1. Chapters 1-11 Vocabulary
1.) Civics: is the study of the rights and duties of citizens.
Sentence: The majority of high school students take civics and economics in high
school to learn more about their rights and duties before they go out into the real world.
2) Citizenship: The right of being someone of common wealth or state in a society
Sentence: Immigrants must earn their citizenship before being allowed to stay in
America for a permanent amount of time.
3.) Citizens: a legally recognized subject or national of a state or common wealth.
Sentence: Citizens are the life blood of a country, without them their is no country.
Difference: Immigrant
4.) Service Economy: A service economy is one where providing services is more
prevalent than manufacturing goods.
Sentence: In America more and more people are leaving the factors for service jobs,
fueling a Service economy.
5.) Values: the general principles, or beliefs, you use to make judgments.
Sentence: Every person has their own set of values that help to govern the life they live.
Similarity Morals
6.) Popular Sovereignty: government by consent of the governed.
Difference: Dictatorship
7.) Institutions: sets of ideas that people have about relationships, obligations, roles,
and functions.
Sentence: When a person gets a degree from college they are receiving a certificate
from a recognized professional institution.
8.) Naturalization: the process by which foreign born people become citizens of another
country.
Sentence: Ian the immigrant came to america and applied for citizenship and went
under the process of naturalization to do so.
Difference: Deportation
9.) Alien: A non-american living in America under certain pretenses such as school or
work. Not permanent
Sentence: Illegal aliens if found will be deported back to their country of origin.
10.) Immigrants: people who move permanently to a new country.
Difference: Aliens
11.) Deport: forcibly sending someone back to their own country.
Sentence: Every day illegal aliens worry they will be deported back to their own country.
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2. 12.) Government: the ruling authority got a community or society.
Sentence: The United States and many other European nations have Democratic
Governments, meaning they live where the people are in charge of who runs the
government.
Difference: Anarchy
13.) Public Policy: course of action for a government to reach the goals of the
community or society.
Sentence: Dictatorships have very low regard for public policy as they have total control
over life.
14.) Budget: a plan for collecting and spending money
Sentence: The president at his yearly state of the union address addresses the
following years budget.
15.) Democracy: a government where the whole civilization takes active part in how the
country is ran.
sentence: The united states has been classified as a Democratic Government since
after the secession from Great Britain.
16.) Enlightenment- a cultural movement
17.) Monarch- Ruled by king or queen
18.) Legislature- a lawmaking body
19.) Precedent- a ruling in an earlier case that was similar
20.) Common Law- rests on court decisions rather than regulations written by
lawmakers
21.) Natural Rights- rights the government cannot take away
22.) Social Contract- an agreement among the people in a society
23.) Colony- a group of people in one place who are ruled by a parent country
elsewhere
24.) Joint-Stock Company- provided investors partial ownership and a share in future
profits
25.) Charter- a written document granting land and the authority to set up colonial
governments
26.) Compact- an agreement, or contract, among a group of people
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3. 27.) Proprietary Colony- the owner, or proprietor, owned the land and controlled the
government
28.) Royal Colony- owned and ruled directly by the king
29.) Religious Dissenters- those who followed a faith other than the official religion of
England, the Anglican religion
30.) Puritans- founders of Massachusetts, wanted to reform, or purify, the Anglican
Church
31.) Pilgrims- or people on a religious journey
32.) Toleration- Acceptance of other religions
33.) Indentured Servant- Made it possible for poor people to come to the colonies
34.) Plantation- Large estate
35.) Triangular Trade- the pattern of trade that developed among the Americas, Africa,
and Europe
36.) Tidewater- areas of flat, low plains, near the seacoast of Virginia and North
