constitution
document that describes how a government is to work
republic
a government in which elected representatives govern the people
Virginia Plan
proposed that the US government have a bicameral system based on each state’s population; supported by larger states
bicameral system
government system consisting of two legislative houses
New Jersey Plan
proposal that the new US government have a unicameral system in which all states would have one vote; supported by smaller states
unicameral system
government system consisting of one legislative house
Great Compromise
also known as the Connecticut Compromise, written by Roger Sherman; agreement that the US government would have a bicameral Congress consisting of a House of Representatives and a Senate
Senate
the upper house of Congress with each state represented by two senators
House of Representatives
the lower house of Congress in which representation is based on population
census
a count of the population taken every ten years to determine the number of representatives for each state in the lower house
Three-Fifths Compromise
agreement reached that, for representation and taxation, every five enslaved people would count as three people in the state’s population total
separation of powers
principle attempting to ensure that no branch of the government has too much power
checks and balances
system that keeps each branch of government from exercising too much power by limiting, or checking, the powers of the other branches
federal system
division of the government’s powers between the national government and the states
Federalists
those who favored the adoption of the Constitution
Federalist papers
newspaper essays by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay written to gain support for the Constitution
Anti-Federalist
those who fought ratification of the Constitution
Electoral College
body established by the Constitution to elect the president
Bill of Rights
name for the first ten amendments to the Constitution
