U.S Constitution Vocabulary

The system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other two branches.

• Interstate Commerce

• Checks and Balances

• Separation of powers

• Judicial Branch

Relating to issues within a country.

• Judicial Review

• Judicial Branch

• Domestic

• International

The part of government that carries out, or executes, the laws.

• Executive Branch

• Legislative Branch

• Judicial Branch

The constitutional system that shares power between the national and state governments.

• Separation of Powers

• Nationalism

• States

• Federalism

Trade and other business dealings between two or more states.

• Imports

• Interstate commerce

• Exports

• Economy

The part of government, consisting of the Supreme Court and lower federal courts, that interprets the laws.

• Judicial Branch

• Legislative Branch

• Executive Branch

The power of the Supreme Court to decide whether laws and acts made by the legislative and executive branches are unconstitutional.

• Habeus Corpus

• 3rd amendment

• Rights and responsibilities

• Judicial Review

The lawmaking part of government, called the legislature. To legislate is to make a law.

• Executive Branch

• Judicial Branch

• Legislative Branch

A type of democracy in which elected officials are voted in by the people to represent them in office.

• Dictatorship

• Direct democracy

• Representative government

• Monarchy

A basic principle of democracy that says laws are passed by majority vote and elections are decided by a majority of the voters.

• Majority Rule

• Popular sovereignty

• double jeopardy

• Rule of Law