Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
55 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Citizenship
|
legal status of being a citizen, or a person's actions and behavior as a citizen
|
|
Natural Rights
|
Natural rights are rights that people are born with and that no government can take away. John Locke wrote that government should protect the people's natural rights, which he said were life, liberty, and property.
|
|
Separation of Powers
|
"Separation of powers" is the distribution of government power into legislative, executive, and judicial branches. The idea is to prevent any one branch from gaining too much power. The U.S. Constitution divides government into these three branches.
|
|
Checks and Balances
|
"Checks and balances" is a system in the Constitution where one branch of government may use its own powers to limit those of another branch. This prevents any branch or official within a branch from becoming too powerful. For example, the president may veto a bill passed by Congress. The members of Congress, with enough support, may override the veto.
|
|
Amendment
|
An amendment is a formal change to the U.S. Constitution. The first 10 amendments make up the Bill of Rights. Seventeen amendments have been ratified since, for 27 amendments total to date.
|
|
Articles of Confederation
|
The Articles of Confederation was the first plan for the U.S. government. The Founding Fathers made it a weak government to prevent tyranny. However, it was too weak to be effective. The U.S. Constitution replaced the document.
|
|
U.S. Constitution
|
The U.S. Constitution details the structure, functions, and powers of the federal government. It contains the Preamble, seven articles, and 27 amendments.
|
|
Ratify
|
To ratify is to formally approve or make official, such as a law or policy. The states ratified the U.S. Constitution in 1789. To add an amendment to the Constitution, three-fourths of the states must ratify the amendment.
|
|
Social Contract
|
The "social contract" is the idea that people agree, or consent, to government authority. In return, the government protects the people and their rights.
|
|
Common Good
|
"Common good" refers to the greatest possible conditions of society for the greatest number of people living in it. Sometimes laws limit personal rights for the sake of everyone in a group.
|
|
Grievances
|
A grievance is a reason or cause for complaint. The Declaration of Independence contained a list of grievances the colonists had against King George III of Great Britain.
|
|
Federalism
|
Federalism is the division of powers among the local, state, and national governments. It spreads power among different groups of people. This protects the people from tyranny.
|
|
Veto
|
Veto: the power of the U.S. president to reject a law passed by Congress
|
|
Founding Fathers
|
Name given to the early leaders of the United States who helped design the nation's government.
|
|
Influenced
|
To have an effect on something.
|
|
Enlightenment
|
A time of change in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries when philosophers focused on reason as a way to solve problems.
|
|
Representatives
|
A person chosen to speak and act for their fellow citizens in government.
|
|
Legislative Branch
|
The part of government responsible for making laws.
|
|
Reason
|
The ability to think logically, clearly, and without emotion.
|
|
Natural Law
|
A body of law said to come from nature that is common to all humans.
|
|
Colonist
|
A member of a colony, one of the inhabitants of the 13 British colonies that became the USA
|
|
Monarch
|
A supreme ruler of a territory, usually a king or queen, usually for life and by hereditary right.
|
|
Parliament
|
The name given to the legislative branch of government in Britain and other countries.
|
|
Tyranny
|
A government in which a single ruler possesses and abuses absolute power, or the abusive use of power.
|
|
Citizen
|
A person who is native or naturalized to a country.
|
|
Limited Monarchy
|
A form of government where the power of the king or queen is limited by laws or a constitution
|
|
Declaration of Independance
|
An official statement in 1776 of the American colonies to Great Britain that the colonies were now free and and independent states.
|
|
Dept
|
An amount of money, service, or other property owed to someone.
|
|
Delegates
|
Representatives from the 13 colonies sent to the Continental Congress
|
|
Continental Congress
|
Meeting of delegates from the British colonies that became the first governing group of the USA
|
|
Treason
|
A betrayal or act of disloyalty toward one's own country.
|
|
Redress
|
To make up or make amends for a loss or wrongful action.
|
|
Natural Rights
|
Rights that people are born with and that no government can take away.
|
|
Social Contract
|
The idea that people agree, or consent, to government protects the people and their rights.
|
|
Grievance
|
Reason or cause for complaint.
|
|
Analyze
|
To examine something in detail in order to understand it better, often by breaking it down into parts.
|
|
Formal
|
Official
|
|
Veto
|
The power of the US president to reject a law passed by congress
|
|
Legislative Branch
|
The part of government responsible for making laws.
|
|
US Constitution
|
The structure, functions, and powers of the government of the USA, also known as the Constitution.
|
|
Override
|
Action by Congress to offset a veto by the president with a 2/3 vote
|
|
Constitutional Convention
|
The 1787 meetings of the delegates from the US states to address problems in the Articles of Confederation.
|
|
Anti-federalist
|
A delegate to the Constitution Convention who opposed the ratification of the Constitution without a separate list of individual and state rights
|
|
Federalist
|
A delegate to the Constitution Convention who supported the ratification of the Constitution and a strong national government.
|
|
Bill of Rights
|
The first 10 amendments to the Constitution
|
|
US Constitution
|
Plan detailing the structure, functions, and powers of the government of the United States, also known as the Constitution.
|
|
Right
|
A protection or privilege due to a person by law, tradition, or nature.
|
|
Repealed
|
To end a law by official means.
|
|
Citizenship
|
Legal status of being a citizen, or a person's actions and behavior as a citizen.
|
|
Equal Protection Clause
|
No state should deny any citizen equal rights and protections under the law.
|
|
Citizens
|
A person who is native or naturalized to a country
|
|
Poll Tax
|
A payment collected from people as a requirement to vote.
|
|
Literacy Test
|
A payment collected from people as a requirement to vote
|
|
Data
|
Info, facts, or stats.
|
|
Civil Disobedience
|
Breaking a law as a means of nonviolent protest.
|