Enlightenment, Mercantilism, Confederation, Monarch, Legislature, Precedent
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legislature
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a lawmaking body
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precedent
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a ruling in an earlier case that is similar to the current case in consideration
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common law (this was a question on the reading questions but it asked more what did it do so i didn't capitalize it)
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system of law that rests on court decisions rather than regulations written by lawmakers
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natural rights
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according to John Locke these are the rights to life, liberty, and property
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social contract
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an agreement among the people of a society
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colony
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group of people in one place who are ruled by a parent country elsewhere
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joint-stock company
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provides investors partial ownership and a share in future profits (Jamestown was organized as this)
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charter
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written document granting land and authority to set up colonial governments
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compact
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an agreement or contract among a group of people (like the Mayflower Compact which the first colonists to the new world created to establish laws/rules. it set up a government for them)
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proprietary colony
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colony in which the owner, or proprietor, owns the land and controls the government
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royal colony
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colony owned and ruled directly by the king
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religious dissenters
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those who follow a faith other than the official religion of a country
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Puritans
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they were the founders of Massachusetts they're people who wanted to reform, or purify, the Anglican church
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Pilgrims
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people on a religious journey
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toleration
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accepance
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indentured servants
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this system made it possible for poor people to come to the colonies. colonists in america agreed to pay the cost of transporting servants to the colonies and promised to provide food, clothing, and shelter to them until their labor contracts expired
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plantation
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large estate
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triangular trade
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pattern of trade that developed among the Americas, Africa, and Europe. The colonists shipped rum to Africa to exchange for enslaved people, the slaves were then shipped to the West Indies and traded for sugar and molasses, which was used to make rum in america
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tidewater
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areas of flat, low plains near the seacoast of Virginia and North Carolina
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egalitarianism
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spirit of equality
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boycott
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refuse to buy ex. the colonists boycotted British goods
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repeal
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cancel ex. the stamp act was repealed by the British Parliament
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delegate
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representative
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independance
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self-reliance and freedom from outside control
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constitution
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a detailed, written plan for government
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Implied powers
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powers that the Constitution gives Congress "to make all Laws necessary and proper" to carry out it's duties
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Enumerated powers
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powers that the Constitution expressly gives to the government
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Concurrent powers
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powers that both the National and State Governments can exercise
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Reserved powers
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powers that only the states have
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bicameral
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divided into two parts or houses
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ratified
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approved
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constitutional convention
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meeting in Philadelphia to come up with a new plan for government in 1787
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great compromise
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also known as the Connecticut Compromise, this was Sherman's plan that resolved the issue of representatives in Congress
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three-fifths compromise
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the compromise that the delegates agreed on regarding the slaves. Each slave would count as 3/5ths of a person
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electoral college
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a group of people who would be named by each state legislature to select the president and the vice-president
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federalists
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supporters of the Constitution. They believe in a strong federal governments
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federalism
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a form of government in which power is divided between the federal government and the states
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anti-federalists
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those who opposed the Constitution. They believe that the power should belong to the people and not a strong central government
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preamble of the constitution
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an introduction that states the goals and purposes of the government
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Legislative branch
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Congress
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Executive branch
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law-enforcing branch of government headed by a president and vice president
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Judicial branch
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part of government that interprets laws and sees that they are fairly applied
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amendment
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any change in the Constitution
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popular sovereignty
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idea that the power of government lies with the people
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rule of law
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idea that the law applies to everyone, even those who govern
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separation of powers
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division of authority
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checks and balances
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system where each branch of government is able to check, or limit, the powers of others
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Civil Liberties
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the freedoms we have to think and to act without government interference or fear of unfair treatment
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censorship
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the government cannot ban printed materials or films merely because they contain alarming or offensive ideas
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petition
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a formal request
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Slander
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spreading spoken lies
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Libel
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lies that are printed
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search warrant
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court order allowing law enforcement officers to search a suspect's home or business and take specific items as evidence
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Indictment
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a formal charge by a grand jury
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Grand Jury
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a group of citizens who review the evidence against the accused
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double jeopardy
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law that states that people who are accused of a crime and judged not guilty may not be put on trial again for the same crime
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due process
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following established legal procedures
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eminent domain
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right of the government to take private property, usually land, for public use
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Bail
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a sum of money used as a security deposit for the accused
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suffrage
