Constitution Vocabulary

the law making part of the government, called the legislature.

• Legislative Branch

• Executive Branch

• Judicial Branch

• Popular Branch

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

• Legislative Branch

• Executive Branch

• Judicial Branch

• Federalism

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

• Legislative Branch

• Executive Branch

• Judicial Branch

• Federalism

a key constitutional principle that divides the functions of government among three branches-legislative, executive, and judicial - to prevent any one branch from gaining too much power.

• Federalism

• Separation of powers

• Checks and Balances

• majority rule

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

• Federalism

• Checks and Balances

• Separation of Powers

• Interstate Commerce

trade and other business dealings between two or more states

• Federalism

• Popular Sovereignty

• Judicial Branch

• Interstate Commerce

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

• Judicial Review

• Federalism

• Judicial Branch

• Checks and Balances

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

• Executive Branch

• Separation of Powers

• Federalism

• Interstate Commerce

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

• Interest group

• Majority Rule

• Federalism

• Checks and Balances

an organization that actively promotes the view of some part of the public on specific issues in order to influence government policy.

• Checks and Balances

• Interstate Commerce

• Majority Rule

• Interest Group