Constitutional Vocabulary

What is an amendment?

• An addition to a document

• A removal of a document

• A summary of a document

• A translation of a document

What is a compromise?

• An agreement in which both sides give up some demands

• A decision made by one side only

• A complete refusal to negotiate

• A victory for one side

What is a confederation?

• A system in which a variety of countries, people, or groups band together for a common purpose

• A single country with no alliances

• A dictatorship with no external relations

• A monarchy with absolute power

What is federalism?

• A political system in which power is shared between a national centralized government and a collection of smaller state governments

• A system where all power is held by a single ruler

• A political system with no central government

• A system where states have no power

What are natural rights?

• Basic rights people are born with, also called unalienable rights

• Rights given by the government

• Privileges earned through citizenship

• Temporary rights granted by law

What does ratification mean?

• Approval of a document or policy

• Rejection of a document or policy

• Destruction of a document or policy

• Ignoring a document or policy

What is sovereignty?

• Freedom from external control

• Complete dependence on another country

• A temporary state of independence

• A type of government

What does bicameral mean?

• A legislative body with two houses or chambers

• A single house legislature

• A three-part government

• A monarchy

Who were the Anti-Federalists?

• A group that opposed the creation of a stronger U.S. federal government and the ratification of the Constitution, advocating for states' rights

• Supporters of a strong national government

• Advocates for a monarchy

• Proponents of a single-party system

Who were the Federalists?

• Supporters of the Constitution who advocated for a strong national government and the ratification of the Constitution

• Opponents of the Constitution

• Advocates for a weak national government

• Proponents of state independence