Government and Civics Vocabulary

Vocabulary terms covering basic political systems, forms of government, constitutional plans, and key American political historical events.

Government

The institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies

Dictatorship

A form of government in which the leader has absolute power and authority.

Democracy

A political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them

State

a nation or territory considered as an organized political community under one government.

Federal government

A form of government in which powers are divided between a central government and several local governments.

Sovereignty

Ability of a state to govern its territory free from control of its internal affairs by other states

Confederation

an organization that consists of a number of parties or groups united in an alliance or league.

Presidential government

a government in which the executive and legislative branches are separate and coequal

Parliamentary Government

A system where legislative and executive functions are combined in a legislature called a parliament

Shay's rebellion

A series of attacks on courthouses by a small band of farmers led by Revolutionary War Captain to block foreclosure proceedings.

Magna Carta

the royal charter of political rights given to rebellious English barons by King John in 1215

English Bill of Rights

1689 laws protecting the rights of English subjects and Parliament

Bicameral

Two house legislature

Unicameral

One-house legislature

Albany plan

a proposed by Benjamin Franklin in 1754 that aimed to unite the 13 colonies for trade, military, and other purposes

Delegate

A person appointed or elected to represent others

Boycott

A group's refusal to have commercial dealings with some organization in protest against its policies

Articles of Confederation

the first constitution of the United States

Ratification

Formal approval

Virginia Plan

"Large state" proposal for the new constitution, calling for proportional representation in both houses of a bicameral Congress.

New Jersey plan

A constitutional proposal that would have given each state one vote in a new congress

Connecticut Compromise

The compromise between the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan that created a bicameral legislature with one chamber's representation based on population and the other chamber having two members for each state.

Three-fifths compromise

Agreement between northern and southern states at the Constitutional Convention that three-fifths of the slave population would be counted for determining direct taxation and representation in the House of Representatives.

Federalist

A term used to describe supporters of the Constitution during ratification debates in state legislatures.

Anti-Federalist

Opponents of the American Constitution at the time when the states were contemplating its adoption.

Quorum

The minimum number of members who must be present to permit a legislative body to take official action

Politics

Is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups or other forms of power relations between individuals, such as distribution of resources or status.

Monarchy

a form of government led by a king or queen