| A | B |
| refugee | person who has lost his home due to war or famine |
| quota | numerical limit |
| alien | person who is not a citizen of the country in which he lives |
| precedent | an earlier case |
| compact | agreement |
| common law | unwritten system of law based on precedent |
| boycott | refuse to buy |
| delegate | representative |
| amend | to change |
| ratify | to vote approval of |
| electoral college | group that elects the president |
| veto | to reject |
| preamble | introduction |
| judicial branch | interprets laws |
| legislative branch | makes laws |
| executive branch | enforces laws |
| concurrent powers | shared by national and state government |
| reserved powers | powers given to the states |
| enumerated powers | powers given specifically to the national government |
| popular sovereignty | the idea that people have the right to rule themselves |