Carolina
37.) Egalitarianism- equality
38.) Mercantilism- the theory that a countryʼs power depends on its wealth
39.) Boycott- refuse to buy
40.) Repeal- cancelled
41.) Delegate- Representatives
42.) Independence- self reliance and freedom from outside control
43.) Constitution- Written plan for government
44.) Bicameral- Divided into two parts, or houses
45.) Confederation- A group of individual state governments that band together for a
common purpose
46.) Ratify- Approve
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4. 47.) Constitutional Convention- the delegates set out to strengthen the national
government by creating a new plan of government in Philadelphia
48.) Great Compromise- Shermanʼs plan the Connecticut Compromise, a way of
resolving disagreements in which each side gives up something but gains something
else
49.) Three-Fifths Compromise- delegates agreed that every five enslaved persons
would count as three free persons
50.) Electoral College- a group of people who would be named by each state legislature
to select the president and vice president
51.) Federalists- Supporters of the Constitution called themselves
52.) Federalism- a form of government in which power is divided between the federal, or
national, government and the states
53.) Anti-Federalists- Those who opposed the Constitution
54.) Preamble- an introduction that states the goals and purposes of the government
55.) Legislative Branch- Congress (made up of senate and house of representatives)
have all law making authority
56.) Executive Branch- law-enforcing branch of government headed by a president and
vice president, decides how they are elected and removed
57.) Judicial Branch- Supreme Court, part of government that interprets the laws and
sees that they are fairly applied
58.) Amendment- any change in the Constitution
59.) Popular Sovereignty- idea that the power of government lies with the people
60.) Rule of Law- the law applies to everyone, even those who govern
61.) Separation of Powers- division of authority between legislative, executive, and
judicial
62.) Checks and Balances- each branch of government is able to check, or limit, the
power of the others
63.) Expressed Powers- powers specifically granted to the national government
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5. 64.) Reserved Powers- Powers that the Constitution does not give to the national
government are kept by the states
65.) Concurrent Powers- Powers that both levels of government can exercise
66.) Civil Liberties- the freedoms we have to think and to act without government
interference or fear of unfair treatment
67.) Censorship- ban printed materials or films merely because they contain alarming or
offensive ideas
68.) Petition- a formal request
69.) Slander- Spreading spoken lies
70.) Libel- lies are printed
71.) Search Warrants- a court order allowing law enforcement officers to search a
suspectʼs home or business and take specific items as evidence
72.) Indictment- a formal charge by a Grand Jury who review the evidence against the
accused
73.) Grand Jury- group of citizens
74.) Double Jeopardy- people who are accused of a crime and judged not guilty may
not be put on trial again for the same crime
75.) Due Process- following established legal procedures
76.) Eminent Domain- the right of the government to take private property for public use
77.) Bail- a sum of money used as a security deposit
78.) Suffrage- the right to vote
79.) Poll Tax- required voters to pay a sum of money before casting a ballot
80.) Discrimination- unfair treatment based on prejudice against a certain group
81.) Segregation- social separation of the races
82.) Civil Rights- the rights of full citizenship and equality under the law
83.) Affirmative Action- programs encouraged the hiring and promoting of minorities and
women in fields that were traditionally closed to them
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6. 84.) Racial Profiling- being singled out as suspects because of the way they look. Some
Americans even become the victims of hate crimes
85.) Responsibility- are things we should do; they are obligations that we fulfill
voluntarily
86.) Duty- things that we are required to do
87.) Draft- calling men into military service
88.) Tolerance- respecting and accepting others, regardless of their beliefs, practices, or
differences
89.) Bureaucracy- complex systems with many departments, many rules, and many
people in the chain of command
