Arkansas History Week 2

Democratic

A system of government where power comes from the people, who exercise it by voting for their leaders.

Tax

Required money paid by citizens to the government to fund public services like schools, roads, and emergency services.

Federal

Relating to the national government of the United States, which shares power with individual state governments.

Executive

The branch of government responsible for enforcing laws, led by the Governor at the state level and the President at the national level.

Legislative

The branch of government responsible for writing and passing laws.

Judicial

The branch of government that interprets laws and decides if they follow the constitution through court systems.

Cabinet

A group of advisors and department heads chosen by an executive (like the Governor) to help manage state agencies.

Veto

The power of an executive (like Arkansas's Governor) to reject a proposed law passed by the legislature.

Bills

Drafts of proposed laws that are being considered, debated, and voted on by a legislature.

Principles

Core values or fundamental rules that guide how a government functions and makes decisions.

Bench

The official seat of a judge in a courtroom, or a term used to refer to judges and courts as a whole.

Override

A legislative vote to pass a law despite an executive's veto (in Arkansas, a simple majority vote in both houses can override a Governor's veto).

Vice versa

A phrase meaning "the other way around," showing that a relationship or statement works in reverse.

Ordinance

A local law or rule passed by a city or county government.

Legislature

The lawmaking body of a government, made up of elected representatives.

General Assembly

The official title of Arkansas's lawmaking body, made up of the State Senate and House of Representatives.

Terms

Fixed periods of time that elected officials are allowed to serve in office before facing another election.

Appeals

Formal requests asking a higher court to review and potentially change a decision made by a lower court.

Circuit

A designated geographic district served by a state trial court that handles major civil and criminal cases in Arkansas.

District

A specific geographic area defined for voting, school administration, or court jurisdiction.

Constituents

The residents who live in an elected official's designated district and are represented by them.

Counties

The primary local divisions of state government; Arkansas is divided into 75 counties.

Quorum Court

The local legislative body for an Arkansas county, responsible for passing county ordinances and budgets.

County seat

The official town or city where county government offices and the county courthouse are located.

Rural

Describing sparsely populated areas in the countryside, away from large cities and towns.

Municipal

Relating to a city or town government and its local services (such as city police, water, and trash collection).