Civics Review Terms - List 1

1. consent of the governedpeople are the source of any and all governmental power. 2. limited governmentgovernment is not all-powerful and may do only those things people have given it the power to do. 3. rule of lawthe government and those who govern are bound by the law. 4. democracyin a democratic system of government the people rule. 5. representative governmentin a representative system of government people elect public officeholders to make laws and conduct government on their behalf. 6. Charters of the Virginia Company of London - rights of Englishmen guaranteed to colonists 7. The Virginia Declaration of Rights - served as a model for the Bill of Rights of the Constitution of the United States of America 8. Declaration of Independence - declared the colonies independence from Great Britain, affirmed certain unalienable rights (life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness), and established the idea that all people are equal under the law 9. Articles of Confederation - established the first form of national government for the independent states 10. Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom - guaranteed all Virginians freedom of religious beliefs and opinions 11. Constitution of the United States of America - establishes the structure for the U.S. government, the supreme law of the land 12. Bill of Rights - the first 10 amendments to the constitution that protect the fundamental freedoms of the people 14. Preamble - introduction to the Constitution that lists the goals and purposes of the government 15. amendment- a change or addition to the U.S. Constitution