Branches of Government Vocab

Legislative Branch (Chapter 6)

WORD Books Definition Definition in your Use the word in a Picture

own words sentence

Government The political The organization that The government has

direction and runs the country. failed at balancing the
control exercised budget and controlling
over the actions of spending.
the members,
citizens, or
inhabitants of
communities,
societies, and
states; direction of
the affairs of a
state, community,
etc.

Bicameral A form of congress A two part congress The great compromise

that is in two parts. system. established a bicameral
congress.

Census A population count A physical count of Every 10 years, the

taken by the people living in an government takes a
Census Bureau. area. census.

Constituents People represented People represented in State Legislatures must

in a district. a district (I cant draw the boundaries so
simplify this any more) that the districts include
roughly the same
number of constituents.
Gerrymander An oddly shaped A strange shaped A gerrymander is an
district designed to district to give a group oddly shaped district.
increase the voting the voting advantage.
strength of a
particular group.

Majority party The political party The political party with In this picture, the
to which more than more voters than democratic party is the
half of the people not voting for Majority party.
members belong. them.

Minority Party The political party The political party with In this picture, the
to which less than more voters not voting democratic party is the
half of the for them than those minority party.
members belong. who are.

Expressed The powers The powers given to Congress shall have the
Powers delegated to the congress listed in power to do whatever is
congress clearly article 1 section 8 of necessary and proper
listed in article 1 the constitution. to carry out the
section 8 of the expressed powers.
Constitution.

Implied Powers that These are powers that Implied powers are
Powers congress has congress has even included in the elastic
because of Clause though they are not clause.
18 are called directly stated in the
implied powers Constitution.
because they are
not stated explicitly
in the Constitution.

Elastic Clause Clause 18 is called The elastic clause The elastic clause covers
the elastic clause allows congress to implied powers.
because it allows stretch powers to
congress to stretch meet needs.
its powers to meet
new needs.

Impeach To impeach is to To accuse an official The president can be

accuse officials of of committing a crime impeached.
misconduct in or misconduct, before
office. putting them on trial.

Writ of An order that This is an order for The court just ordered a
Habeas requires police to police to present a writ of habeas corpus.
Corpus bring a prisoner to prisoner in court and
court to explain explain why they are
why they are being held.
 holding the person.

Lobbyist A person hired by A person that a private Lobbyists try to influence

private groups to group hires to change government decision
influence the outcome of makers.
government government decisions.
decision makers.

Special A group of people A group of people Special interest groups

Interest or an organization seeking special often use lobbying.
Group seeking or advantages often
receiving special through lobbying.
advantages,
typically through
political lobbying.

Filibuster To talk a bill to To continue to never Senators sometimes take

death. make a decision until advantage of
it disappears. filibustering.

Veto a constitutional To reject a decision or The president can veto

right to reject a proposal. laws.
decision or
proposal made by
a law-making body.

Executive Branch (Chapter 7)

Electoral An indirect A method of The President is
College method of selecting members chosen by the
election in of office by not the electoral college.
which each peoples votes, but
state appoints by electors.
electors, who
then vote for
one of the
major
candidates.

Executive A rule or An order by the The president can

Order command that executive branch issue an executive
has the force of that acts as a law. order.
law.
Cabinet A group of A group of people The president is
presidential that advise the advised by the
advisers that president. cabinet.
includes the
heads of the 14
top-level
executive
departments.

Pardon A pardon is a A declaration of The criminal has

declaration of freedom from been pardoned.
forgiveness punishment.
and freedom
from
punishment.

Amnesty A pardon Like a pardon, but The president granted

toward a group for a group rather them amnesty.
of people. than an individual.

Foreign A nations plan A countrys plan for The country has

Policy for dealing with dealing with other developed a foreign
other nations. countries. policy.

Treaties Formal Agreements The countries signed

agreements between two a treaty.
between the countries
governments of governments.
two or more
countries.

Ambassador An official A representative of An ambassador of

representative a nations Mexico is visiting.
of a countrys government.
government.

Judicial Branch (Chapter 8)

District Courts The federal Federal courts The trial was held in a
courts in which where trials are district court.
trials are held held and lawsuits
and lawsuits begin.
are begun.

Appeals Courts Courts above The courts that The decision was
the district come after district appealed in an
courts where courts where they Appeals court.
they review review earlier
decisions made decisions.
made in lower
courts.

Precedent A precedent An earlier event or A precedent is a very

gives guidance action that is powerful argument in
to other judges regarded as an court.
by offering a example or guide
model upon to be considered in
which to base subsequent similar
their own circumstances.
decisions.

Judicial Review Judicial review Judicial review The court can always
means that the means that the use judicial review.
court can court can review
review any any action to
federal, state, decide if it is
or local law constitutional.
action to see if
it is
constitutional,
or allowed by
the
constitution.

Constitutional Constitutional Allowed by the The law was decided

means allowed constitution. to be constitutional.
by the
constitution.