The Constitution Unit Vocabulary

describing a legislative body composed of 2 chambers

• amendment

• politicos

• bicameral

• inferior courts

the lower federal courts, under the Supreme Court

• inferior courts

• judicial review

• federalism

• enabling act

system of overlapping the powers of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches to permit each branch to check the actions of the others

• unconstitutional

• bicameral

• checks and balances

• formal amendment

the power of the courts to decide what the Constitution means

• bicameral

• unconstitutional

• checks and balances

• judicial review

contrary to the constitutional provision and so illegal, null and void, of no force and effect

• bicameral

• unconstitutional

• judicial review

• inferior courts

a system of government in which a written constitution divides power between a central, or national government and several regional governments like States

• amendment

• division of powers

• federalism

• expressed powers

a change or addition that becomes part of the written language of the Constitution itself through one of four methods set forth in the Constitution

• extradition

• formal amendment

• implied powers

• bicameral

a pact made by the President directly with the head of a foreign state; a binding international agreement with the force of law but which (unlike a treaty) does not require Senate consent

• amendment

• formal amendment

• treaty

• executive agreement

a formal agreement between two or more sovereign states

• executive agreement

• treaty

• electoral college

• senatorial courtesy

an unwritten rule that is closely followed in the Senate

• executive agreement

• inherent powers

• treaty

• senatorial courtesy