| Term | Definition |
|---|
| rule of law | principle that the law applies to everyone even those who govern |
| limited government | the power of both the national and state government is not unlimited |
| magna carta | This document, signed by King John of Endland in 1215, is the cornerstone of English justice and law. It declared that the king and government were bound by the same laws as other citizens of England. It contained the antecedents of the ideas of due process and the right to a fair and speedy trial that are included in the protection offered by the U.S. Bill of Rights |
| petition of right | 1628. Signed by Charles I. No imprisonment without due cause; no taxes levied without Parliament's consent; soldiers not housed in private homes; no martial law during peace time. |
| english bill of rights | King William and Queen Mary accepted this document in 1689. It guaranteed certain rights to English citizens and declared that elections for Parliament would happen frequently. By accepting this document, they supported a limited monarchy, a system in which they shared their power with Parliament and the people. |
| Thomas Hobbes | THE LEVIATHAN: believed in absolute monarchy based on a social contract |
| John Locke | English philosopher who advocated the idea of a "social contract" in which government powers are derived from the consent of the governed and in which the government serves the people; also said people have natural rights to life, liberty and property. |
| Baron Montesquieu | believed that government should run on separation of powers, checks and balances |
| natural rights | rights that belong to all human beings from birth |
| declaration of independence | this document was adopted by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. It established the 13 colonies as independent stares, free from rule by Great Britain. Thomas Jefferson wrote the majority of this docuent |
| social contract theory | A voluntary agreement between the government and the governed, based on sovereignty of the people, separation of powers, and natural rights |
| preamble | introduction to the constitution, it begins "We the people..." and explains why we have a constitution. |
| 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 |
| separation of powers | the diviion of the national government into the legislative, executive 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 |
| federalists | supporters of the stronger central govt. who advocated the ratification of the new constitution |
| anti-federalists | opponents of a strong central government who campaigned against the ratification of the Constitution in favor of a confederation of independant states |
| legislative branch | the branch of government responsible for making the laws |
| executive branch | the branch of government responsible for carrying out the laws |
| judicial branch | The branch of government that includes the court system. This branch interprets the law. |
| enumerated powers | The powers explicitly given to Congress in the Constitution. |
| implied powers | powers that congress has that are not stated explicitly in the constitution |
| concurrent powers | powers that are shared by both the federal and state governments |
| reserved powers | power that the constitiution does not give to the national government that are kept by the state |
| supremacy clause | a clause in Article VI of the U.S. Constitution that declares the constitution, laws, and treaties of the federal government to be the supreme law of the land to which judges in every state are bound regardless of state law to the contrary |
| civil liberties | freedoms to think and act without government interference or fear of unfair legal treatment |
| civil rights | rights to personal liberty established by the 13th and 14th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution and certain Congressional acts, esp. as applied to an individual or a minority group. |
| bill of rights | the first 10 amendments to the constitution(ratified in 1791) |
| 1st amendment | Freedom of speech, press, religion |
| 5th amendment | Guarantees that no one may be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law |
| 14th amendment | Declares that all persons born in the U.S. are citizens and are guaranteed equal protection of the laws |
| powers of congress | The power to levy, or collect, taxes, and to borrow money. Also has the power coin money, establish post offices, to fix standard weights and measures, and declare war. |
| senate term | 6 years |
| house term | 2 years |
| president term | 4 years |
| presidential qualification | natural-born citizen, age 35, lived in US for 14 years |
| congress | the u.s legislature, consists of senate and the house of reps |
| speaker of the house | The presiding officer of the House of Representatives and is chosen from the majority party in the House. |
| vice president | the head of the Senate |
| majority leader | the legislative leader selected bt the majority party who helps plan party strategy, confers with other party leaders, and tries to keep members of the party in line |
| minority leader | The legislative leader selected by the minority party as spokesperson for the opposition. |
| standing committee | A permanent committee established in a legislature, usually focusing on a policy area |
| joint committee | a committee composed of members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate; such committees oversee the Library of OCngress and conduct investigations |
| conference committee | committee appointed by the presiding officers of each chamber to adjust differences on a particular bill passed by each in different form. |
| impeachment process | starts in house;list of charges;Senate is jury;2/3 vote to convict |
| propoganda | ideas or information designed and spread to influence opinion |
| special interest groups | an organization of people with some common interests who try to influence government decisions |
| chief executive | the office of the United States head of state, President of the United States |
| commander in chief | he inspects military bases, makes major decisions, and calls out troops to keep the peace. |
| chief of state | ceremonial head of government; symbol of the nation |
| chief of party | leader of his political party |
| Andrew Johnson | Impeached by Congress, Was impeached for removing cabinet members without Senate's permission |
| Richard Nixon | President of the United States from 1969 to 1974 who followed a foreign policy marked by détente with the Soviet Union and by the opening of diplomatic relations with China. In the face of likely impeachment for the Watergate scandal, he resigned. |
| Bill Clinton | 42nd President advocated economic and healthcare reform; second president to be impeached |
| marbury v. madison | U.S. Supreme Court case that established the principle of judicial review |
| John Marshall | Chief Justice of the Supreme Court |
| judicial activism | philosophy that judges should interpret the Constitution to reflect current conditions and values |
| judicial restraint | the philosophy that the Supreme Court should avoid taking the initiative on social and political questions |
| unitary government | a system in which all sovereign authority of that nation-state resides in one governing body—the national government. |
| confederal government | has a state and a national government |
| federal government | type of government in which power is divided between a central government and its states |
| due process rights | 3 rights read to you when you're arrested; 1. Right to remain silent 2. What you say.. 3. Right to a lawyer>> when read to you called being "mirandized", Guarantees by the Fifth, Sixth, and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution establishing legal procedures that recognize the protection of an individual's life, liberty, and property |
| criminal case | case in which a person has been accused of breaking the law |
| civil case | cases in which two sides disagree over some issue |
| treaties | formal agreements between nations |
| sanctions | Economic or Political penalty such as an embargo used by one or more countries to force another country to cease an illegal or immoral act. |
Combine with other sets
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