| A | B |
|---|
| Alien | A person who lives in a country but is not a citizen of that country |
| Application for Naturalization | The paper that starts the process for becoming a citizen |
| Collective Naturalization | When a large group of people becomes citizens at the same time |
| Deported | Forced to leave the country |
| Expatriation | Voluntarily giving up citizenship to a country |
| Fraud | Pretending something is true even though it is not |
| Naturalization | Becoming a citizen by choice rather than by birth |
| Territory | An area that is owned by the United States but is not a state |
| Discrimination | To treat a person a certain way based on his or her class, race, or gender |
| Immigrant | A person who leaves one country to live permanently in another country |
| Prejudice | Hatred or dislike of a group, race, or religion |
| Compromise | When each side gives up something in order to agree |
| Congress | House of Representatives and the Senate...they make the laws for the U.S. |
| Democracy | A government that is run by the people |
| Elected | Chosen by getting the most votes |
| Majority | The largest number of voters |
| Minority | The smallest number of voters |
| Representative | An elected person who speaks for a group of people |
| Amendment | A change to the Constitution |
| Articles | The seven sections of the U.S. Constitution |
| Constitution | A paper that lists the rules/laws of the government |
| Conventions | Meetings |
| Preamble | The introduction to the U.S. Constitution |
| Propose | Suggest |
| Ratify | Approve |
| State Legislature | The part of the state's government that makes the laws |
| Unconstitutional | Actions or laws not allowed by the U.S. Constitution |
| Assembly | When a group of people gathers together |
| Bail | Money paid by a person accused of a crime to stay out of jail until the trial |
| Bill of Rights | The first 10 amendments to the Constitution; this protects Americans' natural rights |
| Jury | A group of people that listens to the facts in a court case and makes a decision about the case |
| Petition | To ask for something |
| Establishment Clause | The part of the First Amendment that says the government cannot create an official religion for the country |
| Free Exercise Clause | The part of the First Amendment that says a person can have any religious beliefs that he or she wants |
| Libel | A false written or visual statement that hurts another person's character or reputation |
| Sedition | Talking people into rebelling against the government |
| Slander | A false spoken statement that hurts another person's character or reputation |
| Picketing | When a group, usually made up of employees who are on strike, stands outside a business and holds signs in protest |
| Exclusionary Rule | The rule that says evidence cannot be used in court if police got the evidence because of an illegal act |
| Probable Cause | When the police are sure that a crime has happened or is going to happen |
| Torturing | Causing pain on purpose |
| Warrant | A paper written by a judge that gives the police permission to do certain things, such as search someone or arrest someone |
| Bill of Attainder | A law that punishes a person for a crime without having a trial |
| Civil Law | The part of the law that deals with problems between private parties, as well as problems between the government and private parties that are not covered by criminal law |
| Criminal Law | The part of law that deals with serious offenses and their punishments |
| Due Process | The government must follow rules and act fairly when enforcing laws |
| Ex Post Facto Law | Arresting someone or taking him or her to court for doing something that was not a crime at the time he or she did it |
| Grand Jury | A group of 12 to 23 people that decides if the government has enough evidence to take a person to court |
| Habeas Corpus | People cannot be held in jail without a good reason |
| Indictment | A formal accusation against a person |
