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Foundations of a Dem. Gov.
vocabulary
75
Economics
9th Grade
09/24/2006
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Term
Government:
 Definition
the authority, or power, that rules on behalf of a group of people.
Term
Dictator (Dictatorship):
 Definition
a form of government in which all power is in the hands of one person or a group of persons.
Term
Monarchy:
 Definition
a form of government in which a king, queen, prince (a monarch) rules and sometimes is in charge of the government.
Term
Laws:
 Definition
All the rules of conduct of a nation that are enforced by government.
Term
Constitution:
 Definition
a written plan of government for a nation.
Term
Ideals:
 Definition
basic beliefs or standards of conduct that people attempt to live up to.
Term
Declaration of Independence:
 Definition
a key document of American freedom, adopted on July 4, 1776, declaring the 13 American colonies to be free and independent of Great Britain.
Term
Articles of Confederation:
 Definition
our nation’s first written plan of government, in effect from 1781 to 1789.
Term
Delegates:
 Definition
representatives who were chosen to attend the Constitutional Convention.
Term
Constitutional Convention:
 Definition
the meeting in Philadelphia in 1787 at which the Constitution of the United States was written.
Term
Founding Fathers:
 Definition
The men who founded the U.S. by writing/ adopting the Constitution.
Term
Parliament:
 Definition
the lawmaking body of Great Britain.
Term
Bicameral:
 Definition
a lawmaking body consisting of two houses.
Term
Unicameral:
 Definition
a lawmaking body consisting of one house.
Term
Great Compromise:
 Definition
the agreement reached by the Constitutional Convention that all states should have equal representation in the Senate and be represented according to the size of their population in the house.
Term
Amend (Amendment):
 Definition
to change; a written change or addition in the Constitution.
Term
Ratification (Ratify):
 Definition
to approve; approval of the Constitution in 1787 or of a constitutional amendment.
Term
Representative:
 Definition
members of the House of Representatives or a person who represents a group of people in the government.
Term
Constitution of the United States of America:
 Definition
the plan of government approved in 1789 to be the “supreme law of the land”.
Term
Federal Government:
 Definition
the national government of our nation.
Term
Legislative Branch:
 Definition
the branch of our federal, state or local government that makes the laws.
Term
Executive Branch:
 Definition
the branch of our federal, state or local government that carries out the laws.
Term
Judicial Branch:
 Definition
the branch of the federal, state or local government that decides if laws have been broken and that punishes lawbreakers.
Term
Bill:
 Definition
a proposed law being considered by a lawmaking body.
Term
Checks and Balances:
 Definition
the way in which the powers of government are balanced, or divided, among three branches, so that each branch may check, or limit, the other branches.
Term
Cabinet:
 Definition
The heads of the executive departments in the federal government, who also act as advisors to the President.
Term
Bill of Rights:
 Definition
the first 10 amendments to the Constitution, which set forth the basic rights, or freedoms, guaranteed to all Americans.
Term
Unwritten Constitution:
 Definition
the traditional ways of doing things in our federal government that are seldom written down or made into laws.
Term
Theocracy:
 Definition
Based on a theology or religious faith. It is a form of government in which God or a deity is recognized as the supreme civil ruler and the God’s or deity’s laws are being interpreted by govt officials.
Term
Anarchy:
 Definition
Complete disorder that can result from having no government or laws.
Term
Divine Right:
 Definition
the doctrine that monarchs derive their right to rule directly from God and are accountable only to God.
Term
Socialism:
 Definition
the government has ownership over the countries basic goods and services (communication, transportation, health care, power, etc.); however, some services, are owned by private businesses
Term
Common Sense:
 Definition
a set of pamphlets authored by Thomas Paine that encouraged separation from the Crown. Pamphlets called the King a brute and stated that America had a separate destiny from England.
Term
Mercantilism:
 Definition
the theory and system of politics of developing colonies to maintain a balance of trade.
