention calling for three fifths of a state's slave population to be counted for the purposes of legislative representation.
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Federal System of Government
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A system in which power is shared among state and national authorities.
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Separation of Powers
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The Constitutional allotting of powers withing the federal government among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.
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Checks and Balances
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System in which each of the branches of the federal government can check the actions of the other branches.
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Electoral College
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Group of electors, chosen by the voters, who vote for President.
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Ratify
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Approve or sanction
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Federalists
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Supporters of the Constitution during the debate over its ratification; favored a strong national government.
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Faction
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Group organized around a common interest and concerned only with furthering that interest.
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Anti-Federalist
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Opponents of the Constitution during the debate over its ratification; opposed the concept of a strong central government.
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Bill of Rights
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First ten amendments to the Constitution.
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Inauguration
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Official swearing-in ceremony.
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Cabinet
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Leaders of the executive departments of the federal government.
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Domestic Affairs
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Issues relating to a country's internal matters.
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Administration
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Term of office; also the members and agencies of the executive branch as a whole.
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Precedent
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An act or a statement that becomes an example, rule, or tradition to be followed.
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