U.S. Government and Constitution Basics

Constitutional Convention

• A meeting in 1787 where leaders created the U.S. Constitution.

• A gathering of state governors to discuss taxation in 1789.

• An event where the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776.

• A conference held to address the issues of the Articles of Confederation in 1785.

Implied Powers

• Powers explicitly stated in the Constitution

• Powers that are not written but are understood to be necessary, like creating a national bank.

• Powers that are denied to the federal government

• Powers that are reserved for the states

Virginia Plan

• A plan that wanted bigger states to have more votes in Congress because they had more people.

• A proposal for equal representation of all states in Congress regardless of population.

• A plan that aimed to reduce the power of larger states in Congress.

• A strategy to eliminate the Senate and have a unicameral legislature.

Reserved Powers

• Powers that only the states have, like running schools and issuing driver's licenses.

• Powers that are shared between the federal and state governments, such as taxation.

• Powers that only the federal government has, like declaring war and regulating interstate commerce.

• Powers that are not specifically granted to either the federal or state governments, such as education.

Articles of Confederation

• The first set of rules for the U.S. government before the Constitution; it was weak and later replaced.

• A document that established the current U.S. Constitution and government structure.

• A treaty that ended the Revolutionary War between the U.S. and Great Britain.

• The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution that guarantee individual rights.

Anti-Federalist

• A person who supported a strong federal government.

• A person who wanted to abolish the Constitution.

• A person who did not want a strong federal (national) government and was against the Constitution.

• A person who advocated for state sovereignty.

Expressed Powers

• Powers that are implied by the Constitution, such as regulating commerce.

• Powers that are directly written in the Constitution, like printing money or declaring war.

• Powers that are reserved for the states, like conducting elections.

• Powers that are not mentioned in the Constitution, such as establishing a national bank.

Unconstitutional

• When a law or action goes against the Constitution, it is not allowed.

• When a law is approved by the Supreme Court, it is constitutional.

• When a law is in effect for a long time, it becomes constitutional.

• When a law is created by the President, it is automatically constitutional.

Bill of Rights

• The first 10 amendments to the Constitution that protect people's freedoms, like free speech and religion.

• A document outlining the duties of the President of the United States.

• The first 10 articles of the Constitution that establish the legislative branch.

• A list of laws passed by Congress in the 18th century.

New Jersey Plan

• A plan that wanted all states to have equal votes in Congress, no matter their size.

• A proposal for a strong national government with three branches.

• A plan that favored representation based on population size.

• A compromise between large and small states regarding legislative representation.