Wanted: A Just Right Government

goldilocks

Early Americans had something in common with this fictional character

states

These were the "individuals" in the "confederation" created by the Articles

Three fourths

Fraction of states that must agree to change the Constitution

smaller

Under the New Jersey plan, these states would have more power

larger

Under the Virginia Plan, these states would have more power

Executive

The branch that carries out laws

legislative

The branch that makes laws

population

In the House of Representatives, the number of votes a state gets depends on this

senate

The chamber of Congress where each state gets two votes

same

Staes must treat their own citizens and other states' citizens this way

confederation

A group of individuals united together for a purpose

government

The Articles of Confederation was America's first plan for_____.

judicial

The branch that interprets laws

Constitution

The document that replaced the Articles of Confederation

independence

One of two things people were afraid states might lose

branch

The Articles of Confederation created a government that had only one of these

taxes

One problem was that states charged these on goods from other states

enforce

Under the Articles of Confederation, congress could not do this to its laws, so states could just ignore laws

superior

The Constitution says laws passed by Congress are ____ to state laws

military

The Articles let Congress create this but not pay for it

representatives

States send these to Congress

power

One of two things people were afraid states might lose

president

Under the Articles, America did not have one of these

Articles of Confederation

1st Constitution of the U.S. 1781-1788 (weaknesses-no executive, no judicial, no power to tax, no power to regulate trade); governed America during the Revolutionary War.

Benjamin Frankin

one of the founding fathers, wrote the Albany Plan of Union, and helped write the Articles of Confederation and the U.S. Constitution.

Constitutional Convention

A meeting in Philadelphia in 1787 that produced a new constitution, the U.S. Constitution.

Virginia Plan

"Large state" proposal for the new constitution, calling for proportional representation in both houses of a bicameral Congress.

New Jersey Plan

The proposal at the Constitutional Convention that called for equal representation of each state in Congress regardless of the state's population.