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19 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Popular Sovereignty |
the basic principle of US government that says the people are the source of governmental power and government can only exist with the consent of the governed |
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Limited Government |
the basic principle of US government that says government is restricted in what it can do and each individual has rights government can't take away |
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Constitutionalism |
the basic principle that government and those who govern must obey the law |
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Rule of Law |
concept that government and its officers are always subject to the law |
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Separation of powers |
the basic principle of US government that says the executive, legislative, and judicial powers are divided among 3 independent and coequal branches of government |
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Checks and Balances |
the system of overlapping the powers of the 3 branches to permit each branch to check the others' actions |
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Veto |
the chief executive's power to reject a bill passed by a legislature |
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Judicial Review |
the power of a court to determine the constitutionality of a governmental action |
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Unconstitutional |
contrary to constitutional provision and so illegal, null and void, of no force and effect |
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Federalism |
a system of government in which a written constitution divides power between a central government and several local governments |
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Amendment |
a change in, or addition to, a constitution or law |
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Ratification |
a formal approval, final consent to the effectiveness of a constitution, constitutional amendment, or treaty |
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Formal Amendment |
a change or addition that becomes part of the written language of the Constitution itself through one of the 4 methods set forth in the Constitution |
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Bill of Rights |
the first 10 amendments to the Constitution |
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Executive Agreement |
a pact made by the President directly with the head of a foreign state; a binding international agreement with the force of law which doesn't require Senate agreement |
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Treaty |
a formal agreement between 2+ sovereign states |
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Electoral College |
a group of persons chosen in each State and DC every 4 years who make a formal selection of the President and VP |
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Cabinet |
a presidential advisory body, traditionally made up of the heads of the executive departments and other officers |
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Senatorial Courtesy |
a custom where the Senate will not approve a presidential appointment opposed by a majority-party senator from the State in which the appointee would serve |
