| A | B |
|---|
| amendment | any change in the Constitution |
| anti-federalists | those opposed to the Constitution before 1789 |
| cabinet | a group of presidential advisers who make up the heads or secretaries of the executive departments |
| citizen | a member of a community with government and laws |
| compact | an agreement or a contract made among a group of people |
| congress | a formal meeting at which representatives discuss matters of common concern |
| delegate | a representative to a meeting |
| democracy | a government in which citizens hold the power to rule and to make laws |
| executive | the branch of government with the power to carry out laws |
| federalist | a person who supported the Constitution and a strong national government before 1789 |
| government | the power or authority that rules a country |
| judicial | the branch of government which interprets or applies laws |
| legislative | the branch of government with the power to make laws |
| nominate | to choose a candidate to run for office |
| enumerated powers | powers the Constitution specifically gives to the national government |
| reserved powers | powers the Constitution gives to the states |
| concurrent powers | powers that the state and national government share |
| separation of powers | separate the legislative, executive, and judicial functions of government |
| Parliament | the British legislature |
| popular sovereignty | the idea that people should have the right to rule themselves |
| Preamble | the introduction to the United States Constitution |
| precedent | a ruling or practice that is used as the basis for later decisions |
| ratify | to vote approval of |
| representative democracy | a government that consists of representatives elected by the citizens |
| responsibilities | obligations people fulfill voluntarily |
| session | the period of time when Congress meets |
| sovereignty | the supreme power to govern |
| suffrage | the right to vote |
| supremacy clause | a section of the Constitution stating that national law has higher authority than state law |
| tariff | an import tax designed to protect a nation's industries from foreign competition |
| town meeting | a gathering of local citizens to discuss and vote on important issues |
| treaty | a formal agreement between two or more countries |
| veto | to reject a bill |
| civics | the study of citizenship and government |
| aliens | noncitizens |
| Glorious Revolution | In England, this established the ideas that Parliament's power would come from English citizens |
| common law | a system of law based on precedents |
| Magna Carta | This "great charter" listed the rights of English nobles and set the principle of shared powers |
| colony | a group of people in one place who are ruled by the government of another place |
| House of Burgesses | early attempt at representative government in Jamestown, VA |
| Mayflower Compact | agreement signed by the men onboard the Mayflower ship; said that the government would make "just and equal" laws |
| mercantilism | economic theory that a country should sell more goods to other countries than it buys |
| boycott | a refusal to buy goods or services |
| Declaration of Independence | "We hold these truths to be self-evident.....;" a statement of the colonies' independence from Great Britain |
| confederation | a "firm league of friendship" among the early colonies |
| Articles of the Confederation | a document which established a system of cooperation among the independent colonies |
| Shay's Rebellion | a Massachusetts rebellion in 1786 against high taxes |
| Bill of Rights | the first ten amendments to the Constitution |
| checks and balances | division of the national government into three branches |
| implied powers | powers not specifically listed in the Constitution but allowed by the necessary and proper clause |
