Government Structures & Principles

• Confederation refers to a nonbinding political alliance of independent countries, states, or groups.
• Bicameral describes a political system based on two legislative chambers.
• Unicameral refers to a legislature consisting of a single chamber.
• Veto is an action by which an executive rejects a bill submitted by the legislature, meaning to refuse approval.
• Constitution encompasses the basic principles and laws of a nation, state, or social group, determining the powers and duties of a government and guaranteeing certain rights.
• Popular sovereignty means the people are the highest authority within a government.
• Legislative supremacy is a system of government where most power is given to the legislature.
• Republic denotes a nation with a government in which power is held by the people who elect representatives to manage the government for the common good.
• Common good is the good of the community as a whole.
• Jurisdiction is the power or authority to hear cases and make decisions.
• Tariff is defined as a tax on imported or exported goods, or a system that describes such taxes.
• Amendment represents a change or addition to a document or plan, such as the Constitution.
• Bill of Rights refers to the first 10 amendments to the Constitution.
• Checks and balances is a system in which the power of each branch of government is balanced by the powers of the other branches.
• Federalism is a system of government in which power is shared between the central (national) government and the state governments.
• Founding Fathers were the writers and framers of the Constitution; the founders.
• Ratify means to approve and make official.
• Judicial branch is the part of the government that interprets the laws through its decisions in legal cases.
• Preamble is the introductory part of the Constitution.
• Supreme Court is the highest level of the judicial branch of the federal government and the highest court in the country; state supreme courts also exist.
• Anti-Federalist was an opponent of the central government as defined by the Constitution and against its ratification.
• Federalist was a supporter of ratification of the Constitution.
• Limited government describes a system restricted to protecting natural rights that does not interfere with other aspects of life.
• Separation of powers is the division of powers among the different branches of government.
• Legislative branch is the law-making part of government.
• Executive branch is the part of government headed in the United States by a president or governor, that carries out the laws.

Definitions of key government concepts: confederation, bicameral and unicameral systems, veto power, constitution, popular sovereignty, legislative supremacy, republic, common good, and jurisdiction. Understanding these terms is crucial for analyzing political systems.