UNIT 2 THE CONSTITUTION VOCABULARY TERMS

1. CONSTITUTION A PLAN for the organization and rules of a government. A limitation on the power of government.

2. AMENDMENT A written CHANGE or addition to a Constitution

3. BILL OF RIGHTS The first 10 Amendments to the US Constitution A list of the basic rights and freedoms of Americans

4. DECLARATION OF RIGHTS PENNSYLVANIA’S version of the Bill of Rights A list of the basic rights and freedoms of Pennsylvanians

5. FEDERALISM A Constitutional principle that divides all government power between the levels of government = NATIONAL, STATE, AND LOCAL

6. SEPARATION OF POWERS A Constitutional principle that calls for the division of national government power between the 3 branches = EXECUTIVE, LEGISLATIVE, + JUDICIAL

7. CHECKS AND BALANCES A Constitutional principle that gives specific powers to each branch that LIMIT the powers of the other branches

8. JUDICIAL REVIEW Power of the Federal Courts to declare laws of Congress or actions of the President as UNCONSTITUTIONAL – against the Constitution

9. POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY Constitutional Principle = government power in a democracy comes from the consent of the PEOPLE

10. RULE OF LAW Principle that a nation’s laws are fair and just and are EQUALLY applied to all citizens

11. LIMITED GOVERNMENT Principle that the powers of government are limited / restrained by the terms of a written CONSTITUTION.

12. UNITARY SYSTEM Form of Government in which all government power is in the hands of the NATIONAL GOVERNMENT

13. CONFEDERATION A form of government organization in which sovereign (independent) states unite together for some common purpose such as defense or economic benefit Opposite of Unitary

14. DELEGATED POWERS All of those powers set out in the US Constitution whether it is for the national or state governments or for the people

15. EXPRESS POWERS a/k/a Enumerated Powers All those powers specifically set out in the US Constitution for the NATIONAL GOVERNMENT See articles 1 – 2 – 3

16. RESERVED POWERS a/k/a The 10 th Amendment of the Constitution All powers not specifically granted to the national government are reserved for the states under the 10 TH AMENDMENT

RESERVED POWERS a/k/a The 10 th Amendment of the Constitution

17. CONCURRENT POWERS Those powers SHARED by both the national and state government Nationalstates shared

18. MANDATE Rules imposed by the national government ON THE STATES Sometimes these rules or obligations are set as conditions on the states receipt of federal aid $$$$

19. FISCAL FEDERALISM The process of the national government using its federal tax REVENUES to mandate specific policy programs at the state and local level EX: NCLB and the drinking age

20. FULL FAITH AND CREDIT a/k/a Article IV of the Constitution Each state is required to HONOR the public acts, records and judicial proceedings of every other state