UNIT 2 2024-2025

The right to vote in political elections.

"The women's suffrage movement was a decades-long fight to win the right to vote for women in the United States."

The first constitution of the United States, in force from 1781 to 1789, which was replaced by the U.S. Constitution.

"The Articles of Confederation established a weak central government and left most powers with the individual states."

The action of signing or giving formal consent to a treaty, contract, or agreement, making it officially valid.

"Ratification of the United States Constitution by all thirteen states gave birth to the new nation."

A law passed in 1787 to regulate the settlement of the Northwest Territory and formed the basis for the admission of states into the Union.

"The Northwest Ordinance established the precedent by which new states could become part of the union on an equal footing with older states."

Taxes imposed by a government on imported goods.

"The government raised tariffs to protect domestic industries from foreign competition."

An armed uprising in Western Massachusetts and Worcester in response to a debt crisis among the citizenry and in opposition to the state government's increased efforts to collect taxes both on individuals and their trades.

"Shays' Rebellion highlighted the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and led to calls for a stronger national government."

The gathering that drafted the Constitution of the United States in 1787; all states were invited to send delegates.

"The Constitutional Convention was held in Philadelphia and resulted in the drafting of the current United States Constitution."

The agreement by which Congress would have two houses: the Senate (where each state gets two representatives) and the House of Representatives (where representation is based on population).

"The Great Compromise was pivotal in shaping the legislative structure of the United States."

A compromise where every five enslaved people in a state would count as three residents in terms of the apportionment of representation and taxation.

"The 3/5 Compromise was a controversial agreement during the Constitutional Convention that partially resolved the issue of how to count the enslaved population."

The principle that the authority of the government is created and sustained by the consent of its people, through their elected representatives.

"Popular sovereignty is a cornerstone of democracy, ensuring that the power to govern resides with the people."

The branch of government responsible for making laws; in the United States, it's Congress (the Senate and the House of Representatives).

"The Legislative Branch has the power to enact legislation, declare war, and confirm or reject presidential appointments."

The branch of government responsible for implementing and enforcing the laws written by the legislative branch and, in the United States, headed by the President.

"The Executive Branch is tasked with the administration and operation of the nation as per the laws passed by the Legislative Branch."

The branch of government that interprets the law and administers justice; in the United States, it is comprised of the Supreme Court and other federal courts.

"The Judicial Branch ensures that the country's laws are applied uniformly and interprets the constitutionality of laws."

A system that allows each branch of government to amend or veto acts of another branch so as to prevent any one branch from exerting too much power.

"Checks and balances help maintain a balance of power among the three branches of government."

A system of government in which power is divided between a central authority and constituent political units.

"Federalism in the United States creates a balance of power between the national government and the state governments."

Articles added to the U.S. Constitution after it had already been created and ratified, in order to provide details on the rights of the people and the government.

"The First Amendment to the Constitution protects freedoms concerning religion, expression, assembly, and the right to petition."

People who opposed the creation of a stronger U.S. federal government and later opposed the ratification of the 1787 Constitution.

"Anti-Federalists were concerned that the Constitution did not adequately protect the rights and liberties of individuals."

Supporters of the proposed Constitution, who favored a strong central government.

"Federalists argued that a strong federal government was necessary to provide national unity and effective governance."

An American civil rights lawyer, who served as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from October 1967 until October 1991, and the first African-American justice.

"Thurgood Marshall was renowned for his victory in the landmark Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education, which helped end racial segregation in public schools."

An American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Father who served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817; he is hailed as the 'Father of the Constitution' for his pivotal role in drafting and promoting the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

"James Madison's contributions to the framing of the U.S. Constitution were instrumental in the formation of the American political system."

The legal requirement that the state must respect all legal rights that are owed to a person, balancing the power of law of the land and protecting the individual person from it.

"The Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution ensures that no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law."

The body of electors established by the Constitution, constituted every four years for the sole purpose of electing the president and vice president of the United States.

"The Electoral College played a critical role in the 2016 United States presidential election."

A landmark statute adopted on September 24, 1789, in the first session of the First United States Congress.

"The Judiciary Act of 1789 established the federal judiciary of the United States and laid out the structure of the court system, including the Supreme Court."

The total amount of money that a country's government has borrowed, by various means.

"Managing national debt is a major challenge for governments, which must balance between spending on public services and the cost of servicing the debt."

The first national bank which was chartered by the United States Congress in 1791 and proposed by Alexander Hamilton.

"The Bank of the United States was critical in managing the economy and improving the credibility of the national government."

A formal announcement issued by President George Washington in April 1793, declaring the nation neutral in the conflict between France and Great Britain.

"The Neutrality Proclamation kept the United States out of the early stages of the French Revolutionary Wars."

A tax protest in the United States beginning in 1791 during the presidency of George Washington.

"The Whiskey Rebellion was particularly challenging for the new government, as it had to assert federal power without trampling on states' rights."

The political party founded in 1792 by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, which championed republicanism, political equality, and expansionism.

"The Democratic-Republican Party was originally created as an opposition party to the Federalist Party and became the dominant political party in the early decades of the United States."

A diplomatic incident between French and United States diplomats that led to an undeclared war known as the Quasi-War.

"The XYZ Affair resulted from the Jay Treaty with Britain, which the French saw as evidence of an Anglo-American alliance."

Laws passed in 1798 that allowed the imprisonment and deportation of non-citizens deemed dangerous and criminalized making false statements against the government.

"The Alien and Sedition Acts were viewed by many as an overreach of government power and a threat to the First Amendment."