90.) Welfare- the health, prosperity, and happiness
91.) Volunteerism- the practice of offering your time and services to others without
payment
92.) Bicameral- Congress being a two-part body
93.) Census- or population count taken by the Census Bureau
94.) Constituent- people represented
95.) Gerrymander- an oddly shaped district designed to increase the voting strength of a
particular group
96.) Majority Party- the political party to which more than half the members belong
97.) Minority Party- The other party
98.) Standing Committee- permanent committees
99.) Seniority- years of service
100.) Expressed Powers- 18 separate clauses enumerating different powers specifically
given to Congress
101.) Implied Powers- powers that Congress has because of Clause 18
102.) Elastic Clause- Clause 18
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7. 103.) Impeach- Accuse officials of misconduct in office
104.) Writ of Habeas Corpus- A court order that requires police to bring a prisoner to
court to explain why they are holding the person
105.) Bill of Attainder- laws that punish a person without a jury trial
106.) Ex Post Facto Law- laws that make an act a crime after the act has been
committed
107.) Franking Privilege- Senators and representatives can send job-related mail
without paying postage
108.) Lobbyist- people hired by private groups to influence government decision makers
109.) Casework- members of Congress often act as trouble shooters for people from
their home districts and states who request help in dealing with the federal government
110.) Pork-Barrel Project- Government projects and grants that primarily benefit the
home district or state
111.) Joint Resolution- are passed by both houses of Congress then become law if
signed by president
112.) Special-Interest Group- organizations made up of people with common interests
113.) Filibuster- Talk a bill to death
114.) Cloture- no one may speak for more than one hour
115.) Voice Vote- those in favor say “Yea” and those against say “No”
116.) Standing Vote- those in favor of a bill stand to be counted
117.) Roll-Call Vote- senators respond “Aye” or “No” as their names are called
118.) Veto- a presidents refusal to sign a bill
119.) Pocket Veto- Congress has adjourned and the bill dies
120.) Electoral College- an indirect method of election
121.) Elector- vote for one of the major candidates
122.) Executive Order- a rule or command that has the force of law
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8. 123.) Pardon- a declaration of forgiveness and freedom from punishment
124.) Reprieve- an order to delay a personʼs punishment until a higher court can hear
the case
125.) Amnesty- a pardon toward a group of people
126.) Foreign Policy- a nationʼs plan for dealing with other nations
127.) National Security- the ability to keep the country safe from attack or harm
128.) Treaty- formal agreements between the governments of two or more countries
129.) Executive Agreement- an agreement between the president and the leader of
another country
130.) Sentence: Executive agreements are very similar to a treaty where the leaders
have some sort of agreement.
131.) Ambassador- official representative of a countryʼs government
132.) Trade Sanction- efforts to punish another nation by imposing trade barriers
133.) Embargo- which is an agreement among a group of nations that prohibits them
from trading with a target nation
134.) Cabinet- a group of presidential advisers that includes the heads of the 14 top-
level executive departments
135.) Federal Bureaucracy- agencies and employees of the executive branch
136.) Independent Agency- they are not part of the cabinet
137.) Government Corporation- private businesses, except that the government rather
than individuals owns and operates them
138.) Political Appointee- people whom the president has chosen because they have
proven executive ability or were important supporters of the presidentʼs election
campaign
139.) Civil Service Worker- about 90 percent of all national government employees
140.)Civil Service System- the practice of hiring government workers on the basis of
open, competitive examinations and merit
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9. 141.) Spoils System- government jobs went to people as a reward for their political
support
142.) Merit System- Government officials hire new workers from lists of people who
have passed the tests or otherwise met civil service standards.
