| A | B |
|---|
| republic | form of government in which leaders receive authority from citizens to make & enforce laws |
| 26th Amendment | lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 |
| primary election | an election in which voters choose the parties' candidates for the general election |
| Electoral College | group who votes for the President |
| federalism | division of powers between a strong central government and the state governments |
| demographics | the statistical characteristics of human populations |
| civil liberties | people's rights as individuals against the power of governemnt |
| quorum | a simply majority |
| constituents | people represented by elected officials |
| elastic clause | gives Congress the power to make laws that are not specifically outlined in the Constitution |
| 15th Amendment | gave African Americans the right to vote |
| impeachment | bringing formal charges against a person in office |
| polling | lets candidates know which groups are supporting them or are against the, and can let them know what issues voters find important |
| separation of powers | allotment of powers between the 3 branches ot prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful |
| supremacy clause | states that the federal constitution and federal laws outrank state constitutions and state laws |
| spin | used by candidates to avoid answering difficult questions directly |
| checks and balances | gives each branch the means to restrain the powers of the other two |
| 19th Amendment | gave women the right to vote |
| veto | to reject a bill |
| suffrage | the right to vote |
| judicial review | gives the Supreme Court the right to determine whether or not laws violate the Constitution |
| bicameral | two-house legislature |
