Vocabulary

Accusation – a charge of wrongdoing  

Aggrandize – to make greater in power, influence, stature, or reputation

Ameliorate – to make better or more tolerable  

Amendment  – a change or addition made in the Constitution

Anarchy – absence of government  

Approbation – to give formal or official sanction to; to approve; to accept as satisfactory  

Articles of Confederation – the first plan of government for the American nation, in effect from 1781 to 1789  

Beggary –mean the state of one with insufficient resources  

Bill of Rights – the first ten amendments to the Constitution, which set forth the basic rights or freedoms, guaranteed to all  

Cadre – a nucleus or core group especially of trained personnel able to assume control and to train others

Candidates – the men/women who run for election to the offices in our government  

Capital – wealth that is used to produce more wealth

Citizen – a member of our nation who takes full part in its affairs  

Citizenship – the duties, rights, and privileges of a citizen in a democratic nation  

Congress – the lawmaking body of the federal government  

Constitution – a written plan of a government describing how a government is organized, listing its purpose, some of the basic laws, and the rights of the people  

Constitution of the United States – the plan our nation’s government set up in 1789 to be the supreme law of our land  

Contention – a point advanced or maintained in a debate or argument  

Compromise – a settlement of an argument or dispute reached by each side giving up some of its claims or demands  

Credentials – testimonials showing that a person is entitled to credit or has a right to exercise official power

Delegates – representatives who attend a political party convention  

Democracy  -- a government in which the people rule themselves  

Diatribe – popular discourse on morality; being critical of another  

Economy – the way in which the resources of a country or business are managed; careful and thrifty use of money and goods  

Elastic clause – Article I, Section 18, or the “necessary and proper” clause, that allows Congress to stretch the powers listed in the Constitution to cover many other subjects  

Electoral College – the men and women who cast each state’s official votes for the President and Vice President  

Embargo – an order by a government that forbids ships to engage in trade or commerce with another country  

Epitome – a summary; a brief presentation or statement  

Extinct – no longer active; extinguished  

Extortion – a demand to obtain money or other goods from a person by force, intimidation, or undue or illegal power  

Factions –  Political parties or groups  

Flog a Poor Horse –  unkindness/ill treatment to someone down on their luck  

House of Representatives –  (the House) the lower house of Congress in which states are represented according to their population  

Impeachment – the procedure of drawing up charges against a government official  

Impotence – not capable of being governed, guided, or restrained  

Judication – judgement

Manifest Destiny – a future event accepted as inevitable  

Mercenaries – professional soldiers who are hired to serve in a foreign army  

Monarchy – government by a ruler, such as a king, or queen  

National Debt – the total amount of money owed by the federal government  

Patriotism – the love for and loyalty to one’s country  

Pittance – a small portion or amount  

Platform – a written statement which outlines a political party’s ideas and describes the program it proposes for our nation  

Plenipotentiary – representative accredited as an ambassador/minister to a civil government in order to maintain official diplomatic relations and invested with full power to transact business  

Politician – a person involved in any aspect of politics  

Political Cartoon – a statement of opinion.  The cartoonist expresses a person’s opinion or the newspaper’s opinion on a certain issue by drawing instead of writing. Political cartoons use caricatures, symbols and humor to portray certain ideas, groups or countries in such a way as to get an emotional response from readers  

Political Party – an organization made up of a large group of citizens who have similar ideas on public issues and who work to put their ideas into effect though government action  

Preamble – the beginning of the Constitution which describes the purposes of our American government  

Prigarchy – obnoxious, offending, and expensive observations of rituals of monarchs  

Propaganda – ideas used to trey to make us do something or to influence our opinions  

Productivity – the quality or state of making something in abundance; yielding results, benefits, or profits  

Ratify – to make legal by officially approving  

Representatives – members of the House of Representatives  

Resolution – to deal with successfully; clear up; to find an answer to  

Retrocede – to go back  

Senate – the upper house of Congress in which each state has equal representation  

Senators – members of the United States Senate  

Strike While the Iron is Hot –  take action immediately  

Tax – a payment of money which citizens are required to make to help pay the costs of their government  

Unconstitutional – in violation of the constitution of a state or country  

Vigilance – to keep watch; alertly watchful