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Semester 1
86
54
Social Studies
12th Grade
01/02/2012

Additional Social Studies Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
government
Definition
the institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies.
Term
public policies
Definition
all things a government decides to do 
Term
legislative power
Definition
the power to make law and to frame public policies
Term
executive power
Definition
the power to execute, enforce, and administer law
Term
judicial power
Definition
the power to interpret laws, to determine their meaning, and to settle disputes that arise within the society
Term
constitution
Definition
the body of fundamental laws setting out the principles, structures, and processes of a government
Term
dictatorship
Definition
powers held by one person or a small group of people in the government
Term
democracy
Definition
supreme authority rests with the people
Term
state
Definition
a body of people living in a defined territory, organized politically
Term
sovereign
Definition
has supreme and absolute power within it's own territory and can decide it's own foreign and domestic territories 
Term
autocracy
Definition
a government in which a single person holds unlimited political power
Term
oligarchy
Definition
a government in which the power to rule is held by a small, usually self appointed elite
Term
unitary government
Definition
all powers held by the government belong to a single, central agency
Term
federal government
Definition
one in which the powers of government belong to a single, central agency
Term
division of powers
Definition
the constitutional provisions by which governmental powers are divided on a geographical basis
Term
Confederation
Definition
an alliance of independent states
Term
presidential government
Definition
features a eparation of powers between the executive and legislative branches
Term
parliamentary government
Definition
the executive is made up of the prime minister or premier, ad that official's cabinet
Term
compromise
Definition
the process of blending and adjusting competing views and interests
Term
free enterprise system
Definition
an economic system characterized by the private ownership of capital goods investments made by private discussions, not by government directive, and success or failure determined by competition in the marketplace 
Term
law of supply and demand
Definition
states that when supplies of goods and services become plentiful, prices tend to drop
Term
mixed economy
Definition
an economy in which private enterprise exists in combination with a considerate amount of government regulation
Term
limited government
Definition
the government is restricted in what it may may do, and each individual has rights that can't be taken away
Term
representative government
Definition
goverenment should serve the will of the people
Term
Magna Carta
Definition
The Great Charter, which protected colonists from arbitrary acts of the King
Term
Petition of Right
Definition
limited the King's power in ways such as not letting him imprison whoever he wants, he can't enforce martial law, and can't require homeowners to shelter his soldiers
Term
English Bill of Rights
Definition
prohibited a standing army during peace
Term
Charter
Definition
a written grant of authority from the king
Term
Bicameral
Definition
two-house legislative
Term
propriety
Definition
organized by a proprietor a person to whom the king made a grant of land
Term
unicameral
Definition
a joining of several groups for a common purpose
Term
confederation
Definition
a joining of several groups for a common purpose
Term
Albany Plan of Union
Definition
1754 meeting that created congress
Term
delegates
Definition
representatives
Term
boycott
Definition
refusal to buy or sell products or services in protest
Term
repealed
Definition
withdrawn, cancelled
Term
popular sovereignity
Definition
government can exsist only with the consent of the governed.
Term
Articles of Confederation
Definition
Established "a firm league of friendship among the states
Term
ratification
Definition
formal approval
Term
presiding officer
Definition
chair
Term
Framers
Definition
group of delegates that attended the Philidelphia Convention
Term
Preamble
Definition
the introduction to a document
Term
articles
Definition
sections of a document
Term
Constitutionalism
Definition
limited government in which the government must obey the law
Term
rule of law
Definition
holds that government and it's officials are always subject-never above-the law
Term
Separation of Powers
Definition
the basic powers are separated among three distinct and independent branches of government
Term
Checks and Balances
Definition
each branch is subject to a number of restraints by the other branches
Term
veto
Definition
reject
Term
judical reiew
Definition
 power of courts to determine whether what government does is in accord with the constitution
Term
unconstitutional
Definition
to declare illegal, null and void, of no force and effect-violates the constitution
Term
federalism
Definition
the division of power in the central government
Term
Division of powers
Definition
the national government has only the powers granted to it by the constitution
Term
Delegated powers
Definition
a government has only the powers granted to it by the constitution
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