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The principal that individualsshould be free to act and think as
they choose, provided they do not infrindge unreasonably on
the rights and freedoms of others |
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| The notion that all individuals are equal in their moral worth and are thereby entitled to eequal treatment under the law. |
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| The idea that people should take the initiative, be self-sufficient, and accumulate the material advantages necessary for their well-being |
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| A form of government in which the people govern, either directly or thorough elected representatives. |
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| Government in which control rests with a few persons. |
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| The characteristics and deep-seated beliefs of a particular people. |
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| A form of government in which absolute control rests with a single person. |
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| Opponents of the Constitution during the debate over ratification. |
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| The elaborate system of divided spheres of authority provided by the U.S. Constitution as a means of controlling the power of government . The separation of powers among the branches of the national government, federalism, and the different methods of selecting national offers are all part of this system. |
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| The agreement of the constitutional convention to create a two-chamber Congress with the House apportioned by population and the Senate apportioned equally by state. |
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Inalienable(natural)rights |
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| Those rights that persons theoretically possessed in the state of nature, prior to the formation of governments. Theses rights, including those of life, liberty, and property, are considered inherent and as such are inalienable. Since government has the responsibility to preserve these rights. |
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| The division of the powers of government among separate institutions of branches. |
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| The first ten amendments to the Constitution. |
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| The potential of a majority to monopolize power for its own gain and to the detriment of minority rights and intrest. |
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| A governmental system in which sovereignty is vested entirely in subnational (state) governments. |
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| The passing down of authority from the national government to states and localities. |
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| A governmental system in which the national government alone has sovereign authority. |
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| Federal grants-in-aid that permit state and local officials to decide how the money will be spent within a general area, such as education. |
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| Federal grants-in-aid to states and localities that can be used only for designated projects. |
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| Article VI of the Constitution, which makes national law supreme over state law when the national government is acting within its constitutional limits. |
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| The powers granted to the states under the 10th Amendment to the Constitution. |
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| The constitutional requirement that government must follow proper legal procedures before a person can be legitimately punished for an alleged offense. |
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| Spoken words that falsely damage a person's reputation. |
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| Publication of material that falsely damages a person reputation. |
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| The 1st Amendment provision that government may not favor one religion over another or favor religion over no religion, and that prohibits Congress from passing laws respecting the establishment of religion. |
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The legal principal that government is prohibited from using in trials evidence that was obtained by unconstitutional means
(example: iillegal search and seizure.) |
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| A 1st Amendment provision that prohibits the government from interfering with the practice of religion of prohibiting the free exercise of religion. |
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| Government prohibition of speech or publication before the fact, which is presumed by the courts to be unconstitutional unless the justification for it is overwhelming. |
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| Discrimination on the basis of race, sex, religion, ethnicity, and the like that results from social, economic, and cultural biases and conditions. |
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| Discrimination on the basis of race, sex, religion, ethnicity, and the like that results from a law. |
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| A clause ofthe 14th Amendment that forbids any state to deny equal protection of the laws to any individual within its jurisdiction. |
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| A test applied by courts to laws that treat individuals unequally. Such a law may be deemed constitutional if its purpose is held to be "reasonably" related to a legitimate government interest. |
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Equal right (civil rights) |
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Definition
| The right of every person to equal protection under the laws and equal access to society's opportunities. |
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