U.S. Government - Introductory

If you want to learn about the American political system, you're at liberty to study this list of terms related to U.S. government. You'll review the three branches of government (executive, legislative, and judicial), the Constitution, elections, and more. Cast your vote for vocabulary!
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. alliance
    an agreement establishing an association between groups
  2. ambassador
    a diplomat of the highest rank
  3. amendment
    a statement that is added to a proposal or document
  4. balanced budget
    a budget is balanced when current expenditures are equal to receipts
  5. bill
    a statute in draft before it becomes law
  6. Bill of Rights
    a statement of fundamental freedoms and privileges
  7. cabinet
    group chosen by a head of state to run executive departments
  8. campaign
    a race between candidates for elective office
  9. candidate
    a politician who is running for public office
  10. caucus
    a closed political meeting
  11. census
    a periodic count of the population
  12. citizen
    a native or naturalized member of a state
  13. citizenship
    membership in a state with rights and duties
  14. civil right
    right belonging to a person by reason of citizenship
  15. commission
    a special group delegated to consider some matter
  16. committee
    a special group delegated to consider some matter
  17. Congress
    the legislature of the United States government
  18. consensus
    agreement in the judgment reached by a group as a whole
  19. constituent
    a citizen who is represented in a government by officials
  20. Constitution
    the constitution written at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787 and subsequently ratified by the original thirteen states
  21. Constitutional Convention
    the convention of United States statesmen who drafted the United States Constitution in 1787
  22. convention
    a large formal assembly
  23. court of appeals
    a court whose jurisdiction is to review decisions of lower courts or agencies
  24. currency
    the metal or paper medium of exchange that is presently used
  25. Declaration of Independence
    the document recording the proclamation of the second Continental Congress (4 July 1776) asserting the independence of the Colonies from Great Britain
  26. defendant
    someone against whom an action is brought in a court of law
  27. deficit
    an excess of liabilities over assets
  28. delegate
    a person appointed or elected to represent others
  29. democracy
    a political system in which power lies in a body of citizens
  30. department
    a specialized division of a large organization
  31. diplomacy
    negotiation between nations
  32. diplomat
    an official engaged in international negotiations
  33. district
    a region marked off for administrative or other purposes
  34. docket
    the calendar of a court
  35. electoral college
    the body that formally selects the United States president
  36. executive
    having the function of carrying out plans or orders
  37. faction
    a dissenting clique
  38. federalism
    government divided between central and regional powers
  39. filibuster
    a tactic for delaying legislation by making long speeches
  40. First Amendment
    an amendment to the U.S. Constitution guaranteeing freedoms
  41. foreign policy
    a plan of action governing international relations
  42. framer
    someone who writes a new law or plan
  43. freedom of speech
    the right to express your ideas and opinions
  44. general election
    a vote conducted at the national or state level
  45. grassroots
    of or involving the common people rather than those in power
  46. House of Representatives
    the lower legislative assembly of the United States Congress
  47. ideology
    an orientation that characterizes the thinking of a group
  48. immigration
    movement of people into a country or area
  49. incumbent
    the official who holds an office
  50. independent
    a neutral or uncommitted person, especially in politics
  51. interest group
    people uniting around a specific issue to meet a common goal
  52. international law
    the body of laws governing relations between nations
  53. judicial
    relating to the administration of justice
  54. jury
    a body of citizens sworn to give a verdict in a court of law
  55. legislation
    law enacted by an assembly
  56. legislative
    relating to a lawmaking assembly
  57. levy
    a charge imposed and collected
  58. lobby
    a group of people who try actively to influence legislation
  59. majority
    more than half of the votes in an election
  60. mass medium
    a technology that publicly transmits to a large audience
  61. movement
    a group of people who try together to achieve certain goals
  62. national debt
    the debt of the national government
  63. news media
    all magazines, TV, etc. that deliver info to the public
  64. nomination
    the act of officially naming a candidate
  65. nonpartisan
    free from party affiliation or bias
  66. opinion
    the legal document stating reasons for a judicial decision
  67. opinion poll
    an inquiry into public opinion conducted by interviewing a random sample of people
  68. pardon
    grant release from punishment for an offense
  69. petition
    a formal request that something be submitted to an authority
  70. plaintiff
    a person who brings an action in a court of law
  71. political party
    a group that tries to run the government
  72. political science
    the study of government of states and other political units
  73. polling place
    a site where voters go to cast their votes in an election
  74. President
    the person who holds the office of head of state of the United States government
  75. press
    the print media responsible for publishing news
  76. primary election
    an election to choose a candidate for the general election
  77. property right
    the legal right of ownership
  78. public opinion
    a belief or sentiment shared by most people
  79. ratify
    approve and express assent, responsibility, or obligation
  80. referendum
    a legislative act referred for approval to a popular vote
  81. regime
    the governing authority of a political unit
  82. register
    sign up to be a voter
  83. regulation
    an authoritative rule
  84. repeal
    cancel officially
  85. representative
    a member of the lower body of the United States Congress
  86. republic
    a political system in which power lies in a body of citizens
  87. revolution
    the overthrow of a government by those who are governed
  88. secret ballot
    a voting system in which each person's vote is private
  89. Senate
    the upper house of the United States Congress
  90. senator
    a member of a legislative assembly
  91. state
    territory occupied by an administrative district of a nation
  92. state government
    the government of a state in the United States
  93. state senator
    a member of a state senate
  94. statute
    an act passed by a legislative body
  95. suffrage
    a legal right to vote
  96. Supreme Court
    the highest federal court in the United States
  97. tariff
    a government tax on imports or exports
  98. tax
    a charge that a citizen pays to support government programs
  99. term
    a limited period of time during which something lasts
  100. third party
    a political group opposed to others in a two-group system
  101. ticket
    a list of candidates nominated by a political party to run for election to public offices
  102. treaty
    a written agreement between two states or sovereigns
  103. turnout
    attendance for a particular event or purpose
  104. veto
    a vote that blocks a decision
  105. vice president
    an executive officer ranking immediately below a president
  106. voter turnout
    the total number who cast ballots in an election
Created on Tue Mar 07 19:22:52 EST 2017 (updated Tue Apr 18 11:45:38 EDT 2017)

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