Chapter 2 Vocab

Front 1

Limited Government

Back 1

basic principle of US government that says government is restricted in what it can do and each individual has rights the government can't take away

Front 2

Representative Government

Back 2

a system of government in which public policies are made by officials selected by the voters and held accountable in periodic elections

Front 3

Magna Carta

Back 3

(Great Charter)

was forced upon King John of England by his baron in 1215, established that the power of monarchy was not absolute and guaranteed trial by jury and due process of law to the nobility

Front 4

Due Process

Back 4

the government must act fairly and in accord with established rules in all it does

Front 5

Petition of Right

Back 5

document prepared by Parliament and signed by King Charles I of England in 1628, challenged the idea of the divine right of kings and made the monarch subject to the laws of the land

Front 6

English Bill of Rights

Back 6

document written by Parliament and agreed upon by William and Mary of England in 1689, designed to prevent abuse of power by English monarchs and forms the basis for much in American government/politics today

Front 7

Charter

Back 7

city's basic law, it's constitution, a written grant of authority from the king

Front 8

Bicameral

Back 8

a legislative body composed of 2 chambers

Front 9

Proprietary

Back 9

organized by a proprietor (a person to whom the king had made a grant of a land)

Front 10

Unicameral

Back 10

a legislative body with 1 chamber

Front 11

Royal Colony

Back 11

king selects governor and council, qualified property owners elect members of the lower house for bicamerals (majority of colonies)

Front 12

Proprietary Colony

Back 12

Proprietor selects governor

Front 13

Charter Colony

Back 13

People select governor

Front 14

Confederation

Back 14

joining of several groups for a common purpose

Front 15

Albany Plan of Union

Back 15

proposed by Benjamin Franklin in 1754 to unite the 13 colonies for trade, military, etc. (turned down by colonies and King)

Front 16

Delegate

Back 16

representative; member of Congress who casts votes based on the wishes of their constituents

Front 17

Popular sovereignty

Back 17

basic principle of US government, asserts that people are the source of any and all governmental power and government can only exist with the consent of the governed

Front 18

Articles of Confederation

Back 18

plan of government adopted by the Continental Congress after the Revolution which established a "firm league of friendship" among the States, but only allowed few important powers to the central government

Front 19

Ratification

Back 19

formal approval, final consent to the effectiveness of a constitution, constitutional amendment, or treaty

Front 20

Jurisdiction

Back 20

legal authority

Front 21

Framers

Back 21

group of delegates who drafted the Constitution at the Philadelphia Convention in 1787

Front 22

Virginia Plan

Back 22

plan presented by the Virginia delegates at the Constitutional Convention which called for a 3 branch government which a bicameral legislature in which each State's membership would be determined by its population or financial support for the central government

Front 23

New Jersey Plan

Back 23

plan presented by the New Jersey delegates at the Constitutional Convention which called for a unicameral legislature in which each State would be equally represented

Front 24

Connecticut Compromise

Back 24

(Great Compromise)

agreement during Constitutional Convention that Congress should be composed of a Senate with equal representation and a House where representation would be based off a state's population

Front 25

Three-Fifths Compromise

Back 25

agreement at the Constitutional Compromise to count a slave as three-fifths of a person when determining the population of a State

Front 26

Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise

Back 26

agreement at the Constitutional Convention protecting slave holders and denied Congress the power to tax the export of goods from any State and the power to act on the slave trade for 20 years

Front 27

Federalists

Back 27

people who favored the ratification of the Constitution as it was

Front 28

Anti-Federalists

Back 28

people who opposed the ratification of the Constitution without a Bill of Rights

Front 29

1st Continental Congress

Back 29

discussed intolerable acts and response to them (boycotted British goods and sent Declaration of Rights to king)

Front 30

2nd Continental Congress

Back 30

attempted to form a republic government, began to write Declaration of Independence, prepared for war

Front 31

Shays' Rebellion

Back 31

Daniel Shays led an armed uprising that forced several State judges to close their courts

Front 32

Constitutional Convention

Back 32

convention originally intended to revise Articles of Confederation but ended up creating an entirely new government for the US

Front 33

New England Confederation

Back 33

"league of friendship" for defense against Native American tribes

Front 34

Stamp Act Congress

Back 34

9 colonies prepared strong protest against taxation without representation called Declaration of Rights and Grievances and sent to king (first time significant number of colonies joined to oppose British government)

Front 35

Preamble

Back 35

explains why the Declaration of Independence was written

Front 36

Declaration of Natural Rights

Back 36

part of Declaration of Independence that lists basic rights to which all people are entitled (life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness)

Front 37

Lists of Grievances

Back 37

part of Declaration of Independence that lists the colonists' 27 complaints against King George lll

Front 38

The Resolution of Independence

Back 38

final part of Declaration of Independence where colonies declared themselves free and independent States