Defining Important
Words In Civics
From A-Z
By: Sterling Chapman
Goal 1
Words that will be defined….
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3/5 Compromise
Bacon’s Rebellion
Bill of Rights
Boston Tea Party
Catholics
Checks and balances
Declaration of Independence
Dictatorship
Double Jeopardy
Quakers
Quartering Act
Right to Bear Arms
Separation of Powers
Stamp Act
Suffrage
3/5 Compromise
 This was placed so that slaves could finally vote. Since they did
not count slaves as a whole, each of their votes are counted 3/5 of
a vote.
Bacon’s Rebellion
 Nathaniel Bacon, who was a Virginia planter, he had got many
troops to help him fight off the Native Indians at the Virginia
Frontier. However, the governor disliked his act so then Bacon
turned his army against Jamestown.
Bill of Rights
 The first ten Amendments. These protect us as Citizens.
Boston Tea Party
 Many of the English men dressed up as Mohawk Indians and then
they jumped on the British ships and dumped all of the tea into the
river. All of this happened at the Boston Harbor.
Catholics
 Lord Baltimore started a Maryland colony just for the Catholics so
that they can practice their religion without being persecuted for
wanted to be that religion.
Checks and balances
 This means that one branch of government is not able to control to
much power. Each branch has a certain power but another
branch can check it if it is going out of control.
Declaration of
Independence
 This declared us as The U.S.A. as a free nation.
Dictatorship
 This type of government is when a government has no restriction
on what it can or what it can not do.
Double Jeopardy
 This is the 5th amendment in the Bill of rights. This is clearly
stating that a person can not be charged of the same crime that
he/she was earlier tried for.
Quakers
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This religious group believed that everyone was equal. Even the woman
were just as good as the men. They also practiced pacifism which is nonviolence. They also wanted to treat the Indians fairly.
Quartering Act
 This act made colonists keep British soldiers in their houses and
made them supply them needs.
Right to Bear Arms
 This is the 2nd amendment in the bill of rights. It is stating that you
are able to wield a weapon for protection.
Separation of Powers
 This is the dividing of the power of the government between three
branches. The Judicial, Executive and the Legislative. Each one
required for a different role in helping our government.
Stamp Act
 This act taxed majority of the printed material. This was to make
up for the loss money after the war.
Suffrage
This means that you have the right to vote. So, if you have
suffrage you can vote for anyone.
Goal 2
Words that will be included
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Bill
CIA
Interest group
Judicial branch
Legislative branch
National budget
National debt
Separation of church an d state
Senate
State
Texas vs. Johnson
Treaty
US census
US supreme court
Veto
Whip
Bill
 In the legislative process, a bill is proposal that is the first step in
creating a new law
CIA
 Responsible for terrorism
Interest Group
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A group of persons working on behalf of or strongly
supporting a particular cause, such as an item of legislation,
an industry.
Judicial Branch
 is in charge of the court system
Legislative Branch
 writes laws on a bill
National Budget
 It is how much money that the US can spend
National Debt
 How much money the USA has to pay back
separation of church and
state
 is a political and legal doctrine that government and religious
institutions are to be kept separate and independent from state.
Senate
 This is the 2nd house of congress
 Two senators who serve six year terms represent each state in
this house.
State
 a state that self-identifies as deriving its political legitimacy from
serving as a sovereign entity for a nation
Texas vs. Johnson
 This involved the arrest of a man who caught burning a US flag in
protest
Treaty
 A formal agreement between two or more countries.
US census
 These are used to know how many people are in the USA.
US Supreme court
 The highest court in our country
Veto
 This is when the president does not like a bill that is trying to be
passed so he he gets rid of it.
Whip
 Their job is to make sure that members of the part vote the way
the party leadership wants them to.
Goal 3
Words that will be included
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Board of Education
Fines
Inheritance tax
Judges
Local act
NC Supreme Court
Public Schools
Sales tax
Sheriff
State v. Mann
Board of Education
 A body of government established for a
special district.
Fines
 Provides money for the state and local
government.
Inheritance tax
 Tax that must be paid on what one
inherits from someone who has died.
Judges
 to form an opinion or estimation of after
careful consideration
Local act
NC Supreme Court
 Serving as the highest court in the state,
it serves in the judicial branch.
Public Schools
Sales tax
 Are taxes on goods and services
purchased by consumers.
Sheriff
 Serves as the mandates that each county
shall have an elected.
State v. Mann
 A slave master named John Mann shot
and wounded a female slave he had
leased from another.
Goal 4
words that will be included
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Ballot
Caucus
Criminal Laws
Exit polls
Fine
Glittering generalities
Jury duty
Mass media
Name calling
Plank
Political parties
Polls
Voter registration
Voting
Voting district
Ballot
 These are used to record votes either
when some one is being elected or
kicked out of office.
