| A | B |
|---|
| Declaration of Independence | The 1776 document by which colonists asserted that they were free of British rule. |
| Constitution | The basic laws of a country. |
| Amendment | A change to the Constitution. |
| Bill of Rights | First ten amendments to the Constitution. |
| budget | A plan for deciding how much there will be and how to spend it. |
| Executive branch | Branch of government which carries out the laws, headed by the President. |
| Legislative branch | Branch of government that makes laws. |
| Judicial branch | Branch that handles justice and runs the courts. |
| checks and balances | Idea that different branches of government can check each other to prevent any one branch from becoming to powerful. |
| veto | Refusal by the President or a governor to allow a bill passed by the legislative branch to become a law. |
| Federal government | Central government; they print money, establish post offices, declare war, control foreign trade and trade between states, settles disputes between states. |
| Supreme Court | Highest court in the nation or state. |
| Govenor | The elected head of a state's executive branch. Runs state departments; education, highways, and health |
| State departments | In a state, the parts of the executive branch that deal with finance, education, transportation, etc. |
| Primary election | Election where a politcal party chooses its candidates for a general election. |
| Sheriff | Chief police official in a county. |
| Mayor | Chief officer of a city or town. |
| Local government | Provides services such as schools and road ways. They also collect taxes. |
| State government | Regulates trade within state, runs public schools, decides who can vote in state and local elections, and command national guard. |
