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More Perfect Union
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| bicameral | having, consisting of, or based on two legislative chambers |
| republic | a government in which supreme power resides in a body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by elected officers and representatives responsible to them and governing according to law |
| ordinance | a law set forth by a governmental authority |
| depreciate | to lower the price or estimated value of |
| depression | a period of low general economic activity marked especially by rising levels of unemployment |
| manumission | formal emancipation from slavery |
| proportional | having the same or a constant ratio |
| compromise | settlement of differences by arbitration or by consent reached by mutual concessions |
| federalism | the distribution of power in an organization (such as a government) between a central authority and the constituent |
| legislative branch | a branch of government that is charged with such powers as making laws, levying and collecting taxes, and making financial appropriations |
| executive branch | a branch of government that is charged with such powers as diplomatic representation, superintendence of the execution of the laws, and appointment of officials and that usually has some power over legislation (as through veto) |
| electoral college | one that elects the president and vice president of the U.S. |
| judicial branch | a branch of government that is charged with trying all cases that involve the government and with the administration of justice within its jurisdiction |
| checks and balances | a system that allows each branch of a government to amend or veto acts of another branch so as to prevent any one branch from exerting too much power |
| amendment | the process of altering or amending a law or document (such as a constitution) by parliamentary or constitutional procedure |
| federalist | an advocate of a federal union between the American colonies after the Revolution and of the adoption of the U.S. Constitution |
| anti-federalist | a person who opposed the adoption of the U.S. Constitution |