Our Government Flashcards
Common Good
Something that benefits everyone
Citizen
person who has certain rights in the place where they live
Democracy
Political system that gives power to citizens
Liberty
Freedom that a government does not control
Republic
Form of government in which elected leaders represents the people
Sovereignty
The power a state has to govern
Self-evident
Something that does not need to be explained
Unalienable
Not to be taken away
Cause
A person or thing that gives rise to an action, or effect
Effect
A result
Hammurabi’s Code
An ancient set of laws created by a king of Babylon
Ordered Society
Stable society where rule of law and a social contract exist
Rule of law
System of fair government laws applied to all citizens equally
Social contract
Agreement in which government and citizens share power to protect citizens rights
Amendment
Addition to a legal document
Constitution
A living document that contains the basic laws of the country
First Amendment
Gave citizens the freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the right to assemble in peace, and the right to petition the government
Living document
a document that can grow and change with time
Ratification
Signed consent making a legal document binding
Articles of Confederation
First document that listed the powers of the government and the state
Delegates
Represent the state
Bill of Rights
First amendments to the constitution
Checks and Balances
A system that checks the power of each government branch
Executive Branch
Branch of the government that enforces the law
Judicial Branch
Branch of the government that interprets the law
Legislative Branch
Branch of the government that make the laws
Commonwealth
Another word for state that some states use to describe themselves
Federal Government
Referring to the parts of the government that effect the entire country
Local Government
Referring to the parts of the government that effect a city
State Government
Referring to the parts of the government that effect a state
Governor
Head of the state
State Court
Lower court and supreme court in a state that make decisions about issue regarding state law
State Legislature
Elected members of the House of Representatives and the Senate who make laws in a state
