the first written plan of government for the United States. A confederation is an association of states that cooperate for a common purpose.

to agree or pledge to support someone or something

a meeting held in Philadelphia in 1787 at which delegates from the states wrote the U.S. Constitution

a written plan that provides the basic framework of a government

a difference between two statements or situations that means they cannot both be true

the group established by the Constitution to elect the president and vice president. Voters in each state choose their electors.

the "Age of Reason" in 17th- and 18th-century Europe. Enlightenment thinkers emphasized using rational thought to discover truths about nature and society.

a basic set of ideas used to develop a larger plan

the plan of government adopted at the Constitutional Convention that established a two-house Congress. In the House of Representatives, representation from each state is based on state population. In the Senate, each state is represented by two senators.

supporting ideas of freedom, change, and progress

a law passed by Congress in 1787 that specified how western lands would be governed

a region of the United States bounded by the Ohio and Mississippi rivers and the Great Lakes. The region was given to the United States by the Treaty of Paris in 1783.

to formally approve a plan or an agreement. The process of approval is called ratification.

a country governed by elected representatives

a series of essays written by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay in support of the ratification of the Constitution by the states

an agreement made at the Constitutional Convention stating that enslaved persons would be counted as three-fifths of a person when determining a state's population for representation in the House of Representatives

a strong disagreement

the system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other two branches

to treat a person or group unfairly

a group of people or things with obvious differences among them

relating to issues within a country

the part of government that carries out, or executes, the laws

the constitutional system that shares power between the national and state governments

the use or purpose of something

an especially original, intelligent, or clever idea

trade and other business dealings between two or more states

the part of government, consisting of the Supreme Court and lower federal courts, that interprets the laws

the power of the Supreme Court to decide whether laws and acts made by the legislative and executive branches are unconstitutional

the lawmaking part of government, called the legislature. To legislate is to make a law.

a basic principle of democracy that says laws are passed by majority vote and elections are decided by a majority of the voters

the idea that the government's authority comes from the people

a key constitutional principle that divides the functions of government among three branches—legislative, executive, and judicial—to prevent any one branch from gaining too much power

a formal listing of the basic rights of people in the United States

payment given to someone to offset, or make up for, a loss or injury

a person who is required to defend himself or herself in a legal action. An example is an accused person who is put on trial for a crime.

to withhold or take away something

putting a person on trial more than once for the same crime

the concept that the government must follow clear rules and act reasonably as it carries out the law

giving testimony that can be used against oneself

an order from a judge that authorizes police or other officials to take a certain action, such as searching someone's property

a person holding an indicated position, role, office, etc.

(of a legislative body) having two branches or chambers.