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| Basic principle of the American system of government which asserts that the people are the source of any and all governmental power, and government can exist only with the consent of the governed. |
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| Basic principle of American government which states that government is restricted in what it may do, and each individual has rights that government cannot take away. |
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| Laws of basic and lasting importance which may not easily be changed. |
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| A process in which a certain number of qualified voters sign petitions in favor of a proposed statute or constitutional amendment, which then goes directly to the ballot. |
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| A law passed by the legislature. |
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| The autority of each State to act to protect and promote the public health, safety, morals, and general welfare of its people. |
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| The non-legislative power of Constitution-making and the constitutional amendment process. |
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| A process by which a legislative measure is referred to the State's voters for final aprroval or rejection. |
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| A petition procedure by which voters may remove an elected official from office before the completion of his or her regular term. |
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| A governor may veto one or more items in a bill without rejecting the entire measure. |
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| Mercy or leniency granted to an offender by a chief executive |
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| Release from the punishment or legal consquences of a crime, by the President (in a federal case) or a governor (in a State case). |
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| The power to reduce (commute) the length of a sentence or fine for a crime. |
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| An official postponement of the execution of a sentence. |
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| The release of a prisoner short of the complete term of the original sentence. |
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| An unwritten law made by a judge that has developed over centuries from those generally accepted ideas of right and wrong that have gained judicial recognition. |
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| Court decision that stands as an example to be followed in future, similar cases. |
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| The portion of the law that defines public wrongs and provides for their punishment. |
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| A serious crime which may be punished by a heavy fine and/or imprisonment or even death. |
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| A lesser offense, punishable by a small fine and/or a short jail term. |
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| The portion of the law relating to human conduct, to disputes between private parties, and to disputes between private parties and government not covered by criminal law. |
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| A body of persons selected according to law who hear evidence and decide questions of fact in a court case. |
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A formal charge filed by a prosecutor without the action of a grand jury. |
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| A trial in which the judge alone hears the case. |
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| A judge who stands on the lowest level of the State judicial system and presides over justice courts. |
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| A court order authorizing, or making legal, some official action, such as a search warrant or an arrest warrant. |
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| The first step in a major criminal prosecution where the judge decides if the evidence is enough to hold the person for action by the grand jury or the prosecutor. |
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| A justice who handles minor civil complaints and misdemeanor cases that arise in an urban setting. |
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| The authority of a court to review decisions of inferior (lower) courts. |
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