civics and government

Government

System used to make laws, enforce them, and manage a country

Purpose of government

To protect rights, maintain order, provide services, and defend the country

John Locke

Enlightenment thinker who promoted natural rights: life, liberty, property

Social contract

Agreement where people give up some freedom for protection by government

Democracy

Government by the people; citizens vote

Republic

Representative democracy where people elect leaders

U.S. Constitution

Supreme law of the land; sets up the U.S. government

Preamble

Introduction to the Constitution that begins with "We the People"

Separation of powers

Divides government into three branches

Checks and balances

Each branch limits the powers of the others

Federalism

System where power is shared between national and state governments

Bill of Rights

First 10 amendments to the Constitution that protect individual freedoms

1st Amendment

Freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, petition

2nd Amendment

Right to bear arms

4th Amendment

Protects against unreasonable searches and seizures

5th Amendment

Right to remain silent and due process of law

6th Amendment

Right to a speedy and public trial

8th Amendment

No cruel or unusual punishment

10th Amendment

Powers not given to the federal government go to the states or people

Legislative branch

Makes laws; includes Congress

Congress

The U.S. legislative branch; made up of the Senate and House

Senate

Upper house of Congress; 100 members, 2 per state

House of Representatives

Lower house of Congress; 435 members, based on population

Executive branch

Enforces laws; led by the President

President

Commander-in-Chief, signs/vetoes laws, makes treaties

Cabinet

Group of advisors to the President

Judicial branch

Interprets laws and decides constitutionality

Supreme Court

Highest court in the U.S.

Judicial review

Power of courts to declare laws unconstitutional

Federal government

Handles national defense, foreign policy, and currency

State government

Handles education, health, and infrastructure

Local government

Manages police, schools, transportation, and zoning

Citizen

Person with legal rights and responsibilities in a country

Naturalized citizen

A person who becomes a citizen through a legal process

Civic duties

Obey laws, pay taxes, serve on a jury

Civic participation

Voting, protesting, petitioning, attending town meetings

Political party

Group of people with shared ideas about government

Democratic Party

Generally supports more government programs and social services

Republican Party

Generally supports less government and lower taxes

Civil rights

Legal protections guaranteeing equal treatment under the law

Civil liberties

Basic freedoms protected from government interference

Due process

Fair legal procedures guaranteed by law

Rule of law

Everyone must follow the law, even leaders

15th Amendment

Gave African American men the right to vote

19th Amendment

Gave women the right to vote

26th Amendment

Lowered the voting age to 18

Voting

One of the most important civic responsibilities

Foreign policy

A nation's strategy in dealing with other countries

Treaty

Formal agreement between countries

Commander-in-Chief

Title for the President as head of the military

United Nations

Global organization for peace and cooperation; U.S. is a member

Declaration of Independence

Document that declared U.S. independence from Britain (1776)

Emancipation Proclamation

Lincoln's 1863 order freeing slaves in Confederate states

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Law banning segregation and discrimination

Federalist Papers

Essays supporting the ratification of the Constitution

Pie chart

Shows parts of a whole (e.g. federal budget)

Bar graph

Compares categories or groups (e.g. voter turnout by state)

Line graph

Shows change over time (e.g. unemployment rates)

Table

Organizes data in rows and columns

Trend

A pattern or direction in data

Outlier

A data point that doesn't fit the pattern