Three Ring Circus

Limited Government

• when the power of the government is restricted by the law, usually in a written constitution.

Legislative branch

• A legislature is a deliberative assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country or city.

Executive branch

• the branch that is responsible for carrying out, or executing, the laws

Judicial branch

• the part of the U.S. government that interprets the law and administers justice.

Ordinances

• a law set forth by a governmental authority

Delegated/expressed powers

• The Power to tax and spend for the defense and general welfare of the U.S. Borrow money.

Reserved powers

• political power that is reserved exclusively to a particular political authority.

Concurrent powers

• are powers of a federal system of government shared by both the federal government and each constituent political unit.

Writ of habeas corpus

• is used to bring a prisoner or other detainee before the court to determine if the person's imprisonment or detention is lawful.

Filibuster

• a action such as a prolonged speech that obstructs progress in a legislative assembly while not technically contravening the required procedures.

Cloture

• a procedure for ending a debate and taking a vote.

Veto

• constitutional right to reject a decision or proposal made by a law-making body.

Statute

• written law passed by a legislative body.

Appellate jurisdiction

• efers to the power of a higher court to review and revise a lower court's decision.

Exclusive jurisdiction

• power of a court to adjudicate a case to the exclusion of all other courts.

Concurrent jurisdiction

• the ability to exercise judicial review by different courts at the same time, within the same territory, and over the same subject matter.

Original jurisdiction

• is the power to hear a case for the first time, as opposed to appellate jurisdiction, when a higher court has the power to review a lower court's decision.

Ratify

• formal consent to a treaty, contract, or agreement, making it officially valid.

Amendment

• a minor change or addition designed to improve a text, piece of legislation.
• an article added to the US Constitution.

Posterity

• all future generations of people.

Welfare

• the health, happiness, and fortunes of a person or group.

Federalism

• the federal principle or system of government.

Judicial review

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

Separation of powers

• an act of vesting the legislative, executive, and judicial powers of government in separate bodies.

Checks and balances

• system is regulated, typically those ensuring that political power is not concentrated in the hands of individuals or groups.