U.S. Constitution Essential Vocabulary

Terms	Definitions
Convention	a large formal assembly or meeting
Bicameral	Made up of two houses or chambers. Parliament, England's national legislature, or lawmaking body is a bicameral legislature.
Unicameral	One house
The Great Compromise	An agreement at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 on how the states should be represented. Every state would get two votes in the upper house, while each state would get representatives based on population in the lower house. A compromise is an agreement in which both sides give up some of their demands so that other demands can be met.
Checks and Balances	A system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to keep any branch from becoming too powerful / prevent abuse of power
Legislative Branch	The branch of government that makes the laws; Congress is responsible for proposing and passing laws.
Congress	the legislature of the United States government The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.
Delegate	a person appointed or elected to represent others
Ratify	to approve officially, usually a law
Article	a part of a document, such as the Constitution, that deals with a single subject
Majority	the greater number or part; more than half In an election more than half the votes
Minority	smaller number or part; less than half
Senator	A member of the Senate; 2 per state-6 year term-present: voters pick them-must be 30 yrs old and be citizen for 9 yrs
Representative	a member of the United States House of Representatives
Senate	The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress.
House of Representatives	The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.
Elastic Clause	The necessary and proper clause in Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution that gives Congress the right to "make all laws necessary and proper" for carrying out its duties. Because it provides flexibility for the government, this clause has become known as the elastic clause.
Executive Branch	the branch of the United States government that is responsible for carrying out the laws; the President administers and enforces federal law
Veto	to cancel ; the President has the power to cancel laws that Congress passes
Unconstitutional	not consistent with or according to a constitution
impeach	vote to bring charges of "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors" against a president. The Senate tries all impeachment cases.
Petition	formal request to someone in authority, usually written and signed by a group of people make a request of the government
Census	a periodic and official count of a country's population
Judicial Branch	The branch of government responsible for interpreting laws, punishing criminals, and settling disputes between states; made up of the national courts
Justice	Equal treatment under the law
Supreme Court	highest court in the United States established by the Constitution; consists of a chief justice and eight associate justices who are nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Once appointed, justices have life tenure
Amendment	Official changes, corrections, or additions to the Constitution. The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution are known as the Bill of Rights.
Cabinet	The Cabinet is made up of the 14 department heads or secretaries who advise the president on important matters.
Treason	actions against one's country; a person who commits treason is called a traitor
Appeal	take a court case to a higher court for review
Jurisdiction	an area of authority or control; the right to administer justice
Bill of Rights	The first ten amendments of the U.S. Constitution, containing a list of individual rights and liberties, such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press.
Suffrage	the right to vote