Term
Olive Branch Petition:
 Definition
a letter written to King George III from the members of the 2nd Continental Congress that appealed to the king to address colonial grievances to avoid war.
Term
Communism:
 Definition
political system in which ownership of all product and land are in the hands of the people, and all goods are equally shared.
Term
Age of Enlightenment:
 Definition
Occurred in the 18th century. Philosophers wrote new ideas on politics such as the role of the “divine right” of kings and the separation of church and state.
Term
English Bill of Rights:
 Definition
Predecessor to the U.S. Bill of Rights. Outlined new rights for the English people such as “no taxation without representation.”
Term
Democracy Government:
 Definition
Government by the people
Term
Representative Democracy:
 Definition
Government where the people elect leaders to carry out the rules and ideals that they want.
Term
Direct Democracy:
 Definition
a system of government in which ALL citizens participate in politics and decision making.
Term
John Locke:
 Definition
Influential English philosopher who inspired Thomas Jefferson when writing the Declaration of Independence.
Term
Thomas Jefferson:
 Definition
authored the Declaration of Independence.
Term
James Madison:
 Definition
Father of the Constitution.
Term
Treason:
 Definition
violation of allegiance to one’s country.
Term
Traitors:
 Definition
A person who betrays his country.
Term
Constitutional Monarchy:
 Definition
the king shares power with a group of advisors or a democratic body.
Term
Patriots:
 Definition
Colonists loyal to the United States.
Term
Tory:
 Definition
Colonists loyal to the British.
Term
Thomas Paine:
 Definition
author of Common Sense.
Term
King George III:
 Definition
King of England during the American Revolution
Term
Intolerable Acts:
 Definition
Acts of law passed by England to punish the colonies for the Boston Tea Party.
Term
Confederation:
 Definition
A group of nations or states united for a common cause.
Term
American Revolution:
 Definition
War fought to gain American independence from England.
Term
1st Continental Congress:
 Definition
A body of 55 representatives appointed by colonial legislatures who met to plan a response to England’s Intolerable Acts.
Term
Boston Tea Party:
 Definition
An act of protest of the stamp act by the American colonists against England.
Term
2nd Continental Congress:
 Definition
a body of representatives who met and approved the Declaration of Independence.
Term
Minutemen:
 Definition
Armed civilians fighting during the Revolutionary War.
Term
Monopoly:
 Definition
a company or group having exclusive control over commercial activity.
Term
John Adams:
 Definition
A driving force calling for independence from England.
Term
Three-Fifths Compromise:
 Definition
A compromise reached by the Northern states and Southern states over how to count the slave population. Slaves were counted 3/5 of all other persons.
Term
Federalists:
 Definition
People who supported the Constitution
Term
Anti-Federalists:
 Definition
People who were against the Constitution
Term
Virginia Plan:
 Definition
Large states plan for a bicameral congress with representation to be based on population.
Term
New Jersey Plan:
 Definition
Small states plan for a unicameral congress with equal representation.
Term
Independence Hall:
 Definition
the building in Philadelphia where the Declaration of Independence was signed
Term
Magna Carta:
 Definition
the “great charter” of English liberties, forced from King John by the English barons
Term
Triangle Trade:
 Definition
trade of slaves between the New World, Europe, and Africa
Term
Preamble:
 Definition
the introductory statement of the U.S. Constitution, setting forth the general principles of American government
Term
Grievances:
 Definition
a complaint or protestation based on such a circumstance
Term
Consent of the Governed:
 Definition
a political theory that says a government's legitimacy and moral right to use state power is, or ought to be, derived from the people or society over which that power is exercised
Term
Federalists Papers:
 Definition
a series of articles arguing for the ratification of the United States Constitution
Term
Dictatorship:
 Definition
a country, government, or the form of government in which absolute power is exercised by a dictator
Term
Richard Henry Lee:
 Definition
introduced the Virginia Plan at the 2nd Continental Congress
Term
Father of the Constitution:
 Definition
name given to James Madison because he is the only person who kept minutes at the Constitutional Convention
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