key terms to the constitution
TRANSCRIPT
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KEYTERMSTOTHECONSTITUTION
AmendmentAnadditiontoaformaldocumentsuchastheConstitution.
BicameralConsistingoftwohouses,orchambers,especiallyinalegislature.
BillAproposedlaw.
BillofAttainderPunishessomeonewithoutthebenefitofatrial.
CabinetAgroupofadvisorstothePresident.
CaucusAmeetingheldbyapoliticalpartytochoosetheirpartyscandidatefor
president.
Checks&BalancesThesysteminwhicheachbranchofgovernmenthasacheck
ontheothertwobranchessothatnoonebranchbecomestoopowerful.
CitizenApersonwhoowesloyaltytoandisentitledtotheprotectionofastateornation.
ConcurrentPowersPowerssharedbythesatesandthefederalgovernment.
ConstituentsPeoplethatmembersofCongressrepresent.
ConstitutionAformalplanofgovernment.
DueProcessofLawIdeathatthegovernmentmustfollowprocedures
establishedbylawandguaranteedbytheConstitution.
ElasticClauseAsectionintheConstitutionthatallowsCongresstostretchtheir
powerstofulfilltheirresponsibilities.
ElectoralCollegeAspecialgroupofvotersselectedbytheirstatesvoterstovote
forthepresidentandvice-president.
EnumeratedPowersPowersbelongingonlytothefederalgovernment.
ExPostFactoLawPunishessomeoneforsomethingtheydidthatwasnotillegalatthetimetheydidit.
ExecutiveBranchThebranchofgovernmentheadedbythepresidentthatcarriesoutthenationslawsandpolicies.
FederalismThesharingofpowerbetweenthefederalandstategovernments.
HabeasCorpusAlegalorderforaninquirytodeterminewhetherapersonhas
beenlawfullyimprisoned.Awritofhabeascorpusisusedtogetsomeoneoutofjail
whoisbeingheldwithoutevidenceorcause.
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ImpeachTobringformalchargesagainstapublicofficialformisconduct.
ImpliedPowersPowersnotspecificallymentionedintheConstitution.
IncumbentSomeonewhocurrentlyholdsanofficeorposition.
JudicialBranchThebranchofgovernment,includingthefederalcourtsystemthatinterpretsthenationslaws.
JudicialReviewTherightoftheSupremeCourttodetermineifalawviolatesthe
Constitution.
LegislativeBranchThebranchofgovernmentthatmakesthenationslaws.
LimitedPowerofGovernmentAgovernmentwhosepowersareoutlinedto
restrictorlimittheirpower.Nopeopleorgroupsareabovethelaw.
NaturalizationTheprocessofbecomingacitizenortograntcitizenshiptoa
foreigner.
NullifyTocancelormakeineffective.
OverrideTodefeatoroverturn,asabillproposedinCongress.
PartisanFavoringonesideofanissue.
PollTaxAtaxthathadtobepaidinordertovote.
PopularSovereigntyApoliticaltheorythatgovernmentissubjecttothewillof
thepeople.
PrimaryAnelectioninwhichvoterschoosetheirpartyscandidate.
RatifyToapprove.
ReservedPowersPowersretainedbythestates.
SeparationofPowersThedivisionofpoweramongthethreebranchesofgovernmenteachwiththeirownpowersandresponsibilities.
SuffrageTherighttovote.
SupremacyofNationalLawTheConstitutionisthehighestlawoftheland.
UnconstitutionalGoesagainsttheConstitution.
VetoTorejectabillandpreventitfrombecomingalaw.