Us Constitution Vocabulary Words

Front 1

allegiance

Back 1

Loyalty to a nation, organization, or cause

Front 2

amend

Back 2

To make a minor change

Front 3

amendment

Back 3

A change added onto the US Constitution (or other document) that adds new meaning. There are 27 amendments to the US Constitution (as of 2005); the first 10 amendments are called the Bill of Rights

Front 4

Bill of Rights

Back 4

The first 10 amendments to the US Constitution are called the Bill of Rights.

Front 5

bicameral

Back 5

consisting of two legislative branches, like the US Congress, which consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate

Front 6

branches of government

Back 6

In the US, there are three branches of government: the legislative, the executive and the judicial

Front 7

census

Back 7

- an official count of the number of people in a region. The survey is done by a government, usually periodically. The US census has been taken every 10 years since 1790 (in years ending in zero); this as mandated by the US Constitution. The results of the US census are used to determine how many members of the US House of Representatives represent an area, and to allocate federal funding for local programs

Front 8

checks and balances

Back 8

Checks and balances refers to a system in which separate, powerful entities (like the three branches of the US government) check (monitor) the behavior of each other, having the effect of keeping an even balance of power. The phrase "checks and balances" was coined by Charles-Louis Montesquieu (a French political philosopher) in 1748; he also wrote about dividing the power of a government into a Legislative, Executive, and Judicial branch.

Front 9

citizen

Back 9

A person who is born in a country or a person who has legally established his or her allegiance to that country

Front 10

constitution

Back 10

A document outlining the basis of the rules of a country or organization.

Front 11

debt

Back 11

Something that is owed, such as money

Front 12

convention

Back 12

An official meeting

Front 13

election

Back 13

A process in which political representatives are chosen by ballot

Front 14

executive branch

Back 14

The part of the US government that administers the laws and other affairs of the government; it includes the President (also called the Chief Executive), the President's staff, executive agencies (the Office of Management and Budget, the National Security Council, etc.) and Cabinet departments (like the State Department, the Dept. of Defense, the Dept. of Agriculture, etc.).

Front 15

Federal government

Back 15

Pertaining to the national or central government

Front 16

Founding Fathers

Back 16

The men whose actions were responsible for creating the United States of America and the US Constitution

Front 17

Framers of the US Constitution

Back 17

The framers are the men who wrote the US Constitution, including George Washington (the first President of the USA), James Madison (the fourth President of the USA), Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, and others.

Front 18

government

Back 18

A system by which a country or other political unit is organized and controlled.

Front 19

judicial

Back 19

Of or about a court or judge

Front 20

judicial branch

Back 20

The part of the US government that settles disputes and administers justice. The judicial branch is made up of the court system, including US District Courts, many Federal courts, the US Court of Appeals (also called the Federal Circuit Courts), and the Supreme Court.

Front 21

legislate

Back 21

To make laws

Front 22

legislative branch

Back 22

The part of the US government that makes the laws and appropriates funds. The Legislative Branch includes the US House of Representative and Senate (including congressional staffs and committees) plus support agencies (like the General Accounting Office, the Congressional Budget Office, the Library of Congress, etc.). The number of seats that a state has in the House of Representatives is based upon the state's population. Each state has two Senators

Front 23

legislature

Back 23

A body of people which makes laws

Front 24

monarchy

Back 24

A form of government in which a King or Queen is in charge of the country.

Front 25

oath

Back 25

A formal declaration to fulfill a pledge or promise

Front 26

Preamble

Back 26

The short introduction to the US Constitution, which reads, "We the people of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

Front 27

President

Back 27

The elected leader of the USA (and head of the Executive Branch).

Front 28

ratify

Back 28

To sign or agree to something in order to make it official

Front 29

ratification

Back 29

The states' approval of the Constitution or an amendment to the Constitution.

Front 30

republic

Back 30

A form of government in which citizens vote for representatives who decide upon important issues

Front 31

separation of powers

Back 31

The idea that the powers of a government should be split between two or more independent groups, so that any one person or group cannot gain too much power. For example, in the US Constitution, governmental power is split among the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Branches

Front 32

suffrage

Back 32

The right to vote

Front 33

Supreme Court

Back 33

The highest court in the USA

Front 34

US Constitution

Back 34

The official document that is the basis of government and law in the United States. It was written in 1787, and ratified in 1789. Many amendments have been added since then.