Lesson 3
Vocab
Vocab
a universal set of moral principles believed to come from humans’ basic sense of right and wrong that can be applied to any culture or system of justice
What is natural law
a system in which each branch of government can limit the power of the other branches
what is checks and balances
guarantees of equal rights and equal treatment under the law, such as trial by jury and voting rights
what is civil rights
a federal system with a fairly strict division of powers between the national and state governments; also called “layer cake” federalism
what is dual federalism
freedom of speech,press,religion, and assembly
what is the first amendment
rule of law: the principle that government is based on clear and fairly enforced laws and that no one is above the law
rule of law
a political system in which power is divided between a central government and smaller regional governments
what is federalism
basic freedoms guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution, such as freedom of speech and freedom of religion] and civil rights [civil rights: guarantees of equal rights and equal treatment under the law, such as trial by jury and voting rights
what is civil liberties
the drawing the boundaries of a legislative district with the intent of giving one party or group a significant advantage
what is gerrymandering
protection from unreasonable search and seizure
what is the 4th amendment
the principle that the people are the ultimate source of the authority and legitimacy of a government
what is popular sovereignty
an approach to interpreting the U.S. Constitution that relies primarily on the original language of the document and the perceived intent of the framers; also known as strict construction
what is originalism
a document issued by a judge that authorizes law enforcement officers to carry out a search, seizure of evidence, or arrest
what is a warrant
a system of city government in which voters elect both city council members and a mayor; the mayor may have either weak or strong executive powers
what is mayor-council system
right to fair trial
what is the 6th amendment
the idea that decisions approved by more than half of the people in a group or society will be accepted and observed by all of the people
what is majority rule
the power of the courts to declare laws and executive acts unconstitutional
what is judicial review
statements, usually made under oath, suggesting that the person speaking is guilty of a crime
what is self-incrimination
a local government district established for a specific purpose, such as providing school or fire services; these districts operate independently of other local units of government
what is special-purpose district
right to bear arms
what is the 2nd amendment
supporters of ratification of the U.S. Constitution, who favored the creation of a strong federal government that shared power with the states
what is Federalists
a literal approach to interpreting the U.S. Constitution, using the exact words of the document
what is strict construction
the prosecution of a person a second time for a crime for which the defendant has already been tried once and found not guilty; prohibited under the Fifth Amendment
what is double jeopardy
the town or city in which a county government is based
what is a county seat
no quartering of soldiers
what is the 3rd amendments