Vocabulary terms

1. Bill of Rights- a statement of the rights of a class of people, in particular.

Sentence: The Bill of Rights is a collective statement for the first 10 amendments to the
constitution.
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2. Checks and Balances- the separation of powers, allows one body of power to limit
or restrict the power of another.
Sentence: Checks and Balances prevents one branch of the government from
becoming too powerful.
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3. Constitution- a body of fundamental principles or established precedents according
to which state or other organization is acknowledged to be governed.
Sentence: The United States Constitution was adopted September 17, 1787
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4. Democracy- a type of government that derives its power from the people it governs
Sentence: Democracy consists of legal equality, freedom, and the rule of law.
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5. Electoral College- a body of electors chosen by the voters who formally elect the
president and vice president
Sentence: The Electoral College was a compromise between election of the president
by congress and election of the president by popular vote of citizens.
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6. Federalism- is a political concept in which a group of members are bound together
by covenant (Latin: foedus, covenant) with a governing representative head.
Sentence: Federalism is when the power to govern is shared between national and
state governments.
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7. Federalists- an advocate or supporter of federalism
Sentence: the Federalist Party was formed by Alexander Hamilton.
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8. Framers - the delegates to the Constitutional Convention known for their efforts in
drafting the framework of the new government
Sentence: the seven main framers were John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander
Hamilton, John Jay, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and George Washington.
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9. Government- group of people who control and make decisions for a country or state
Sentence: in America we have Federal, State, and Local government.
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10. Impeachment- a formal document charging a public official with misconduct in
office
Sentence: Two presidents have been impeached, Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton.
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11. James Madison- He is known as the "Father of the Constitution" and is a key
author of the United States Bill of Rights.
Sentence: James Madison was considered one of the Framers of the Constitution.
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12. Judicial Review- The power of the judicial branch to check the power of the
legislative and executive branches by declaring their acts unconstitutional.
Sentence: Judicial Review is an example of checks and balances.
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13. Majority Rule- A doctrine by which a numerical majority of an organized group
holds the power to make decisions binding on all in the group
Sentence: Majority Rule does not privilege voters by letting some votes count for more
or privilege an alternative by requiring fewer votes for its passing
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14. Majority Leader- leader of the majority party in the House of Representatives,
second in command to Speaker of the House; they work to make sure their members
vote on key party issues
Sentence: majority leader is elected by U.S. Congressmen in the political party holding
the largest number of seats in the House.
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15. Minority Rights- rights held by individuals who make up less than half of the
general population
Sentence: Minority Rights can also mean anyone who is not with the majority rule.
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16. Monarchy - Rule by a person who is usually thought to have the God-given right to
rule. Power is usually hereditary.
Sentence: monarchy's were the most common source of government until the 19th
century.
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17. Magna Carta - A document or piece of legislation that serves as a guarantee of
basic rights.
Sentence: the United States Constitution traces it's history all the way back to the
Magna Carta.
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18. Oligarchy - Rule by a few people. There people are rulers because of
wealth/position/status/achievement.
Sentence: The people in charge of an oligarchy are often distinguished by royalty,
wealth, or family ties.
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19. Public Goods-a commodity or service that is provided without profit to all members
of society
Sentence: examples of public goods include fresh air, knowledge, and national defense.
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20. Political Party-an organized group that seeks to win elections in order to influence
the activities of government
Sentence: the US has two political parties, democratic and republican.
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21. Popular Sovereignty- ensures that all power ultimately rests in the hands of the
people
Sentence: popular sovereignty is described as the voice of the people.
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22. Ratify- sign or give formal consent to (a treaty, contract, or agreement), making it
officially valid.
Sentence: If fewer than thirteen states ratified document, it would become effective only
among the states ratifying it.
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23. Speaker of the House- the leader of the house of representatives , elected by the
party that has the most seats in the House, second in line for presidency behind vice
president, and has a large amount of power to influence the House
Sentence: the current Speaker of the House is John Boehner.
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24. Thirteenth Amendment- which was ratified in 1865, abolished slavery.
Sentence: the Thirteenth amendment was passed by the senate on April 8, 1864.
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25. Twenty-Sixth Amendment- which was ratified in 1971, lowered the voting age from
21 to 18.
Sentence: the Twenty-Sixth amendment lowered the voting age after Oregon vs Mitchell
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26. Twenty-Seventh Amendment- is the final amendment, and it forbids Congress
members from raising their own pay.
Sentence: the Twenty-Seventh Amendment was the most current amendment.
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27. Unconstitutional -any law or government action found to violate the constitution
Sentence: A politician who abuses or acts outside of the powers of his constitutionally-
established office would be considered unconstitutional.
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28. Separation of Powers- The division of government powers among the executive,
legislative, and judicial branches.
Sentence: Separation of Powers includes the three branches of government.
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29. Reconciliation - the restoration of friendly relations
Sentence: The United States is hoping to reconcile with the Koreas.
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30. Pyramid Model- based on a strict military-like chain of command that emphasizes
a powerful Chief of Staff, who in most cases is highly visible and accessible to the
press.
Sentence: The Pyramid Structure provides an orderly flow for information and decisions.
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31. Polls- help the president to shape policy, the media to spot problems in the new
administration, and the people to make judgments about the new president.
Sentence: Hundreds of readers have responded so far to the big-city mayor poll.
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32. Monetary Policy- process by which a government controls it's supply of money.
Sentence: Monetary policy is referred to as either being expansionary or contractionary
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33. Levying Taxes - To impose or collect a tax.
Sentence: the power of administrative levy for federal taxes dates back to the year
1791
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34. Limited Government - states government can only do things that the people give it
the authority to do
Sentence: Limited government gives citizens more control on how they shape their local
environment and policy
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35. Civil Rights- the rights of citizens to political and social freedom and equality
Sentence: Civil Rights protect citizens from discrimination over race, gender, sexual
orientation.
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36. Dictatorship-one person controls the government
Sentence: if our right to free speech is trampled on then we will be living in a
dictatorship .
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37. Cabinets-group of advisors created to aid the president
Sentence: The Cabinet includes the Vice President and the heads of 15 executive
departments
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38. Expenditure- the action of spending funds
Sentence: The Government does expenditure of the taxpayers money.
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39. Progressive Party- political party that was formed in the late 1900s and realigned
the Democratic party with Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal
Sentence: The progressive party was formed by Franklin Roosevelt.
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40. Tariff- a tax on imported goods
Sentence: the United States Tariff Act of 1789, signed specifically on July 4, was called
the Second Declaration of Independence.
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