1. American Government
Chapter 2: Vocabulary

2. Origins of American Government
Limited Government – the idea that government is not all-powerful and is restricted in what it may do
Representative Government – the idea that government should serve the will of the people
Magna Carta- Great Charter forced upon King John of England by his barons in 1215; it established that power of the monarchy was not absolute and guaranteed trial by jury and due process of law to the nobility
Petition of Right – limited the King’s power in several ways – the document demanded that the King no longer imprison or otherwise punish any person but by the lawful judgment of his peers. It challenged the divine right of Kings

3. Origins of American Government
English Bill of Rights – 1689 – prohibited a standing army in peacetime, except with the consent of Parliament, and required that all Parliamentary elections be free. It also guarantees the right to a fair trial, freedom from excessive bail and from cruel and unusual punishment
Charter – a written grant of authority from a king
Bicameral – a two-house legislature
Unicameral – a one-house legislature
Albany Plan of Union – Benjamin Franklin proposed the formation of an annual congress of delegates from each of the 13 colonies

4. Origins of American Government
Articles of Confederation – 1777 – under this plan, each state kept its sovereignty, freedom, and independence; the states came together for their common defense
Ratification – formal approval
Framers – the group of delegates who attended the Philadelphia Convention
Virginia Plan – called for a new government with 3 separate branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. The legislature would be bi-cameral, and representation was to be based on each state’s population
New Jersey Plan – retained the unicameral congress with each of the states equally represented

5. Origins of American Government
Connecticut Compromise – agreed that Congress should be composed of 2 houses. In the Senate, the states would be represented equally, and in the House of Representatives, the representation for each state would be based on population
Three-Fifths Compromise – for representation purposes, each slave would be counted as 3/5 of a person
Federalists – favored ratification of the Constitution
Anti-Federalists – opposed ratification of the Constitution
Quorum – a majority