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United States constitution Vocab
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Constitution | A document presenting a plan of government. |
| Constitutional Convention | Meeting held in 1787 to consider changes to the Articles of Confederation and resulted in the drafting of the Constitution. |
| Bill of Rights | The first 10 amendments to the United States Constitution, listing all the essential freedoms guaranteed to all citizens. |
| Amendment | An alteration or written change to a document. |
| Bicameral | Two houses of the legislative branch of government. |
| Preamble | The first part, or introduction, of a document. |
| Checks and balances | System set up in the Constitution where each branch of the government has some authority over the other. |
| Federalism | System of government in which power is shared among the national and state government. |
| Separation of powers | The division of power among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government. |
| Legislative branch | The branch of government that makes the laws. |
| Executive branch | The branch of government that enforces and carries out laws. |
| Judicial branch | The branch of government that interprets laws. |
| Duties | Tasks citizens are required to do. |
| Responsibilities | Tasks citizens should do. |