Unit 5 - Civics Vocabulary Set

A comprehensive set of flashcards covering key civics terms and their definitions, aiding in exam preparation.

Limited Power

Restrictions against the Government’s power that protect citizens.

Unlimited Power

Less or no restrictions on Government power that limits the rights of citizens.

Civics

The rights and duties of citizens in a society.

The Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the Constitution that protect individual rights and liberties.

Monarchy

A form of government where a single person inherits the supreme authority of a state.

Representative Democracy

A form of government where citizens elect officials to make laws and govern on their behalf.

Dictatorship

A form of government where power is controlled by a single person who typically rises to power during a crisis.

Direct Democracy

A form of government where citizens are directly involved in decision making by voting on laws.

Oligarchy

A form of government where a small elite group controls all aspects of power.

Theocracy

A form of government where one or more deities (gods) are recognized as ruling authorities.

Separation of Powers

The division of government powers so that one group does not have too much power.

Checks and Balances

A system in which each branch of government can exercise power over another.

Legislative Branch

The branch of government responsible for creating, changing, and passing laws.

Executive Branch

The branch of government responsible for implementing and enforcing laws.

Judicial Branch

The branch of government that interprets the laws and determines if they violate the Constitution.

Media Bias

Media coverage that may favor one particular party over another.

Conservative

The political philosophy of emphasizing tradition, a limited government, and individual liberties.

Liberal

The political philosophy of emphasizing social equality, individual rights, and a strong government role.

Moderate

The political philosophy that rejects radical views and favors compromise.

Electoral College

The system of using a group of representatives to vote for the President and Vice President.

Gerrymandering

The manipulation of voting district boundaries to give one political party an unfair advantage.

Redistricting

The process of redrawing electoral district boundaries every ten years based off the census data.

Political Ideology

A set of beliefs about the political, economic, and social affairs within a country

US Constitution

The founding document that divides the roles and responsibilities across the Federal Government

Plurality

A candidate receives more votes than any other candidate but does not win a majority of the votes (less than 50%)

Majority Vote

A candidate receives a majority of the vote (more than 50%)

Runoff Vote

If no candidate receives a majority, a second election (runoff) is held to guarantee the final winner earns a majority of the votes