Caucus
 a meeting of supporters or members of a
political party or movement
Criminal Laws
 involves prosecution for an act that has
been classified as a crime
Exit polls
 An election exit poll is a poll of voters
taken immediately after they have exited
the polling stations
Fine
 Something that you have to pay for
breaking a law or a rule
Glittering generalities
 as a propaganda device uses needs- or
value-based vague words to invoke
powerful emotions
Jury duty
 You have to serve on a jury and make a
decision for someone.
Mass media
 a section of the media specifically
designed to reach a very large audience
such as the population of a nation state.
Name calling
 a crude substitute for argument
Plank
 an endorsed policy in the platform of a
political party
Political parties
 party is a political organization that
typically seeks to attain and maintain
political power within government
Polls
 an inquiry into public opinion conducted
by interviewing a random sample of
people
Voter registration
 is the requirement in some democracies
for citizens and residents to check in with
some central registry specifically for the
person to be able to vote
Voting
 express one's preference for a candidate
or for a measure or resolution; cast a
vote; "He voted for the motion"; "None of
the Democrats voted last night"
Voting district
 An electoral district is a distinct territorial
subdivision for holding a separate
election for one or more seats
representing the voters
Goal 5
words that will be defined
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Arrest warrant
Bail
debate
Felonies
Filibuster
Hung jury
Joint committee
Law
Misdemeanors
Pocket veto
Arrest warrant
 issued by and on behalf of the state,
which authorizes the arrest and detention
of an individual
Bail
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Money paid by a defendant in
exchange for not having to remain in
jail until his/her trial.
debate
 Opposing sides present their position on
an issue
Felonies
 Serious crimes
 Ex… murder, rape, or drug trafficking
Filibuster
 The senators will sometimes attempt to
stop a vote on bills
stop
Hung jury
 This happens when a jury cannot come
to a consensus regarding the guilt or
innocence of a defendant.
Joint committee
 Committees on which members of both
the House and the Senate regularly
serve.
Law
 is a system of rules, usually enforced
through a set of institutions
Misdemeanors
 Less serious crimes that are usually
punishable by a fine, probation, or less
than a year in jail.
Pocket veto
 Is when the president intentionally takes
no action on a bill because he knows
congress is not in session and his/her
actions cannot be overridden.
Goal 6
words that will be defined
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Agricultural groups
Boot camps
Death penalty
Food & Drug administration
Iroquois league
Mayflower compact
Media
Press Release
Prisons/jails
Rehabilitation
Ten commandments
Think tanks
Agricultural groups
 Provide aid to farmers in times of
economic hardships.
Boot camps
 These are an alternative to juvenile detention centers.
These are military-style camps designed to rehabilitate
juvenile offenders through instilling discipline and
respect for authority.
Death penalty
 A capital punishment is when an
individual is sent to die for their
Oh no! Please so kill me
crime/crimes.
ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Food & Drug administration
 Responsible for regulating food, drugs,
medical equipment, dietary supplements,
and other products that could impact the
health of citizens.
Advil
Iroquois league
 This union served to greatly strengthen
the Iroquois and make them the
dominate tribe among eastern Native
American peoples.
Mayflower compact
This was a document which guaranteed
the people a voice in government.
Media
 People stay informed by watching
television newscasts, listening to news
related radio programs, reading
newspapers and magazines, checking
online updates, and visiting government
websites.
Press Release
 These are statements released to the
media for the purpose of relaying
information to the public.
Prisons/jails
 Prisons – you serve for over a year
 Jails – you serve under a year
Rehabilitation
 Is concerned with transforming criminals
into law abiding citizens.
Ten commandments
 These have influenced not only Israel,
but all societies in which Judaism and/or
Christianity have had an impact.
Think tanks
 Are organizations established for the
purpose of researching, studying, and
providing advice about important issues.
Goal 7
words that will be defined
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Competition
Economics
Labor
Land
Mass production
Needs
Pricing
Producer
Scarcity
Wants
Competition
 It means that you are trying to beat the
other person in what ever you are
competed in.
Economics
 The study of how individuals, firms, and
nations can best allocate their limited
resources.
Labor
 The human work that is done for the
business.
Land
 Not only the property but the natural
resources that are also involved
Mass production
 The production of large amounts of
goods at one time
Needs
 Some thing that is needed in order to
survive
Pricing
 The amount as of money or goods,
asked for or given in exchange for
something else
Producer
 The economic actor who makes or
provides the good/services.
Scarcity
 Is the lack of adequate resources to
obtain all of ones wants and needs
Wants
 It is someone's desire that they could go
their whole life without getting and be
happy.