Unit One Vocabulary
1. Articles of Confederation- The United States’ first constitution. The government it formed
governed from 1781 to 1789. It was unsuccessful because the government didn’t have the power
to collect taxes from the states or regulate foreign trade.
2. The Enlightenment- The time when man began to use his reason to discover the world and rid of
the superstition and fear of the medieval world. Enlightenment thinkers rejected the authority of
church and state. The discover of the natural laws which govern the universe led to scientific,
political, and social advances.
3. monarchy- A form of government in which political power belongs to one ruler, usually a king
or queen, who receives his/her position by claim of divine or inherited right.
4. natural law/natural rights- A set of principles which govern human interacts as opposed to
being imposed by humans.
5. separation of powers- Division of governmental power between the executive, legislative, and
judicial branch of government.
6. Shays' Rebellion- In western Massachusetts in 1786-1787, small-farm owners led by Daniel
Shays rebelled the state’s failure to acknowledge the many farm foreclosures and credit
difficulties. The rebellion was calmed by troops but was successful in convincing national leaders
that the Articles of Confederation weren’t sufficient for national stability and a stronger central
government was needed. This helped to encourage leaders to create the U.S. Constitution.
7. theocracy- A form of government in which God or a diety is recognized as the supreme civil
ruler, the diety’s laws are interpreted by authority of the church.
8. Antifederalists- A person who opposed the adoption of the United States Constitution.
9. bicameral- Refers to a legislative that has two bodies.
10. Connecticut Plan/Compromise- A proposal by Roger Sherman, the Connecticut delegate, that
Congress be bicameral, composing of a Senate and a House of Representatives. There would be
equal number of representatives in the Senate and one representative to the House for each 30,000
citizens of the state.
11. Constitutional Convention- A method (not yet tried) by which the Constitution can be
amended. Two-thirds of all state legislatures must petition the federal government to call a
constitutional convention.
12. direct democracy- A form of government in which all citizens votes on all matters of
government.
13. federalism- A system in which the national government and the local/state governments share
powers.
14. Federalists- Supporters of the proposed Constitution.
15. Federalist Papers (The Federalist)- A series of essays written by James Madison, Alexander
Hamilton and John Jay describing the concerns and issues of the framers face as they created a
plan for the new government. These essays defended the Constitution and persuaded Americans
that it should be ratified.
16. indirect/representative democracy- A system of government which gets its authority from the
people and governs according to the will of the majority. The people elect individuals to represent
their will.
17. New Jersey Plan- A proposal presented by New Jersey delegates at the Constitutional
Convention which recommended that Congress be unicameral (having a single legislative
chamber) and that all states be equally represented in Congress and Congress have the power to
force states to cooperate with the national government.
18. republic- A state in which the body of citizens entitled to vote has the supreme power and that
power is exercised by representatives chosen directly or indirectly by them.
Unit One Vocabulary
19. Three-Fifths Clause- An agreement reached at the Constitutional Convention between the North
and South states. The South wanted the slave population counted for voting purposes but not for
tax purposes but the North wanted the opposite. The two sides agreed that three-fifths of the slave
population would be counted for both purposes.
20. Virginia Plan- Proposal presented by Virginia delegates at the Constitution Convention which
recommended that Congress be bicameral (composed of two legislative chambers) and the
population of the states be the basis of their representation.
21. unicameral- Refers to a legislative that has only one body.
22. checks and balances- The system that prevents any branch of government from having too much
power by requiring the approval of one or more branch for important acts.
23. Elastic Clause ("necessary and proper")- The section of the Constitution that allows Congress
to pass necessary laws for the performance of its duties. It allows Congress to stretch its powers
beyond those that are specifically enumerated (granted to it) by the Constitution.
24. majority- Subset of a group containing more than half of its members.
25. majority rule- The idea that all the people in a group or society should be held to the rules and
decisions made by more than half of the people.
26. plurality- The largest number of votes received by an candidate or referendum (direct vote)
27. popular sovereignty- Supreme and final authority in a government, which rests with the people
of the United States.
28. Supremacy Clause-The section of the Constitutions that requires conflicts between federal and
state law to be resolved in favor of federal law. State constitutions and laws that violate the U.S.
Constitution, federal laws, or international treaties can be invalidated through the supremacy
clause. It declares that the Constitution is the "supreme law of the land."
29. Amend- To officially change or alter, as in changing or adding to the Constitution
30. Amendment- A change or addition made to the Constitution after its original ratification in 1788
31. Bill of Rights- The first 10 amendment to the United States Constitution. The Bill of Rights
guarantees personal liberties to citizens and limits the power of the U.S. government.
