US Constitution Vocabulary

declaration by the federal courts that laws or executive actions are in violation of the Constitution

• unconstitutional

• constitutional

• legislative

• executive

the concept that political and legislative power resides with the citizens

• democracy

• popular sovereignty

• autocracy

• oligarchy

to approve something

• ratify

• reject

• ignore

• postpone

a person who is authorized to act as a representative for others

• delegate

• agent

• proxy

• representative

the elected leader of the executive branch

• Vice President

• Governor

• President

• Senator

the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution

• Bill of Rights

• Declaration of Independence

• Articles of Confederation

• Constitutional Convention

one branch of the government has some authority over another; in other words, one branch cannot do something without one of the other’s checking on it and approving it

• checks and balances

• separation of powers

• executive privilege

• judicial review

the introduction to the Constitution

• preamble

• prologue

• foreword

• introduction

system of government where power is distributed between the national and state governments

• unitarism

• confederation

• federalism

• oligarchy

the part of the government with the power to make laws

• executive branch

• judicial branch

• legislative branch

• administrative branch