Article I, Section 2, Clause 3 of the U.S. Constitution, later eliminated by the Fourteenth Amendment. The clause provided that each slave should be counted as three-fifths of a person in determining the number of representatives a state might send to the House of Representatives. It also determined the amount of direct taxes Congress might levy on a state. 

(1) Formal approval of some legal instrument such as a constitution or treaty. (2) In U.S. constitutional history, the approval of the U.S. Constitution in 1788. 

 A principle of constitutional government; a government whose powers are defined and limited by a constitution. 

A system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power 

A form of government in which power is divided and shared between a central government and state and local governments. 

A form of government in which people elect representatives to create and enforce laws

A body of people representing the states of the US, who formally cast votes for the election of the president and vice president. 

A series of articles written for newspapers urging the adoption of the Constitution and supporting the need for a strong national government. 

A plan accepted at the Philadelphia Convention in 1787 that called for a Congress of two houses: 

in the upper house, or Senate, representation of the states would be equal, with each state having two senators; 

in the lower house, or House of Representatives, representation would be apportioned according to the population of each state, so that states with more people would have more representatives. 

Also called the Connecticut Compromise. 

Advocates for a strong central government who urged ratification of the U.S. Constitution. They flourished as a political party in the 1790s under the leadership of Alexander Hamilton.. 

The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution - lists many basic rights that the federal government may not interfere with and must protect. 

A government in which the people rule by their own consent. 

Opponents to ratification of the U.S. Constitution who believed that it gave excessive power to the federal government and failed to protect the rights and liberties of the people. 

 (1781-1789) The first constitution of the United States, created to form a perpetual union and a firm league of friendship among the thirteen original states. It was adopted by the Second Continental Congress on November 15, 1777, and sent to the states for ratification. 

Article VI, Section 2 of the Constitution, which states that the U.S. Constitution, laws passed by Congress, and treaties of the United States "shall be the supreme Law of the Land" and binding on the states. 

The organization having central political authority in a nation; the representative unit of political organization. 

A change in, or addition to, a constitution or law.

A Supreme Court case that allowed U.S. citizens to bring a lawsuit against states in which they did not reside; overturned by the Eleventh Amendment in 1789.

 Powers that Congress has that are specifically listed in the constitution in Article I, Section 8; also known as enumerated and delegated powers.

Powers not specifically granted to the federal government or denied to the states belong to the states and the people; granted by the 10th Amendment.

A series of statements expressing the party's principles, beliefs, and positions on election issues.

A form of government in which people elect representatives to create and enforce laws

 A form of government in which power is divided between the federal, or national, government and the states.

Allows the court to determine the constitutionality of laws; established by the SCOTUS case Marbury v. Madison (1803).

This case establishes the Supreme Court's power of Judicial Review.

Powers held jointly by the national and state governments, such as taxation.

A group of individuals with broad common interests who organize to nominate candidates for office, win elections, conduct government, and determine public policy.

Article VI of the Constitution, which makes the Constitution, national laws, and treaties supreme over state laws when the national government is acting within its constitutional limits.

 Clause of the Constitution (Article I, Section 8) setting forth the implied powers of Congress. It states that Congress, in addition to its express powers, has the right to make all laws necessary and proper to carry out all powers the Constitution vests in the national government.

Legalized segregation in publicly owned facilities on the basis of "separate but equal."

A tax of a fixed amount per person and payable as a requirement for the right to vote 

Abolishes and prohibits slavery; Reconstruction Amendment

Gave women the right to vote

A test given to persons to prove they can read and write before being allowed to register to vote

Clause in the Fourteenth Amendment that forbids any state to deny to any person the equal protection of the laws. This clause is the major constitutional restraint on the power of governments to discriminate against persons because of race, national origin, or sex.

Citizenship, due process, equal protection; Reconstruction Amendment 

Overruled Plessy v. Ferguson (no stare decisis). Racial segregation violates 14th Amendment Equal Protection Clause ("separate is inherently unequal")

Prohibited voting restrictions based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude (slavery); Reconstruction Amendment