143.) Circuit- districts Congress serves
144.) Jurisdiction- the authority to hear and decide a case
145.) Exclusive Jurisdiction- only the federal courts may hear and decide cases
146.) Concurrent Jurisdiction- both federal and state courts have jurisdiction
147.) District Court- federal courts in which trials are held and lawsuits are begun
148.) Original Jurisdiction- authority to hear cases for the first time
149.) Appeals Court- review decisions made in lower district courts
150.) Appellate Jurisdiction- the authority of a court to hear a case appealed from a
lower court
151.) Remand- upholding the original decision by reversing that decision
152.) Opinion- offers a detailed explanation of the legal thinking behind the courtʼs
decision
153.) Precedent- gives guidance to other judges by offering a model upon which to base
their own decisions on similar cases
154.) Judicial Review-the Court can review any federal, state, or local law or action to
see if it is constitutional
155.) Constitutional- allowed by the Constitution
156.) Docket- court calendar
157.) Brief- a written document that explains one sideʼs position on the case
158.) Majority Opinion- presents the views of the majority of the justices on a case
159.) Unanimous Opinion- all the justices vote the same way
160.) Concurring Opinion- justice who agrees with the majority decision but has different
reasons
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10. 161.) Dissenting Opinion- Justices who oppose the majority decision issue
162.) Stare Decisis- let the decision stand
163.) Political Party- an organization of individuals with broad, common interests who
organize to win elections, to operate the government, and to thereby influence
government policy
164.) Two Party System- having two major political parties
165.) Third Party- smaller minor parties compete for power in the nationʼs two-party
system
166.) Platform- a series of statements expressing the partyʼs principles, beliefs, and
positions on election issues
167.) Plank- each individual part of the platform
168.) National Committee- representatives from every state
169.) Caucus-meetings of state and local party organizations
170.)Precinct- a geographic area that contains a specific number of voters
171.) Ward- several geographically connected precincts make up a larger election unit
172.) Political Machine- a local party organization so powerful that, year after year, their
candidates sweep almost every election
173.) Direct Primary- an election in which voters choose candidates to represent each
party in a general election
174.) Closed Primary- only the declared members of a party are allowed to vote for that
partyʼs nominees
175.) Open Primary- voters do not need to declare their party preference in order to
vote for the partyʼs nominees
176.) Plurality- the largest number that wins the election
177.) Majority- more than 50 percent of the total votes
178.) Petition- qualified voters sign papers declaring support for a candidate, he or she
goes on the ballot for the general election
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11. 179.) Polling Place- location where voting is carried out
180.) Precinct- voting district
181.) Ballot- the list of candidates on which you cast your vote
182.) Absentee Ballot- Citizens who cannot get to the polls on Election Day
183.) Returns- ballot results
184.)Exit Poll- to ask a sample of voters leaving selected polling places how they voted
185.) Electorate- people who are eligible to vote
186.) Apathy- lack of interest
187.)Electoral College- part of the process that Americans use to select their president
188.) Initiative- way that citizens can propose new laws or state constitutional
amendments
189.) Proposition- proposed law
190.) Referendum- a way for citizens to approve or reject a state or local law
191.) Recall- citizens in some states can vote to remove a public official from office
192.) Elector- people who hold electoral votes and are part of the Electoral College
system
193.) Winner Take All System- candidate who wins the popular vote in a state usually
receives all of the stateʼs electoral votes
194.) Propaganda-an attempt to promote a particular person or idea
195.) Political Action Committee- PACs are organizations set up by interest groups
especially to collect money to support favored candidates
196.) Soft Money- unlimited amounts of money for general purposes, not designated to
particular candidates
197.) Incumbent- politicians who have already been elected to office
198.) Public Opinion- the ideas and attitudes that most people hold about a particular
issue or person
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12. 199.) Mass Media- Television, radio, newspapers, magazines, recordings, movies,
internet web sites, and books
200.) Interest Group- Individuals who share a point of view about an issue sometimes
unite to promote their beliefs
201.) Public Opinion Poll- to request individuals answer questions in a survey
202.) Pollster- measures the presidentʼs popularity or public attitudes toward possible
White House proposals
203.) Print Media- Newspapers, magazines, newsletters, and books
204.) Electronic Media- radio, television, and internet
205.) Public Agenda- ones that receive the most time, money, and effort from
government leaders
206.) Leak- secretly pass information to friendly reporters about proposed actions
207.) Prior Restraint- government censorship of material before it is published
208.) Libel- publishing false information that will harm someoneʼs reputation
209.) Malice- evil intent
210.) Public Interest Group-groups working to benefit all, or at least most, of society
211.) Nonpartisan- impartial
212.) Political Action Committee- collect money from the members of their groups and
use it to support some candidates and oppose others
213.) Lobbyist-representatives of interest groups who contact lawmakers or other
government officials directly
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