Chapter 2 Vocab Continued

Shay’s Rebellion: An armed attempt by Revolutionary War veterans to avoid losing their
property by preventing the courts in western Massachusetts from meeting
Constitutional Convention: A meeting of delegates in Philadelphia in 1787 charged with
drawing up amendments to the Articles of Confederation
George Washington: First president from 1789-1797
Constitution: A set of principles, either written or unwritten, that makes up the fundamental law
of the state
Virginia Plan: A constitutional proposal that the smaller states' representatives feared would
give permanent supremacy to the larger states
The New Jersey Plan: A constitutional proposal that would have given each state one vote in a
new congress
Great Compromise: A constitutional proposal that made membership in on house of Congress
proportional to each state's population and membership in the other equal for all states
Three-Fifths Compromise: Slaves were worth three-fifths of a man
Electoral College: System established by the Constitution through which the president is chosen
by elections from each state which has many electoral votes as it has members of Congress
Alexander Hamilton: A key Framer who envisioned a powerful central government
Montesquieu: French baron and political theorist who first articulated the concept of separation
of powers with checks and balances
Federalism: The distribution of constitutional authority between state government and the
national government, with different powers and functions exercised by both
Separation of Powers: A constitutional principle separating the personnel of the legislative,
executive, and judicial branches of government
Checks and Balances: The power of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of
government to block some acts by the other two branches
Article 1: Establishes the legislative branch of the federal government,
Enumerated Powers: Congress may exercise the powers that the Constitution grants it
Necessary and Proper Clause: Enables Congress to make the laws required for the exercise of
its other powers established by the Constitution
Implied Powers: Powers authorized by the Constitution that, while not stated, seem implied by
powers that are expressly stated
Article 2: Establishes the executive branch of the federal government, which carries out and
enforces federal laws
Inherent Powers: Inherent powers are powers held by a sovereign state
Article 3: Establishes the judicial branch of the federal government
Article 4: Outlines the relationship between the various states, as well as the relationship
between each state and the United States federal government. It also empowers Congress to
admit new states and administer the territories and other federal lands
Full Faith and Credit Clause: States within the United States have to respect the "public acts,
records, and judicial proceedings of every other state."
Article 5: Specifies how amendments can be added to the constitution
Article 6: Contains the supremacy clause
Supremacy Clause: Establishes that the Constitution, federal laws made pursuant to it, and
treaties made under its authority, constitute the "supreme law of the land".
Federalists: Favored a strong national government
Anti-Federalists: Favored a strong state government
James Madison: An American statesman, lawyer, diplomat, philosopher and Founding Father
who served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817
The Federalist Papers: A collection of 85 articles and essays written by Alexander Hamilton,
James Madison, and John Jay under the pseudonym "Publius" to promote the ratification of the
United States Constitution
Bill of Rights: The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution