US Constitution An Introduction - vocab and Q's

  1. democracy
    a country where people govern themselves
  2. republic
    a country where people elect officials to represent them
  3. representative
    a person who acts and/or speaks for someone else
  4. federation
    a tightly joined group of states giving certain powers, duties, and responsibilities that can best carried out in the interest of all the states to a central government
  5. confederation
    a loosely joined group of states that gives only limited powers to a central government, with each state keeping the most important powers for itself.
  6. constitution
    a contract or written aggreement
  7. supreme
    highest
  8. United States  Constitution
    the supreme law of the country
  9. lobby
    a special interest group, which tries to get laws passed in its interests or keep laws that are against its interests from being passed.
  10. petition
    written statement supported by the signatures of citizens that are either for or against some action taken or about to be taken by our elected officials
  11. minority
    less than half
  12. majority
    more than half
  13. unanimous
    all, 100%
  14. candidate
    person seeking election to office
  15. Articles of Confederation
    the first plan of national government in the USA
  16. ratify
    agree to, adopt, accept
  17. tyranny
    unreasonable harsh rule
  18. assembly
    a gathering of persons
  19. legislature
    lawmaking body of people
  20. Congress
    the US national legislature
  21. executive
    person who sees that laws are carried out
  22. judiciary
    system of courts
  23. taxes
    money paid to the government and used for its operation
  24. convention
    meeting held for a special reason
  25. revise
    change and/or improve
  26. compromise
    an agreement reached by each opposing side giving in on some points
  27. population
    number of people in a given place
  28. regulate
    control; to put restrictions/parameters on something
  29. commerce
    trade; buying and selling
  30. exports
    imports
    • goods shipped out of a country
    • goods shipped into a country
  31. treaty
    agreement between nations
  32. What is the US Constitution?
    The Supreme law of the United States
  33. When was the U.S. Constitution written?
    May to September of 1787
  34. Who wrote the U.S. Constitution?
    • Gouverneur Morris wrote the final form,
    • but it was a product of compromises between George Washington, James Madison, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, and others
  35. Where was the U.S. Constitution written?
    Constitution convention in Philadelphia, the previous capital of the USA.
  36. How many delegates attended the constitution convention
    Fifty-five, from twelve of the thirteen states that were then the USA.
  37. Delegate
    an elected representative sent to a conference.
  38. What state did not send a delegate?
    Rhode Island
  39. How many delegates signed the constitution?
    thirty-nine
  40. when was the constitution adopted?
    July 2nd, 1788, but did not go into effect until March 4th, 1789
  41. How many states had to ratify it before it was adopted?
    nine of the thirteen, or 3/4 of the states
  42. By what date did the nine states ratify it?
    June 21st, 1788
Author
jaketravels
ID
329067
Card Set
US Constitution An Introduction - vocab and Q's
Description
Introduction to the Constitution. vocab and questions taken from "The Constitution of the United States, An Introduction" by Floyd G. Cullop
Updated