What is Power
This word means having the ability to control decisions or tell others what to do.
What is power?
This leader of the United States signs laws and leads the military.
Who is the President?
An official rule that everyone in a city, state, or country must follow.
What is a law?
A system of government where citizens vote to choose their leaders.
What is a democracy?
Name two different ways a high school student can use their power to change a rule in their school or city.
What is speaking at a meeting, writing a letter, starting a petition, or voting (when turn 18)? (Accept any two valid action steps).
A set of official steps or laws that a group uses to control how things are run.
What is a system?
This group of elected leaders works in the Capitol building to write new laws.
What is congress?
The written document that contains the main rules for the U.S. government
What is the Constitution?
The main way citizens use their power to pick who runs the government.
What is voting?
On a traffic light, a red light means stop. In a system of laws, this power stops the government from breaking rules or hurting citizens' rights.
What is a limit (or check on power)?
When power is split so that no single person or group gets total control
What is sharing power (or checks and balances)?
These high judges decide if laws follow the U.S. Constitution.
What is the Supreme Court?
What happens when the President says "no" to a law passed by Congress.
What is a veto?
When people gather in public with signs to show they disagree with a power system or law.
What is a protest?
A green traffic light tells drivers to go. In a government, a "green light" law gives leaders the power to build schools, fix roads, and help people.
What is an enabling law (or giving government power)?
When one leader holds all the power and makes all the rules without asking anyone else.
What is a dictatorship (or king/queen)?
In a democracy, this group holds the ultimate power to choose leaders.
Who are the citizens (or voters)?
Changes added to the Constitution to protect people's rights over time.
What are amendments?
Basic freedoms that every person should have, like speech and fairness under the law.
What are rights?
A yellow light warns drivers to slow down and use caution. This branch of government acts like a yellow light by making sure new laws are fair before they pass.
A yellow light warns drivers to slow down and use caution. This branch of government acts like a yellow light by making sure new laws are fair before they pass.
If there are no traffic lights at a busy intersection, cars might crash. A country without a system of laws leads to this state of confusion where no one follows rules.
What is chaos (or anarchy)?
Police officers make sure drivers follow traffic lights. This group in government makes sure people follow the laws made by Congress
What is law enforcement (or police / Executive Branch)?
Just as traffic lights keep driver choices safe and organized, this main core document sets the ground rules for the entire U.S. legal system.
What is the Constitution?
When a driver runs a red light, they get a ticket. When a person breaks a legal rule, this group decides if they are guilty and what the punishment should be.
What is a court (or jury / judge)?
Traffic light colors are the same in every state so everyone understands them. This term means laws must apply to every single person equally, even leaders.
What is the Rule of Law?