| A | B |
|---|
| monarch | King or queen |
| dictator | A person who rules with complete and absolute power. |
| democracy | A form of government in which the people of a country either rule directly or through elected representatives. |
| direct democracy | A form of government in which all the people meet together at one place to make laws and decide what actions to take. |
| representative democracy | A form of government in which the people elect representatives to carry on the work of government for them. |
| republic | A form of goverment in which the people elect representatives to carry on the work of government for them. |
| constitution | A written plan of government. |
| human rights | The basic right to which all people are entitled as human beings. |
| confederation | A loose association of states. |
| sovereignty | A government's absolute power or authority. |
| parliament | The lawmaking body of British government. |
| federalism | A system of government in which the powers of government are divided between the national government, which governs the whole country, and the state governments, which govern the people of each state. |
| compromise | an agreement in which each side gives up part of its demands. |
| ratification | Approval by a formal vote. |
| Federalists | Supporters of the U.S. Constitution who urged its adoption. |
| Antifederalists | Opponents of the Constitution who urged its rejection. |
| popular sovereignty | Government by consent of the governed. |
| Preamble | The beginning of the U.S. Constitution, which described its purposes. |
| limited government | A system in which government powers are carefully spelled out to prevent government from becoming too powerful. |
| majority rule | A system in which the decision pf more than half the people is accepted by all. |
| separation of powers | The distribution of political power among the branches of government, giving each branch a particular set of responsibilities. |
| legislative branch | THhe lawmaking branch of government. |
| judicial branch | The branch of government that interprests the laws and punishes lawbreakers. |
| executive branch | The branch of government that carries out the laws. |
| veto | A refusal by the president or a governor to sign a bill. |
| judicial review | THe power of the U.S. Supreme Court to determine if a law passed by Congress or a presidential action is in accord with the Constitution. |
| amendment | A written change to the Constitution. |
| repeal | Cancel. |
| cabinet | The leaders of the executive departments, who also act as advisers to the president. |
| separation of church and state | The division between religion and government. |
| self-incrimination | Testifying against oneself. |
| due process of law | The fair application of the law to one's case. |
| eminent domain | The power of the government to take provate property for public use. |
| bail | Money or property an accused person gived a court to hold as a guarantee that he or she will appear for trial. |
| civil rights | The rights guaranteed to all U.S. citizens. |
| suffrage | The right to vote. |
| poll tax | A special tax that had to be paid in order to vote. |
| draft | A policy requiring men to serve in the military. |
| ration | Limited by law to a certain amount per household. |
| jury duty | Serving on a jury. |
