Term 1 vocab Flashcards
(23 cards)
Congress
Congress is the legislative branch of the federal government that represents the American people and makes the nation’s laws. It shares power with the executive branch, led by the president, and the judicial branch, whose highest body is the Supreme Court of the United States.
Executive Branch
He negotiates treaties, and acts as head of state and commander in chief of the armed forces. The executive branch also includes the Vice President and other officials, such as members of the cabinet. The cabinet is made up of the heads of the 15 major departments of the government.
Legislative branch
The legislative branch is made up of the two houses of Congress—the Senate and the House of Representatives. The most important duty of the legislative branch is to make laws. Laws are written, discussed and voted on in Congress. There are 100 senators in the Senate, two from each state.
Judicial Branch
The third branch of government is the Judicial branch. The Judiciary is made up of courts – Supreme, Circuit, the magistrate (local) and municipal (city) courts. The Judicial branch interprets the laws. The state judges are elected by the citizens rather than being appointed.
President
Chief of state refers to the President as the head of the government. He is the symbol of all the people.
Vice-President
Other than to succeed to the presidency upon the death or resignation of a president, a vice president’s only constitutional duty is to preside over the Senate. Vice presidents cannot vote in the Senate, except to break a tie, nor may they formally address the Senate, except with the senators’ permission.
census
an official count or survey of the population
Supreme Court
the highest judicial court in a country or state.
the highest federal court in the US, consisting of nine justices and taking judicial precedence over all other courts in the nation.
House of reprisenatives
One of the two houses of the United States Congress, the other house is the senate. the lower house
Senate
The second house of Congress, they represent the people living in the state they are appointed to. the higher house
liberalism
It is a political philosophy or worldview founded on ideas of liberty and equality.
Conservatism
Want to preserve the traditional morality and values of the constitution
Checks and Balances
counterbalancing influences by which an organization or system is regulated, typically those ensuring that political power is not concentrated in the hands of individuals or groups.
Democracy
a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives
Politics
the activities associated with the governance of a country or other area, especially the debate or conflict among individuals or parties having or hoping to achieve power.
Republican
republican government is one in which the political authority comes from the people. In the United States, power is given to the government by its citizens as written in the U.S. Constitution and through its elected representatives.
Democrat
democracy. government by the people; a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system. a state having such a form of government: The United States and Canada are democracies.
Election
a formal and organized process of electing or being elected, especially of members of a political body.
Voting Right
15th amendment
Electoral college
(in the US) a body of people representing the states of the US, who formally cast votes for the election of the president and vice president.
Constitution
The Laws of the United States of America
constitutional
right by the constitution.of or relating to an established set of principles governing a state
veto
a constitutional right to reject a decision or proposal made by a law-making body
