| A | B |
|---|
| pardon | to release someone from punishment |
| bill | the rough draft of a law |
| appoint | this is what a President does when he gives someone a government job |
| Articles of Confederation | the name for our nation's first constitution that had many problems and was soon replaced |
| veto | to reject something. The President does this when he rejects a law sent to him by Congress |
| separation of powers | the principle of government by which the powers of government are divided up between separate branches |
| amendment | an official change that is made to a government document |
| override | to overrule some else's decision. the congress does this when they overrule a president's veto and pass the law even though he refuses to sign it |
| impeach | to formally accuse an official of a crime. the process of removing an official from office |
| the U.S. Constitution | the official document that provides the blueprint for how the United State government looks and operates today |
| committee | a small group of congressmen or women who look at a bill first and decide whether or not it is worth passing along for the entire Congress to debate |
| checks and balances | system that allows each branch of the government to limit the power of the other branches |
| Legislative Branch | writes the laws; has the power to declare war |
| Judicial Branch | judges the laws and decides if they are fair; has the power to settle disputes between states |
| Executive Branch | enforces/executes the laws; has the power to pardon suspected criminals, give out government jobs' command the armed forces |
