| Glossary |
|
| Chapter 2 |
|
| Amendment |
change or alteration |
| Articles of Confederation |
loose form of charter for common government adopted by the thirteen colonies prior to adoption of the Constitution |
| Bill of Rights |
first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution |
| browser |
a scanning program that uses the attributes of hypertext to allow immediate access to any and all subjects and the background information necessary to comprehend them |
| Civil rights |
personal, human rights recognized and guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution |
| Cyberlaw |
law that is intended to govern the use of computers in e-commerce and the Internet |
| Declaration of Independence |
document drafted by representatives of the 13 original colonies that asserts the rights desired by the colonists |
| Democracy |
governmental system in which citizens vote directly to decide issues |
| Department of Homeland Security (DHS) |
controls an agency formed by the merger of 22 separate agencies into one with the mission of protecting the United States from terrorist attack |
| Due process of law |
constitutional requirement for fundamental fairness in our legal and court system |
| Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) |
agency regulating the creation, marketing, and use of hazardous chemicals, as well as the disposal of toxic waste |
| Federal Communications Commission (FCC) |
agency regulating all interstate and international channels of communication |
| Federal Reserve System's Board of Governors |
agency that regulates interest rates |
| Impeachment case |
trying a government official for misconduct in office |
| Interstate commerce |
trade and other commercial intercourse between or among businesses in different states |
| Intrastate commerce |
commerce conducted wholly within one state |
| National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) |
agency regulating collective bargaining |
| Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) |
agency charged with insuring safety of nuclear power plants |
| Political party |
private organization of citizens who select and promote candidates for public office |
| Republic |
governmental system in which citizens elect representatives to decide issues |
| Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) |
agency regulating the disclosure of information pertinent to buying and selling stocks as well as the national stock exchanges themselves |
| Sovereignty |
freedom from external control |
| System of checks and balances |
division and allocation of the powers of government between its various branches |
| U.S. Constitution |
document that consists of seven articles that provide a workable framework for our federal government |