| A | B |
|---|
| Declaration of Independence | July 4, 1776 *Document that created the U.S. *Announced the separation of the colonies from Great Britain and gave reasons for the separation *Written by Thomas Jefferson |
| Representative Democracy | *A type of government in which people elect representatives to make and enforce laws for them *Citizens have many rights |
| The process for removing laws | Laws can be removed by the legislature, by a vote of the citizens (referendum), or by the courts declaring a law unconstitutional |
| Candidate | A person who is running for political office |
| U. S. flag | *13 red and white stripes represent the 13 original states *50 white stars on a blue field represent the 50 states we have today |
| Socialism | *An economic system *The government owns and controls important industries and makes major economic decisions *Great Britain and Sweden are examples of socialist countries |
| Capitalism | *An economic system *Private individuals own and control production *Supply and demand of a good or service is important to price and production *U. S. and Japan are examples |
| Communism | An economic system *All citizens are equal economically *It is an idea that has not become a reality for any nation *China and Cuba consider themselves communist nations |
| Bill of Rights | 1791 *The first 10 amendments to the Constitution *States the basic rights or U. S. citizens (religion, speech, press, assembly, fair trial and others) |
| Duties of branches | *Legislative - Makes laws *Executive - Carries out (enforces) laws *Judicial - Inteprets laws |
| Qualifications for voters in Ohio | *18 years old by Novermber election day *citizen of the United States *resident of Ohio *registered to vote |
| Separation of powers | *The power of the government in the U. S. is divided among the branches *This division prevents any one branch from becoming too powerful |
| Branches - National Names | *Legislative - Congress *Executive - President and Vice President *Judicial - Supreme Court |
| Legislative Branch | *Makes laws *National - Congress / State - General Assembly / Local - City or Village Council |
| Branches - State Names | *Legislative - General Assembly *Executive - Governor and Lieutenant Governor *Judicial - Ohio Supreme Court |
| Political parties | *Organizations of people who agree on basic political ideas *They work to elect candidates and develop a platform *They provide choices in leadership |
| Star Spangled Banner | The national anthem (you know it well from baseball or other sports events) Sing it or recite the words |
| Monarchy | *A type of government in which the leader is determined by birth; a king or queen is an example of a monarch *Today many monarchs have only limited powers |
| Independence Day | *National holiday that celebrates the signing of the Declaratin of Independence and the beginning of the United States *July 4 |
| Branches - Local Names | *Legislative - City or Village Council *Executive - Mayor *Judicial - Common Pleas / Municipal Court |
| Referendum | A vote of the people held to approve or overturn a state law; permitted in Ohio |
| Amendment | A change or addition; specifically refers to changes or additions to the Constitution |
| Equality before the law | Everyone in a dispute has the same rights and should be teated equally |
| Platform | The ideas a political party and its candidates "stand on" |
| Northwest Ordinance | 1787 *Told how the Northwest Territory would be divided into states *Guaranteed rights for citizens of the Territory *Outlawed slavery in the Territory *Allowrd for public education *Promised decent treatment to Indians *Ohio was a part of the Northwest Territory |
| Federalism | *The national government controls some duties (example: defense) *The state controls others (example: education) *The local government has its own duties (example: zoning) |
| Constitution | 1787 *Document that is the fundamental law of the United States *All new laws must agree with it *Sets up the United States government *Bill of Rights added later (1791) |
| Taxes | *Money paid by the citizens to fund government services *All levels of government (national, state, and local) can and do levy taxes |
| Judicial Branch | *Interprets laws, decides if laws are constitutional and punishes the guilty *National - Supreme Court / State - Ohio Supreme Court / Local - Common Pleas and Municipal Courts |
| Congress | *Makes laws for the United States *The national legislature *Made up of two parts - the House of Representatives and the Senate |
| I MOW I | Stands for the states of the Northwest Territory *Indiana Michigan Ohio Wisconsin Illinois |
| Executive Branch | *Carries out (enforces) the laws *National - President and Vice President / State - Governor and Lieutenant Governor / Local - Mayor |
| General Assembly | *Makes laws for Ohio *The state legislature *Made up of Ohio House of Representatives and Ohio Senate |
| Legal means of protest | *Write letters *Circulate petitions *Picket *Boycott *Lawsuit *Violence is NOT a legal means of protest |
| Appointed Officials | Those government officials chosen by elected officeholders; some examples; *US Supreme Court Justices *Ambassadors to other countries *US Cabinet members |
| Due Process | Everyone accused of a crime is entitled to go through a legal procress and all citizens accused of a crime are entitled to the same process. For instance, everyone is entitled to know the charges against him/her and is permitted to tell his/her side of the story |
| Elected Officials | *Those officeholders chosen by the people *Most officeholders are elected |
| Dictatorship | *A tupe of government ruled by one person or a small group of people who rule by force *Citizens have very few rights |
| The process for making laws | *A bill becomes a law when both houses of the legislature approve it and the executive signs it *In Ohio laws can be brought to a vote in the General Assembly by initiative (citizen petition) |
