Lesson 8: What Is Our Constitution?

Terms

Bill of Rights (1791)  The first ten amendments to the Constitution. The Bill of Rights lists some basic rights of the people. These include your right to believe or not believe in any religion. They also include your right to speak freely and learn from others.

branches of government  Your government is divided into three different groups called branches. They are all connected like branches of a tree. The people in one branch make laws. People in another branch carry out the laws and make sure people obey them. Another branch listens to disagreements about the laws and decides what should be done about the laws.

Congress  The branch of the national government of the United States that makes laws. It has two parts, which are called the Senate and the House of Representatives. Each state has two senators. The more people a state has, the more representatives it has in the House. There are 100 senators and 435 representatives.

constitution  A set of rules and laws that tells how a government is organized and run.

courts  A part of the branch of government that is responsible for deciding if someone has broken a law. Courts also settle disagreements about the meaning of a law. Courts typically have one judge for each trial and sometimes have juries. Some courts have more than one judge.

executive branch  The branch of government that carries out and enforces the laws made by the legislative branch.

House of Representatives, representative  One of two houses of Congress. The number of representatives from each state is based on its popula- tion. The larger the population, the more representatives a state has. representative A person elected to speak and act for others.

judicial branch  The branch of government that explains the meaning of laws and applies the laws. The judicial branch also settles disputes about the laws.

justice  A member of the supreme court of a state or of the United States.

legislative branch  The branch of a government that makes laws.

president  The leader of the executive branch of the national government.

Senate, senator  One house of Congress. Each state has two elected members in the Senate. senator A member of the Senate.

Supreme Court  The highest court in the United States. It is the third branch of the national government.

We the People  This refers to the people of the United States who agree to create a government and live under its laws. These are the first three words of the Constitution. They show that the Constitution was created and approved by the people.