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 the stamp act was repealed by the British Parliament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