Vocab Review

1. Courts review laws and executive actions to determine if they are constitutional.
3. Organized groups that seek to influence public policy and government decisions.
5. Dividing government into three branches: legislative (makes laws), executive (carries out laws), and judicial (interprets laws).
8. The highest court in the country; it has the final say on legal questions involving the U.S. Constitution.
9. When someone asks a higher court to review and change a decision made by a lower court.
12. A system where each branch of government can stop the others from becoming too powerful.
13. A system where people elect leaders to make decisions and laws for them.
18. The branch of government that makes laws
19. Regulations (rules) that govern a local governmental unit.
21. Changes to the Constitution, mostly focused on rights.
22. The lawmaking body of the US government, made up of the Senate and House of Representatives
23. Process during which an accused person appears before a court to enter a plea of guilty or not guilty
24. A proposed law that must be approved by the legislature and signed by the governor.

1. The branch of government that interprets the laws and makes sure they are fair. It includes the Supreme Court.
2. The head of the states’ executive branch who signs or vetoes laws and leads the state government.
4. The idea that the people have the power and give the government its authority. The government gets its power from the consent of the governed.
6. The government must follow legal procedures and respect individual rights.
7. The authority a court has to hear and decide a case.
10. The branch of government that carries out (enforces) the laws. It includes the president, vice president, and Cabinet.
11. The power of the governor or president to reject a bill, preventing it from becoming a law.
14. The state legislature of Virginia, made up of the Senate and House of Delegates.
15. A way of sharing power between the national government and the states.
16. A group of advisors who help the president make decisions and lead executive departments.
17. Proving that the defendant is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt
20. A written plan for the government that explains the laws and how the government works