| A | B |
|---|
| Preamble | The beginning of the Constitution. |
| Elastic Clause | The part of the Constitution that allows Congress to do "anything necessary and proper". |
| Implied Powers | Those powers of the Constitution that are not specifically listed. |
| Full Faith and Credit Clause | The part of the Constitution that states each state must uphold laws and decisions from the other states. |
| Legislative Branch | The branch of government that makes the laws. |
| Executive Branch | The branch of government that carries out or enforces the laws. |
| Judicial Branch | The branch of government that interprets the laws. |
| Enumerated Powers | The powers specifically listed in the Constitution as powers of the national government. |
| Expressed Powers | Powers of the national government that are expressed in the Constitution as powers of the national government. |
| Delegated Powers | Powers in the Constitution that are delegated to the national government. |
| Reserved Powers | The 10th amendment to the Constitution gives any forgotten power back to the states. |
| Concurrent Powers | Those powers shared by the nation and the states (example taxing). |
| Supremacy Clause | The Constitution and any laws inacted by Congress are the highest laws in our country. |
| Impeachment | The process of accusing an official of wrongdoing. |
| Pardon | Legal forgiveness for a crime. |
| Reprieve | To postpone or delay the punsihment for a crime. |
| Writ of Habeas Corpus | Legal right everyone has to appear in court; this cannot be taken away. |
| Ex post facto laws | Laws that would punish someone for an act after the law was created. |
| Rule of Law | The idea that everyone, even the rulers, must obey the laws. |
| Judicial Review | The power of the Supreme Court to declare laws or presidential acts unconstitutional. |
| Veto Power | Presidential power to reject a law. |
| Speaker of the House | The leader of the House of Representatives. |
| President Pro Tempore | The day-to-day leadership in the United States Senate. |
| Senate | The upper house of Congress where representation is equal among all states. |
| House of Representatives | The lower house of Congress where representation is based on population. |
| Bill | A proposed law. |
| The Committee System | Smaller groups within Congress where most of their work is done. |
| Filibuster | A Senator's right to talk a bill to death. |
| Cloture | A vote to stop a filibuster. |
| Apportionment | The allotment or dividing of representation in Congress. |
| Censure | Public discipline of a congressman from the other Congressmen. |
| Expulsion | Removing a Congressmon from his position. |
| Immunity | Congressman cannot be punished for crimes they commit while performing their job. |
| Seniority System | The best committee assignment usually goes to the eldest members of the majority party. |
| Party Whips | People who try to ensure that party members all vote together on issues. |
| Majority Leader | Leader of the majority party. |
| Minority Leader | Leader of the minority party. |
| Presidential Succession | The list of who would become President in the event of multiple deaths. |
| State of the Union Address | Speach given by the President to Congress each January; required by the Constitution. |
| Non-Legislative Powers | Powers of Congress that do not require them to make laws. |
| Executive Agreement | An agreement between the President and the leader of another Ccountry; does not have the force of law. |
| Commander-in-Chief | Title given to the President because he is the leader of our military. |
| Chief Diplomat | Presidential role to act as our ambassador to foriegn nations. |
| Chief Executive | Presidential role to act a leader of the executive branch and enforce our nations laws. |
| Party Leader | Presidential Role to lead your political party and support its other candidates. |
| Legislative Leader | Presidential role to work with Congress trying to pass new legislation. |
| Head-of-State | President role representing himself as the leader of our nation. |
| Economic Leader | Presidential role to lead our nations economy. |
| Executive Order | A command by the President that has the force of law. |
| Treaty | A formal agreement between two countries. |
| U.S. Supreme Court | The highest Court in our nation. |
| Chief Justice | The leader of the Supreme Court. |
| Associate Justice | A justice on the Supreme Court. |
| Original Jurisdiction | The courts authority to hear a case first; happens in the district court. |
| Appellate Jurisdiction | The authority of a court to hear a case to determine in the first trial was fair. |
| Concurrent Jurisdiction | Shared authority of the national and state court system to hear cases. |
| Exclusive Jurisdiction | The authority of the national courts to hear cases alone. |
| Constitutional Convention | A meeting original intended to change the Articles of Confederation, but entually turned into the creation of our new government. |
| Marbury v Madison | Court Case that established the power of judicial review. |
| McCulloch v Maryland | Court case that confirmed the supremacy of the federal government over the state governments. |
| Gibbons v Ogden | Court case that gave Congress the power to regulate interstate commerce. |
| Plessy v Ferguson | Court case that state "separate but equal" facilites for different races was OK. |
| Brown v Board of Education | Court case that desegregated public school; overturned Plessy v Ferguson. |
| Swann v Charlotte Meck. | Court case that allowed school system to bus students across town for the purpose of desegregation. |
| Korematsu v U.S. | Court case that allowed the federal government to take away our rights during wartime. |
| Gideon v Wainwright | Court case that confirmed the 6th amendment guarantee of the right to a lawyer. |
| Tinker v Des Moines School District | Court case that ruled students have right to wear armbands as a means of "symbolic speech". |
| Hazelwood v Kuhlmeier | Court case ruling that the principal had the right to "censor" school material. |
| Texas v Johnson | Court case dealing with the issue of flag burning. |
| Engle v Vital | Court case in 1962 that outlawed prayer in public schools. |
| Miranda v Arizona | Court case that mandated all suspects be read their rights. (Miranda rights) |
| Mapp v Ohio | Court case confirming the 4th amendment right forcing the government to have a search warrant before entering our homes. |
| Term limits | How long a public official serves in office. |
| Patriot Act | Legislation formed in response to the terrorist attacks against the United States, and dramatically expanded the authority of American law enforcement for the stated purpose of fighting terrorism. |
| Separation of Church and State | The belief that our Founding Fathers believe the government should be separate from the church. |
| Fiscal Policy | The policy of using taxation to control the economic system in the United States. |
| Expenditure | Money being spent. |
| Revenue | Money being raised. |
| Regressive taxation | The idea or belief that you should tax the poor because they are the ones who use the services provided by the taxes. |
| Progressive taxation | The belief that you should tax the rich more than the poor. |
| Proportional taxation | The belief that you tax people based on what you have. |
| Income tax | A Progressive tax on the money one earns for his work efforts. |
| Excise tax | A tax on beer, wine & tobacco products; also called "sin" tax. |
| Tariff | A tax on the products of other countries to ensure to purchase of American products. |
| Social Security | Money the government provides to the elderly as their income. |
| Deficit | When the expenditures (money being spent) exceeds the revenue (money coming in) |
| National debt | The amount of money our government owes. |
| Deficit Spending | Spending money that your country does not have. |
| Balanced budget | When the spending of a country equals the amount on money being raised. |
| Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) | The agency that investigates nation crimes. |