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the right to vote
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poll taxes
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laws that requires voters to pay a sum of money before casting a ballot
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discrimination
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unfair treatment based on prejudice against a certain group
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segregation
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social separation of races
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civil rights
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the rights of full citizenship and equality under the law
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affirmative action
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federal programs that try to make up for past discrimination
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racial profiling
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being singled out as a suspect because of the way one looks
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Responsibilities
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obligations that we fulfill voluntarily
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Duties
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things that we are required to do
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Draft
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to call up men for military service
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Tolerance
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respecting and accepting others despite their differences
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Bureaucracies
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complex systems with many departments, many rules, and many people in the chain of command
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Welfare
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the health, prosperity, and happiness
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Volunteerism
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the practice of offering your time and services to others without payment
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census
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population count
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Constituents
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people represented
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Gerrymander
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an oddly shaped district designed to increase the voting strength of a particular group
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Majority Party
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the political party that makes up more than both half the House and the Senate
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Minority Party
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other party besides the majority party
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Standing committee
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permanent committee
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Seniority
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years of service
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Elastic clause
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clause 18 of the Constitution that allows Congress to stretch its powers to meet new needs
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impeach
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accuse officials of misconduct in office
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writ of habeas corpus
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a court order that requires the police to bring a prisoner to court to explain why they are holding the person
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bill of attainder
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laws that punish a person without a jury trial
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ex post facto
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laws that make an act a crime after the act has been committed
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franking privelage
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senators and representatives can send job-related mail without paying postage
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lobbyists
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people hired by private groups to influence government decision makers
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casework
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dealing with requests for info and services (members of Congress often have a lot of casework to do)
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Pork-barrel projects
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government projects that primarily benefit the home district or state of a Congressman
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Joint resolutions
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resolutions that are passed by both the house and the senate
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Special-interest groups
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organizations made up of people with common interests
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Filibuster
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when the Senate talks a bill to death
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cloture
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a way that senators vote to end a filibuster
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Voice Vote
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(this happens in both houses) a way to vote on a bill in which the members of the house simply either say "yea" or "no" to vote and the Speaker or senator pro-temporare determines which side has the most votes
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Standing Vote
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(this happens in both houses) vote in which those in favor of a bill stand to be counted, and then those against it stand to be counted
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Roll-Call vote
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(this happens in the Senate) members of the senate say "aye" or "no" as their names are called
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veto
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refuse to sign
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pocket veto
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when the president ignores legislation for ten days and at the end of those days Congress is not in session, then the bill will just die. this is called a pocket veto. However, if Congress is in session at the end of those 10 days then the bill can become a law without the president signing it
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electors
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people in the electoral college who choose the president
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executive order
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issued by the President, this a rule or command that has the force of law
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pardon
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declaration of forgiveness and freedom from punishment (power of president)
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reprieve
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an order to delay a person's punishment until a higher court can hear the case (power of president)
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amnesty
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a pardon towards a group of people (power of president)
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foreign policy
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a nation's plan for dealing with other nations
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national security
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the ability to keep the country safe from attack or harm (this is the primary goal of America's foreign policy)
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treaties
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formal agreements between governments of two or more countries
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executive agreement
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a way the president can bypass the Senate and make an agreement with the leader of another country
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ambassador
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an official representative of a country's government
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trade sanctions
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efforts to punish another nation by imposing trade barriers
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embargo
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an agreement among a group of nations that prohibits them from trading with a target nation
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cabinet
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group of presidential advisors that includes the heads of the 15 top-level executive departments
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federal bureaucracies
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agencies and employees of the executive branch as a whole
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independent agencies
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part of the executive branch but not part of the cabinet. 3 types are executive agencies, government corporations, and regulatory commissions.
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government corporations
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like private businesses, only the government owns and operates them
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political appointees
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people whom the president has chosen because they have proven executive ability or were important supporters of the president's campaign
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civil service workers
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people employed by the government through the civil service system
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civil service system
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the practice of hiring government workers on the basis of open, competitive examinations and merit
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spoils system
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system where government jobs go to people in exchange for their political support
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merit system
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government officials hire new workers from lists of people who have passed the tests or otherwise met civil service standards
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