{
 "source": "https://peabody.kids/flashcards/us-constitution-basics",
 "id": "us-constitution-basics",
 "title": "The US Constitution",
 "category": "social-studies",
 "subject": "Civics",
 "levels": [
  "6-8",
  "9-12"
 ],
 "description": "What the Constitution is, how it is organized, and the big ideas behind it.",
 "tags": [
  "constitution",
  "preamble",
  "articles",
  "federalism"
 ],
 "frontLabel": "Term",
 "backLabel": "Meaning",
 "cards": [
  [
   "Constitution",
   "The written plan for the US government and the nation's highest law"
  ],
  [
   "Year written",
   "1787, in Philadelphia"
  ],
  [
   "Year in effect",
   "1789, after nine states ratified it in 1788"
  ],
  [
   "Constitutional Convention",
   "Meeting of state delegates in 1787 that wrote the Constitution"
  ],
  [
   "Framers",
   "The delegates who wrote the Constitution"
  ],
  [
   "James Madison",
   "Called the Father of the Constitution"
  ],
  [
   "George Washington",
   "President of the Constitutional Convention"
  ],
  [
   "Preamble",
   "The introduction that begins 'We the People'"
  ],
  [
   "Purposes in the Preamble",
   "Form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure peace, provide defense, promote welfare, secure liberty"
  ],
  [
   "Article I",
   "Describes Congress, the legislative branch"
  ],
  [
   "Article II",
   "Describes the president, the executive branch"
  ],
  [
   "Article III",
   "Describes the courts, the judicial branch"
  ],
  [
   "Article IV",
   "Describes the relationship of states to each other and the nation"
  ],
  [
   "Article V",
   "Explains how to amend the Constitution"
  ],
  [
   "Article VI",
   "Says the Constitution is the supreme law of the land"
  ],
  [
   "Article VII",
   "Explains how the Constitution would be ratified"
  ],
  [
   "Supremacy Clause",
   "Federal law is above state law when they conflict"
  ],
  [
   "Popular sovereignty",
   "Government's power comes from the people"
  ],
  [
   "Limited government",
   "The government has only the powers the Constitution gives it"
  ],
  [
   "Separation of powers",
   "Power is divided among three branches"
  ],
  [
   "Checks and balances",
   "Each branch can limit the other two"
  ],
  [
   "Federalism",
   "Power shared between national and state governments"
  ],
  [
   "Republicanism",
   "People elect representatives to govern for them"
  ],
  [
   "Individual rights",
   "Basic freedoms protected from government interference"
  ],
  [
   "Great Compromise",
   "Gave states equal votes in the Senate and population-based seats in the House"
  ],
  [
   "Roger Sherman",
   "Delegate from Connecticut who helped craft the Great Compromise"
  ],
  [
   "Three-Fifths Compromise",
   "Counted three-fifths of enslaved people for representation; later ended"
  ],
  [
   "Virginia Plan",
   "Proposal for representation based on population"
  ],
  [
   "New Jersey Plan",
   "Proposal for equal representation for each state"
  ],
  [
   "Federalists",
   "People who supported ratifying the Constitution"
  ],
  [
   "Anti-Federalists",
   "People who opposed it without a bill of rights"
  ],
  [
   "Ratify",
   "To formally approve"
  ],
  [
   "Amendment",
   "A formal change to the Constitution"
  ],
  [
   "How to propose an amendment",
   "Two-thirds of both houses of Congress, or a convention called by two-thirds of states"
  ],
  [
   "How to ratify an amendment",
   "Three-fourths of the states must approve"
  ],
  [
   "Number of amendments",
   "Twenty-seven"
  ],
  [
   "Bill of Rights",
   "First ten amendments, ratified in 1791"
  ],
  [
   "Necessary and Proper Clause",
   "Lets Congress make laws needed to carry out its powers"
  ],
  [
   "Commerce Clause",
   "Gives Congress power to regulate trade between states and with other nations"
  ],
  [
   "Enumerated powers",
   "Powers specifically listed for Congress in Article I"
  ],
  [
   "Implied powers",
   "Powers not listed but suggested by the listed ones"
  ],
  [
   "Reserved powers",
   "Powers left to the states under the Tenth Amendment"
  ],
  [
   "Concurrent powers",
   "Powers shared by federal and state governments, like taxing"
  ],
  [
   "Elastic clause",
   "Another name for the Necessary and Proper Clause"
  ],
  [
   "Bicameral",
   "Having two chambers, like the House and Senate"
  ],
  [
   "Qualifications for president",
   "Natural-born citizen, at least 35, 14 years a resident"
  ],
  [
   "Qualifications for senator",
   "At least 30, a citizen for nine years, lives in the state"
  ],
  [
   "Qualifications for representative",
   "At least 25, a citizen for seven years, lives in the state"
  ],
  [
   "Impeachment",
   "House charges and Senate tries an official for serious misconduct"
  ],
  [
   "Veto",
   "President's rejection of a bill"
  ],
  [
   "Veto override",
   "Two-thirds of both houses can pass a bill over a veto"
  ],
  [
   "Judicial review",
   "Courts can decide that laws violate the Constitution (Marbury v. Madison, 1803)"
  ],
  [
   "Electoral College",
   "Electors chosen by states formally select the president"
  ],
  [
   "Habeas corpus",
   "Right to be brought before a court to challenge imprisonment"
  ],
  [
   "Ex post facto law",
   "A law that punishes an act that was legal when it was done; banned by the Constitution"
  ],
  [
   "Bill of attainder",
   "A law that declares someone guilty without a trial; banned"
  ],
  [
   "Treason",
   "Betraying the country, defined narrowly in the Constitution"
  ],
  [
   "Full Faith and Credit",
   "States must respect each other's public acts and court rulings"
  ],
  [
   "Extradition",
   "Returning a person accused of a crime to the state where it happened"
  ],
  [
   "Oath of office",
   "Promise by officials to support the Constitution"
  ],
  [
   "National Archives",
   "Washington, DC building where the Constitution is displayed"
  ],
  [
   "Constitution Day",
   "September 17, marking the 1787 signing"
  ],
  [
   "Signers",
   "Thirty-nine delegates signed the Constitution"
  ],
  [
   "Benjamin Franklin",
   "Oldest delegate at the Convention"
  ],
  [
   "Gouverneur Morris",
   "Wrote much of the final Constitution's wording"
  ],
  [
   "Elbridge Gerry",
   "Delegate who refused to sign because it lacked a bill of rights"
  ]
 ]
}