Key Terms List: Enduring Plan of government

Preamble

• The introductory part of a statute or deed, stating its purpose, aims, and justification.

Impeach

• Charge (the holder of a public office) with misconduct

Congress

• A national legislative body that was established by the Constitution of 1787 and is composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives

Elastic Clause

• Constitution is a flexible document that can change over time
• Congress can make all laws "necessary" and "proper" for carrying out the Constitution.
• Implied power of Congress

Chief Executive

• The highest-ranking executive in a company, whose primary responsibilities include making major corporate decisions, managing the overall operations and resources of a company, acting as the main point of communication between the board of directors and corporate operations and being the public face of the company.

federal Judiciary

• Responsible for interpreting and enforcing federal laws

Independent Judiciary

• The ability of courts and judges to perform their duties free of influence or control by other actors, whether governmental or private

precedent

• A previous case or legal decision that may be or must be followed in subsequent similar cases.

Judicial Review

• Review by the US Supreme Court of the constitutional validity of a legislative act.

Federalism

• A way of organizing a nation so that two or more levels of government have formal authority over the land and people.

Delegated Powers

• Powers are specifically granted to the federal government in Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution

reserved powers

• Powers that the states exercise but generally the federal government does not

concurrent powers

• Powers of a federal system of government shared by both the federal government and each constituent political unit

SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS

• Groups or organizations that try to achieve their goals through actively influencing government policy

the "supreme Law of the land"

• The US Constitution is the Supreme Law. No law and no person can override the Constitution

Three branches of government

• Executive, legislative, and judicial branches were established by the Constitution

the legislative Branch

• In charge of making laws. Made up of the Congress and several Government agencies

The executive branch

• The branch of government exercising authority in and holding responsibility for the governance of a state. Executes and enforces law.

the judicial branch

• In charge of deciding the meaning of laws, how to apply them to real situations, and whether a law breaks the rules of the Constitution.

The amendment process

• The process of altering or amending a law or document by parliamentary or constitutional procedure

political participation

• A broad range of activities through which people develope and express their opinions on the world and how it is governed and try to take part in and shape the decisions that affect their lives