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8 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Fundamental law |
The law which determines the constitution of government in a nation or state, and prescribes and regulates the manner of its exercise. The organic law of a nation or state; its constitution. The Constitution is a contract of delegated powers. |
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Codified Constitution |
A constitution that consists of a full and authoritative set of rules written down in a single text |
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Limited Government |
A principle that the size and scope of the federal government should be limited to that which is necessary only for the common good of the people
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How is the constitution rigid? |
Notoriously difficult amendment process. First a bill must be passed in both houses of Congress with a super-majority of two-thirds. Then it goes to the states, where three-quarters of state legislatures must approve it. Thus it is very difficult to get an amendment proposed, hence why there have only been twenty seven successful attempts to amend the US constitution in over 200 years. The first 10 amendments being the bill of rights. |
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Checks and Balances |
A system of government in which each branch- the legislative, executive and judicial- exercises control over the actions of other branches of government. |
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Federalism |
The idea that in the US, governmental power is divided between the government of the United States and the government of the individual states. The government of the US, the national government, is sometimes called the federal government, while the state governments are just called the state governments
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Separation of Powers
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A theory of government whereby political power is distributed among three branches of government- Legislature, Executive and Judiciary- acting both independently of and interdependently. AS applied to the US government, the theory is better understood as one of 'Shared powers'. It is the institution of government that are separate, while the powers are shared through an elaborate series of checks and balances. |
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Entrenched rights
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Rights which are explicitly protected by the Constitution. These rights will have a special status and will be immune from change by political whims through legislation. In order to change them, a Constitutional Amendment will be required.The Bill of Rights (First 10 amendments) is perhaps the best example of entrenched rights in the United States.
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