32. Establishment Clause- First clause of the First Amendment's section on freedom of religion
prohibiting Congress from passing a law "supporting the establishment" of religion. This has
come to be interpreted as forbidding the federal government from supporting any one religion
over another. Some argue it forbids supporting in any way any religion at all.
33. formal amendment- An official change to the Constitution through the process laid out by the
Constitution itself.
34. Free Exercise Clause- Second clause of the First Amendment's section on freedom of religion
prohibiting Congress from passing any law that prevents the 'free exercise' of any religion.
35. informal amendment- A change in application or interpretation of the Constitution that
effectively changes the Constitution itself without altering its wording
36. Ratification- The Constitutional process by which the states must approve amendments to the
Constitution. Three-quarters of the states must approve an amendment before it is ratified and
officially becomes part of the Constitution.
37. selective incorporation- An interpretation of the 14th Amendment that began in the 1920s that
extends a number of the rights enumerated in the Bill of Rights to the states.
38. Commerce Clause- Gives Congress the power to regulate commerce with foreign nations and
the states.
39. concurrent powers- Constitutional powers shared by federal and state governments.
40. confederation/confederacy- an act of being an alliance/a league or compact for mutual support
or common action
Unit One Vocabulary
41. dual federalism- Form of federalism where state and federal governments are separate and
independent. U.S. was a dual federalism during the nation’s early history.
42. express powers- power explicitly authorized in law (Constitution).
43. federal system (federalism)- A system in which the national government and the local/state
governments share powers.
44. implied powers- Powers claimed by Congress which are not specifically given to it by the
Constitution but are implied in its elastic clause ("necessary and proper").
45. inherent powers- Powers that a sovereign state holds that form from the “loosely” worded
statements in the Constitution.
46. McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)- Supreme Court decided that the states do not have the power to
tax a federal bank. In this case the Constitution’s “necessary and proper” clause permits the
federal government to have a federal bank, though it is not stated in the Constitution, because it
was a “necessary and proper” exercise of the government’s right to borrow money.
47. reserved powers- Powers reserved for the states and cannot be exercised by the federal
government
48. states' "rights"- powers reserved for the state governments rather than federal government,
reinforced by the 10th Amendment.
49. unitary system- characterized by a central government that possesses all governmental authority.
50. block grants- Federal money given to states with minimal guidelines.
51. categorical grants- Federal aid given to states after they agree to adhere to federal guidelines for
its use.
52. conditions of aid- The money given must be used exactly for the purpose which it was given for.
53. devolution- Effort to scale down the size and activities of the national government and to shift
the responsibility for domestic programs from federal level to state level.
54. express preemption- occurs when a federal statute (law enacted by a legislature) confirms
Congress’s intention to override state or local law.
55. grants-in-aid- Federal funding given to state and local governments to fund policies and
programs.
56. implied preemption- Occurs when a federal law or regulation contains language that conflict
with state or local laws or that concerns matters in which the federal government holds power
over.
57. initiative- Process through which voters can propose new laws. It is one of one the Progressive
Era reforms that gave voters more power over the government.
58. mandates- a formal order or requirement as a condition for aid.
59. nullification- the action of a state impending or attempting to prevent the operation and
enforcement within its territory of a law of the United States.
60. preemption- Refers to when a federal law supersedes that of a state or states
61. project grants- a grant awarded on the basis of competitive applications to accomplish a specific
task or support a project.
62. recall- Process through which voters can shorten an office holder’s term. Another reform from
the Progressive Era to increase voters’ power.
63. referendum- Process through which voters can vote on new laws. Another Progressive Era
reform.
64. revenue- the yield of sources of income (taxes) that a political unit collects and receives into the
treasury for public use.
Unit One Vocabulary
65. revenue sharing- A policy where Congress gives an annual amount of federal tax revenue to the
states and their cities, counties, and townships. This took place in the U.S. from 1972 -1986 until
it was replaced in 1987 under the Reagan Administration by block grants.
66. constitutionalism- An idea that the base for the structure of a government and its powers be a
written or unwritten constitution to set limits to the power of the government.
67. constitutional democracy- democracy in which the power of the majority is limited by legal and
institutional means so the rights of citizens is respected.
68. democracy- A type of government where the it is run by the people. In the United States,
democracy refers to the government system that gets its power from the consent of the majority of
the population and governs according to the will of the majority.
69. Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)- Supreme Court ruled that Congressional power over commerce
should extend to the regulation of all aspects of it and override any contradictory state or local
law.There are limits to the Commerce Clause because it can be interpreted that navigation, in this
case, is only pertained to the clause because it was necessary to business as it allowed for
interstate transportation of goods.
70. popular consent- The idea that a just government must get its powers from the consent of the
governed people.
71. statism- The practice of giving a centralized government control over economic planning and
policy.