| Term | Definition |
|---|
| government | a system of laws and leaders that help keep people safe and protect their rights |
| popular sovereignty | the power and authority of the government comes from the people |
| constitution | the highest law of our land and the document that describes how our government is organized |
| Preamble | introduction to the constitution |
| laws | statements that define how citizens should behave |
| rule of law | principle that everyone, including government officials, must obey the laws |
| separation of powers | power is separated, or divided, among three branches of government |
| Branches of Government | Three different sections in government |
| Legislative Branch | Makes the laws |
| Judicial Branch | Interprets the laws or decides what laws mean |
| Executive Branch | Enforces the laws or carries them out |
| Articles | Parts of the Constitution |
| Checks and Balances | The way in which different branches of government keep the others from having too much power |
| Veto | When the president turns down a bill or refused to sign it into a law |
| Override | When Congress votes to cancel a presidents veto |
| Limited Government | The government can only do what the people have given them power to do |
| Federalism | Power is divided between Federal (National) and State Governments |
| Federal Government | The government of our entire country (Also known as National Government) |
| State Governments | Governments of each state |
| Individual Rights | Things each person is able to have or do |
| Amendment | A change or addition to the Constitution |
| Bill of Rights | First 10 Amendments, or additions, to the Constitution |
| Limited Government | The government can do only what the people give it power to do |
Combine with other sets
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