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popular sovereignty The concept that political power rests with the people who can create, alter, and abolish government. People express themselves through voting and free participation in government limited government In this type of government everyone, including all authority figures, must obey laws. Constitutions, statements of rights, or other laws define the limits of those in power so they cannot take advantage of the elected, appointed, or inherited positions. seperation of powers dividing the powers of government among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches checks and balances A system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power federalism a system in which power is divided between the national and state governments republicanism a form of government in which people elect representatives to create and enforce laws individual rights Theses are protected by the Bill of Rights and include economic rights related to property, political rights related to freedom of speech and press, and personal rights related to bearing arms and maintaining private residences. preamble introduction to the constitution articles one of seven main divisions of the body of the constitution 1.Legislative branch, 2.executive branch, 3. judicial branch, 4. relations among the states, 5. amending the constituiton, 6. national supremacy, 7. ratification bill of rights The first ten amendments to the Constitution amendment A change to the Constitution legislative branch the branch of government that makes/proposes the laws. It has 2 houses. upper is the house of representatives(435 depends on states population). lower house is senate (100 2 per state) judicial branch The branch of government that interprets laws executive branch the branch of government that carries out laws powers of the legislative branch regulate trade, prints and coins money, declare war, overrides presidents veto, approves treaties, powers of the judicial branch decide if acts by the president are unconstitiutional, can appeal powers of the executive branch negotiates foriegn treaties, grants pardons, appoints federal judges, parts of checks and balances veto, impeach, override requirements to be a representative at least 1 per state, serve 2 years, elected by voters, over 25 yrs, citezen for 7 years, resident of state requirements to be a senator 2 per state, serve for 6 yrs, elected by voters (original constitution), over 30 years, citizen for 9 yrs, resident of state requirements to be president and VP only 1, serve for 4 years, elected by electoral college, over 35 yrs, natural born citizen, resident of US for over 14 yrs requirements for supreme judicial court 9 total, serve for life, appointed by president, approved by senate, NO REQUIREMENTS IN CONSTITUTION civil war amendments Also know as the 13,14,15 Amendments. The thirteenth amendment abolished slavery. The 14th guaranteed citizenship to former slavers. The 15th declared that states may not deny the vote of any citizen on the basis of "race, color, or previous condition of servitude." first amendment The constitutional amendment that establishes the four great liberties: freedom of the press, of speech, of religion, and of assembly. fourth amendment protects you from unreasonable search and seizure of your home and property fifth amendment an amendment to the Constitution of the United States that imposes restrictions on the government's prosecution of persons accused of crimes sixth amendment guarantees the right to a trial by jury fourteenth amendment granted full citizenship to all individuals born in the united states nineteenth amendment The constitutional amendment adopted in 1920 that guarantees women the right to vote. twenty-sixth amendment an amendment to the US constituion, adoped in 1971 and lowering the voting age from 21 to 18 cheif justice william H. Rehnquist civil applying to ordinary citizens incriminate suggest that someone is guilty appeal (law) a legal proceeding in which the appellant resorts to a higher court for the purpose of obtaining a review of a lower court decision and a reversal of the lower court's judgment or the granting of a new trial impeach charge with an offense or misdemeanor override pass a law despite a presidential veto unconstitutional not allowed under the Constitution ratify to approve judicial review the power of the Supreme Court to declare laws and actions of local, state, or national governments unconstitutional elastic clause clause in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution that gives Congress the right to make all laws "necessary and proper" to carry out the powers expressed in the other clauses of Article I senators of MA scott brown and john kerry county representative john tierney