| Term | Definition |
| Social Contract Theory | an idea that the government and people have a mutual agreement |
| Limited Government | the Constitution clearly states the powers of the government and does not allow them to exceed those powers |
| Popular Sovereignty | a Constitutional principle that means that the people ultimately hold all power to rule |
| Amend | to add or change |
| Checks and Balances | each branch of government has powers that offset the powers of the other two branches to ensure that no branch becomes too powerful |
| Ratify | to approve |
| Mercantilism | a theory that a country should export more goods than they import to increase national wealth |
| Inalienable Rights | the rights of people that cannot be taken away by the government |
| Rule of Law | every person has to follow the laws regardless of their position in society |
| Federalism | division of governmental power among national , state, and local governments |
| Direct Democracy | a system of government where all individuals are allowed to vote on issues |
| Salutary Neglect | a time period in colonial when the English government allowed the colonies to operate mostly free from governmental rule/interference |
| Bill of Rights | the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution |
| Loose Interpetation | the idea that the Constitution is meant to be interpreted differently over time |
| Consent of the Governed | the government has the power only because the citizens give it to them |
| Strict Interpetation | the idea that the Constitution is meant to be read literally |
| Monarchy | a system of government led by King or Queen |
| Representative Democracy | a system of government where individuals choose a delegate to represent their region by voting on all issues on their behalf |
| Separation of Powers | division of governmental duties among the three branches of government |
| Natural Rights | individual human rights that should be guaranteed to all people |
