| A | B |
|---|
| Senate | Upper chamber of Congress in which every state has two members |
| U.S. Constitution | The supreme law of the land |
| Bill of Rights | First ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution |
| republic | Country or state in which ultimate power resides in the people who elect representatives to enact and enforce the laws that govern all |
| amendments | Additions to and/or changes in the Constitution |
| due process of law | Rules that require fundamental fairness in the conduct of governmental officers when depriving any person of life, liberty, or property |
| sovereignty | Freedom from external control |
| system of checks and balances | System that distributes specific authority among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government in order to separate and divide power |
| pure democracy | Government in which every qualified voter votes on every issue |
| civil rights | Personall natural rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution |
| legal duties | Obligations or conduct toward other persons that is enforceable by law |
| legal rights | The benefits to which a person is justly entitled by law |
| civil disobedience | A peaceful violation of a law thought to be unjust |
| deontology | A style of moral reasoning that asserts that acts are inherently right or wrong |
| false rights | Claims based on the desires of a particular individual instead of the basic needs of humanity |
| ethics | Determination of what is right or wrong action in a reasoned, impartial manner |
| consequential reasoning | A style of ethical reasoning in which particular acts have no moral character |
| integrity | The capacity to do what is right even in the face of temptation or pressure to do otherwise |
| universalizing | A mental test that magnifies the illogical character of acts to make this lack of logic easier to see |
| majority rules | A requirement that elected representatives must vote for laws acceptable to over half the people they represent |
| natural law | Reflects ethical principles |
| moral rights | Legitimate claims on other persons, which flow from each person's status as a human being |
| injunction | An order of a court to do or not to do a specified thing |
| scofflaw | A person who does not respect or comply with certain laws |
| unconstitutional | Invalid because it is in conflict with a constitution |
| procedural law | Rules for enforcement of legal rights and duties |
| money damages | A court-ordered payment by the defendant to the plaintiff |
| common law | Case decisions and opinions reflecting customs and practices of the people |
| interstate | Commerce between two or more states which can be regulated by the federal government |
| substantive law | Rules that define legal rights and duties |
| criminal law | Law concerned with public wrongs against society |
| business law | Rules that apply to business situations and transactions |
| intrastate | Commerce occurring within one state which cannot be regulated by the federal government |
| constitutional law | Law created when constitutions are adopted or amended, or when courts interpret constitutions |
