Civics Vocabulary 1-2
Terms
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- Amend (Amendment)
- to change; a written change or addition in the Constitution.
- Ratification (Ratify)
- to approve; approval of the Constitution in 1787 or of a constitutional amendment.
- Representative
- members of the House of Representatives or a person who represents a group of people in the government.
- Constitution of the United States of America
- the plan of government approved in 1789 to be the “supreme law of the landâ€.
- Federal Government
- the national government of our nation.
- Legislative Branch
- the branch of our federal, state or local government that makes the laws.
- Executive Branch
- the branch of our federal, state or local government that carries out the laws.
- Judicial Branch
- the branch of the federal, state or local government that decides if laws have been broken and that punishes lawbreakers.
- Bill
- a proposed law being considered by a lawmaking body.
- Checks and Balances
- the way in which the powers of government are balanced, or divided, among three branches, so that each branch may check, or limit, the other branches.
- Cabinet
- The heads of the executive departments in the federal government, who also act as advisors to the President.
- Bill of Rights
- the first 10 amendments to the Constitution, which set forth the basic rights, or freedoms, guaranteed to all Americans.
- Unwritten Constitution
- the traditional ways of doing things in our federal government that are seldom written down or made into laws.
- Theocracy
- Based on a theology or religious faith. It is a form of government in which God or a deity is recognized as the supreme civil ruler and the God’s or deity’s laws are being interpreted by govt officials.
- Anarchy
- Complete disorder that can result from having no government or laws.
- Divine Right
- the doctrine that monarchs derive their right to rule directly from God and are accountable only to God.
- Socialism
- Under a socialist system the government has ownership over the countries basic goods and services (communication, transportation, health care, power, etc.); however, some services, are owned by private businesses