| definition |
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| word |
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| the authority, or power, that rules on behalf of a group of people |
government |
| a form of government in which all power is in the hands of one person or a group of persons |
dictatorship/ dictator |
| a form of government in which a king, queen, prince (a monarch) rules and sometimes is in charge of the government |
monarchy |
| All the rules of conduct of a nation that are enforced by government |
laws |
| a written plan of government for a nation |
constitution |
| basic beliefs or standards of conduct that people attempt to live up to |
ideals |
| a key document of American freedom, adopted on July 4, 1776, declaring the 13 American colonies to be free and independent of Great Britain |
Declaration of Independence |
| our nation's first written plan of government, in effect from 1781 to 1789 |
Articles of Confederation |
| representatives who were chosen to attend the Constitutional Convention |
delegates |
| the meeting in Philadelphia in 1787 at which the Constitution of the United States was written |
Constitutional Convention |
| The men who founded the US by writing/ adopting the Constitution |
Founding Fathers |
| the lawmaking body of Great Britain |
Parliament |
| a lawmaking body consisting of two houses |
bicameral |
| a lawmaking body consisting of one house |
unicameral |
| the agreement reached by the Constitutional Convention that all states should have equal representation in the Senate and be represented according to the size of their population in the house |
great compromise |
| to change; a written change or addition in the Constitution |
amend |
| to approve; approval of the constitution in 1787 or of a constitutional amendment |
ratification (ratify) |
| members of the House of Representatives or a person who represents a group of people in the government |
representative |
| the plan of government approved in 1789 to be the "supreme law of the land" |
Constitution of the United States of America |
| the national government of our nation |
federal government |
| the branch of our federal, states, or local government that makes the laws |
Legislative Branch |
| the branch of our federal, state, or local government that carries out the laws |
Executive Branch (president) |
| the branch of the federal, state, or local government that decides if laws have been broken and that punishes lawbreakers |
Judicial Branch (judges) |
| a proposed law being considered by a lawmaking body |
bill |
| the way in which the powers of government are balanced, or divided, among three branches, so that each branch may check, or limit, the other branches |
checks and balances |
| the heads of the executive departments in the federal government, who also acts as advisors to the president |
cabinet |
| the first 10 amendments to the Constitution, which set forth the basic rights, or freedoms, guaranteed to all Americans |
bill of rights |
| the traditional ways of doing things in our federal government that are seldom written down or made into laws |
unwritten constitution |
| Based on a theology or religious faith. It is a form of government in which God or a deity is recognized as the supreme civil ruler and the God’s or deity’s laws are being interpreted by government officials |
theocracy |
| complete disorder that can result from having no government or laws |
anarchy |
| the doctrine that monarchs derive their right to rule directly from God and are accountable only to God |
divine right |
| Under a socialist system the government has ownership over the countries basic goods and services (communication, transportation, health care, power, etc.); however, some services, are owned by private businesses |
socialism |
Poultry
