| A | B |
|---|
| appellate court | A judicial body that hears appeals from a lower court. |
| Bill of Rights | The first ten amendments to the Constitution which restrict the federal government's power to take away certain basic rights Of the people. |
| cabinet | The heads of the departments of the executive branch, who advise the president. |
| dissenting opinion | An opinion of a justice that is in disagreement with the court's decision in a case. |
| federal system (or federalism) | A form of government in which power is divided between a central government and subdivisions such as state and local governments. |
| incorporation | The process by which the Supreme Court interpreted the 14th Amendment to extend the protections of the Bill of Rights to actions by the states. |
| judicial review | The power of the courts to declare laws and actions of the local, state, or national government invalid if they violate the Constitution. |
| Judiciary Act of 1789 | The law that established the federal court system below the Supreme Court. |
| Marbury v. Madison (1803) | A case in which the Supreme Court held that it had the power of judicial review over acts of Congress and the President. |
| null and void | Of no legal force; invalid. |
| opinion | A formal expression by a court of its reasons for a legal decision. |
| political parties | Groups organized to promote particular political views and support candidates for public office who share those views. |
| Republican Party | An early political party, led by Thomas Jefferson, that wanted to limit the powers of the national government. |
| slavery | Involuntary servitude; owning people as property. |
| unitary government | A system of government in which states or local governments exercise only those powers given them by the national government. |
