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unit 9 vocabulary
Term | Definition |
---|---|
federalism | a system in which a national and local government share power |
separation of powers | the division of the functions of government among the branches in order to prevent any one branch from having too much power |
checks & balances | a system in which each branch of government has the power to block the actions of the others |
bicameral | the two houses of the legislative branch, the senate & house of representatives |
bill | a proposed law |
balanced budget | condition that exists when the government spends only as much money as it takes in |
line-item veto | the power to veto parts of a bill and approve others |
martial law | temporary rule by the military |
pardon | a release from punishment for a crime |
capital offenses | crimes that can be punished by death |
grand jury | a group of at least 12 citizens who determine of there is enough evidence to against a defendant to justify a trial |
indictment | a formal charge of wrong doing |
plea bargain | an agreement between the state and the defendant in a criminal trial |
precinct | a district within a county, town, or city |
republicanism | a republic is a form of government in which individual citizens choose people to represent their interests in the government . |
citizen | a member of a nation that is entitled to full rights |
naturalized | the condition of having become a citizen by meeting certain requirements |
patriotism | the love for one's country; the passion which aims to serve one's country, either from invasion, or protecting its rights and maintaining its laws and institutions in vigor and purity. patriotism is the characteristic of a good citizen. |
campaign | an effort to win an elected office |
political parties | groups that seek to gain power by electing candidates to office |