Government Vocabulary

Guidelines for how people should behave

• Rules

• Laws

• Civics

Rules created by the government that citizens must obey

• Rights

• Volunteer/

  Voluntarily

• Laws

Something the government protects

• Vote

• Rights

• Rules

Having to do with citizens or citizenship

• Civics

• Rights

• Common Good

The benefit or interests of everyone in a group or community

• Volunteer/

  Voluntarily

• Laws

• Common Good

To do something by choice

• Volunteer/

  Voluntarily

• Rules

• Civics

A choice made by a particular person or group in a meeting or an election

• Rights

• Vote

• Common Good

Democracy where the people vote to elect leaders to represent them

• Volunteer/ Voluntarily

• Civics

• Representative Democracy

Central government of the United States

• Federal Government

• State Government

• Local Government

Government responsible for matters not handled by the federal government

• Local Government

• Federal Government

• State Government