American Government and Civics: American Government and Civics, List 3

We the people at Vocabulary.com, in order to form a more perfect lexicon, establish this collection of words associated with U.S. citizenship. You'll review the structure of the American government, elections, juries, and more as you explore the rights and responsibilities of American citizens.

Here are links to our lists in the collection: List 1, List 2, List 3
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. economy
    the system of production and distribution and consumption
    Corn was the perfect plant for the growing economy of the colonies. The Omnivore's Dilemma
  2. tax
    a charge that a citizen pays to support government programs
    More likely, this guy's pretty far behind in paying his bimonthly government taxes. Legend
  3. income tax
    a charge by the government on someone's annual earnings
    I know we went to church to borrow emergency money once, and someone there showed Papa how to do his income tax. March Forward, Girl
  4. estate tax
    a levy on the property of a deceased person
    Some of it was sold by her heirs to pay estate taxes a year after her death in 2007, but much of it remains intact. New York Times (May 19, 2011)
  5. excise tax
    a fee measured by the amount of business done
    On Dec. 20, excise tax on fuels will be cut to 0% for five months to lower prices that have skyrocketed to record levels. Seattle Times (Nov 25, 2021)
  6. federal
    national
    Since she’d become a citizen, my mom had voted in every election—local and federal. The Book of Unknown Americans
  7. election
    a vote choosing the winner of a position or political office
    The country was getting ready for the Presidential elections. The House of the Spirits: A Novel
  8. executive
    having the function of carrying out plans or orders
    “The work that has to be done in Maryland solving big problems requires a partnership between the executive branch including the office of the attorney general and the General Assembly,” he said. Washington Post (Jul 6, 2022)
  9. president
    the leader of a republic or democracy
    “How about going to the White House to meet the president?” Three Little Words: A Memoir
  10. commander in chief
    the highest officer in charge of the armed forces
    And when you're in Washington, the president is the commander in chief. Los Angeles Times (Dec 9, 2014)
  11. veto
    vote against; refuse to endorse; refuse to assent
    Debate on the proposal has been stalled since last week following an announcement by Hungary that it would veto any vote on the measure. Washington Times (May 17, 2022)
  12. nomination
    the act of officially naming a candidate
    When nominations were made for the office, my name was included. Black Boy
  13. legislative
    relating to a lawmaking assembly
    The legislative chamber was designed so that lawmakers sat in rows facing each other, as in Britain’s House of Commons, not facing in the same direction. New York Times (Mar 3, 2015)
  14. law
    an official rule governing a kind of activity
    "Just when you think you can't lose any more freedoms, the Nazis find another to take away. Now it's against the law to listen to foreign radio." The Boy Who Dared
  15. statute
    an act passed by a legislative body
    “I’m sorry, Shady. The statute is clear. As of October first, if the town doesn’t buy the land, it becomes available for public sale.” Moon Over Manifest
  16. judicial
    relating to the administration of justice
    Gonzales talked about how the system is supposed to work: police officers investigate, make arrests, and then hand the process over to the judicial system. Zeitoun
  17. jury
    a body of citizens sworn to give a verdict in a court of law
    That' s why they holding the trial—so the jury can say if he's innocent or not. Monster
  18. jury duty
    the civic obligation to pass a verdict in a legal trial
    The court clerk mailed out 800 jury duty notices for the trial to ensure a better chance of finding enough impartial jurors. Seattle Times (May 9, 2022)
  19. petit jury
    the group that decides the outcome of a legal trial
    The rules of grand juries are far different from those governing petit juries — the ones that determine guilt or innocence. New York Times (Sep 29, 2020)
  20. grand jury
    a panel to determine if a case should be brought to trial
    A grand jury would have to decide if the police had enough evidence to try Guiteau for his crime. Ambushed!
Created on Fri May 13 08:39:21 EDT 2022 (updated Fri Jul 08 10:56:11 EDT 2022)

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