| A | B |
|---|
| checks and balances | a system in which each branch of government is able to restrain the power of the others |
| consent of the governed | the authority of the government depends on the support of the people |
| Enlightenment | European intellectual movement that focused on individualism over tradition |
| natural law | a belief that humans are born with God-given rights |
| separation of powers | the split of authority among the three branches of government |
| social contract | an agreement between people in a society and their government |
| Common Sense | a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine encouraging American colonists to support independence from Britain |
| English Bill of Rights | English document written in 1689 that established basic rights and limited the power of the monarchy |
| due process | fair treatment in the justice system |
| Magna Carta | 1215 document that established the principle that everyone, including the king, should follow the law |
| Mayflower Compact | 1620 colonial document that created self-government in established self-government in the Plymouth colony |
| Preamble | the introduction to the U.S. Constitution that defines the purposes of government |
| rule of law | the principle that everyone is equal under the law |
| duty | a tax on imported goods |
| legislature | a lawmaking body |
| Parliament | Britain's lawmaking body |
| quartering | keeping troops in one's home |
| grievance | complaint |
| Articles of Confederation | the first governing document of the United States |
| Bill of Rights | the first ten amendments of the U.S. Constitution |
