Charley's 7Th Grade Civics Unit 2 Foundations

Front 1

Citizenship

Back 1

legal status of being a citizen, or a person's actions and behavior as a citizen

Front 2

Natural Rights

Back 2

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.

Front 3

Separation of Powers

Back 3

"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.

Front 4

Checks and Balances

Back 4

"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.

Front 5

Amendment

Back 5

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.

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Articles of Confederation

Back 6

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.

Front 7

U.S. Constitution

Back 7

The U.S. Constitution details the structure, functions, and powers of the federal government. It contains the Preamble, seven articles, and 27 amendments.

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Ratify

Back 8

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.

Front 9

Social Contract

Back 9

The "social contract" is the idea that people agree, or consent, to government authority. In return, the government protects the people and their rights.

Front 10

Common Good

Back 10

"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.

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Grievances

Back 11

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.

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Federalism

Back 12

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.

Front 13

Veto

Back 13

Veto: the power of the U.S. president to reject a law passed by Congress

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Founding Fathers

Back 14

Name given to the early leaders of the United States who helped design the nation's government.

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Influenced

Back 15

To have an effect on something.

Front 16

Enlightenment

Back 16

A time of change in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries when philosophers focused on reason as a way to solve problems.

Front 17

Representatives

Back 17

A person chosen to speak and act for their fellow citizens in government.

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Legislative Branch

Back 18

The part of government responsible for making laws.

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Reason

Back 19

The ability to think logically, clearly, and without emotion.

Front 20

Natural Law

Back 20

A body of law said to come from nature that is common to all humans.

Front 21

Colonist

Back 21

A member of a colony, one of the inhabitants of the 13 British colonies that became the USA

Front 22

Monarch

Back 22

A supreme ruler of a territory, usually a king or queen, usually for life and by hereditary right.

Front 23

Parliament

Back 23

The name given to the legislative branch of government in Britain and other countries.

Front 24

Tyranny

Back 24

A government in which a single ruler possesses and abuses absolute power, or the abusive use of power.

Front 25

Citizen

Back 25

A person who is native or naturalized to a country.

Front 26

Limited Monarchy

Back 26

A form of government where the power of the king or queen is limited by laws or a constitution

Front 27

Declaration of Independance

Back 27

An official statement in 1776 of the American colonies to Great Britain that the colonies were now free and and independent states.

Front 28

Dept

Back 28

An amount of money, service, or other property owed to someone.

Front 29

Delegates

Back 29

Representatives from the 13 colonies sent to the Continental Congress

Front 30

Continental Congress

Back 30

Meeting of delegates from the British colonies that became the first governing group of the USA

Front 31

Treason

Back 31

A betrayal or act of disloyalty toward one's own country.

Front 32

Redress

Back 32

To make up or make amends for a loss or wrongful action.

Front 33

Natural Rights

Back 33

Rights that people are born with and that no government can take away.

Front 34

Social Contract

Back 34

The idea that people agree, or consent, to government protects the people and their rights.

Front 35

Grievance

Back 35

Reason or cause for complaint.

Front 36

Analyze

Back 36

To examine something in detail in order to understand it better, often by breaking it down into parts.

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Formal

Back 37

Official

Front 38

Veto

Back 38

The power of the US president to reject a law passed by congress

Front 39

Legislative Branch

Back 39

The part of government responsible for making laws.

Front 40

US Constitution

Back 40

The structure, functions, and powers of the government of the USA, also known as the Constitution.

Front 41

Override

Back 41

Action by Congress to offset a veto by the president with a 2/3 vote

Front 42

Constitutional Convention

Back 42

The 1787 meetings of the delegates from the US states to address problems in the Articles of Confederation.

Front 43

Anti-federalist

Back 43

A delegate to the Constitution Convention who opposed the ratification of the Constitution without a separate list of individual and state rights

Front 44

Federalist

Back 44

A delegate to the Constitution Convention who supported the ratification of the Constitution and a strong national government.

Front 45

Bill of Rights

Back 45

The first 10 amendments to the Constitution

Front 46

US Constitution

Back 46

Plan detailing the structure, functions, and powers of the government of the United States, also known as the Constitution.

Front 47

Right

Back 47

A protection or privilege due to a person by law, tradition, or nature.

Front 48

Repealed

Back 48

To end a law by official means.

Front 49

Citizenship

Back 49

Legal status of being a citizen, or a person's actions and behavior as a citizen.

Front 50

Equal Protection Clause

Back 50

No state should deny any citizen equal rights and protections under the law.

Front 51

Citizens

Back 51

A person who is native or naturalized to a country

Front 52

Poll Tax

Back 52

A payment collected from people as a requirement to vote.

Front 53

Literacy Test

Back 53

A payment collected from people as a requirement to vote

Front 54

Data

Back 54

Info, facts, or stats.

Front 55

Civil Disobedience

Back 55

Breaking a law as a means of nonviolent protest.