| A | B |
|---|
| amendment | an addition to the Constitution |
| Articles of Confederation | the rules under which the United States was governed before 1789 |
| Bill of Rights | the first ten amendments to the Constitution |
| Cabinet | the officials appointed by the President to be advisors and to head each executive branch department |
| checks and balances | the system in which the power of each branch of government is balanced by the powers of other branches |
| compromise | to give up some of what one wants in order to reach an agreement |
| Constitution | the basic law of the United States that provides a framework for our government |
| Constitutional Convention | the meeting in Philadelphia, PA, where delegates replaced the Articles of Confederation with the Constitution |
| constitutional | lawful according to the United States Constitution |
| democracy | rule by the people |
| executive branch | the part of government, headed by the President, that carries out the laws |
| federal system | a system of government in which power is shared between the central and state governments |
| House of Representatives | the house of Congress in which each state's number of representatives is determined by its population |
| judicial branch | the part of government that decides the meaning of the laws |
| legislative branch | the law-making part of government, with the power to raise the money needed to run the government |
| majority | the greater number of people |
| political party | a group of people who share similar ideas about government |
| Preamble | the introduction to the Constitution |
| republic | a form of government in which people elect representatives |
| Senate | the house of Congress in which each state has an equal number of representatives |
| Supreme Court | the head of the judicial branch of the federal government |
| veto | to refuse to approve |
| President | the head of the executive branch of government |
