Glossary of Civic Terms
This page is a quick-reference guide for kids and the adults who guide them. Every term below appears somewhere in the curriculum. Definitions are written so an 8-year-old can understand them, but they are accurate enough for grown-ups to rely on, too. Use the "Used in" notes to jump back to the week where a term is taught.
Agenda A list of topics that will be discussed at a meeting. Government meeting agendas are usually published ahead of time so the public knows what's coming. Used in: Week 10, Week 12
Amendment A change or addition to an official document, especially the Constitution. The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution are called the Bill of Rights. Used in: Week 5, Week 8, Week 9
Ballot The form—paper or electronic—that a voter uses to make their choices in an election. Used in: Week 9
Bill A written idea for a new law that is presented to Congress or another legislature for discussion and a vote. Used in: Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Bonus Week 1
Bill of Rights The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution. They protect individual freedoms like free speech, the right to a fair trial, and the right to practice your religion. Used in: Week 5, Week 8, Week 9, Bonus Week 1
Branch of government One of the three main parts of the United States government: the legislative branch (makes laws), the executive branch (carries out laws), and the judicial branch (interprets laws). Used in: Week 6, Week 8
Budget A plan that shows how much money is available and how it will be spent. Governments create budgets to decide how to use tax dollars. Used in: Week 8, Week 10, Week 11, Week 15, Week 16
Campaign The organized effort a candidate makes to win an election—giving speeches, meeting voters, making promises, and running advertisements. Used in: Week 9
Candidate A person who runs for a position in government, such as mayor, governor, or President. Used in: Week 9, Week 15
Checks and balances A system that gives each branch of government the power to limit the other branches, so no single branch becomes too powerful. Used in: Week 6, Week 8, Week 9
Citizen A person who is a legal member of a country and has both rights and responsibilities in that country. Used in: Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11, Week 12, Week 13, Week 14, Week 15, Week 17, Week 18, Bonus Week 1
City council A group of people elected by the community to make decisions and laws for a city or town. Used in: Week 3, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11, Week 12, Week 13, Week 15, Week 18
Civic Relating to the duties, rights, and responsibilities of citizens and how communities and governments work together. Used in: Week 4, Week 9, Week 12, Week 15, Week 18
Civic participation All the ways citizens take part in government and community life — voting, attending meetings, writing letters, volunteering, and more. Used in: Week 12, Week 18
Community A group of people who live in the same area or share something in common, such as a neighborhood, school, or town. Used in: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11, Week 12, Week 13, Week 14, Week 15, Week 16, Week 17, Week 18
Compromise An agreement where each side gives up something it wants so that everyone can move forward together. Used in: Week 2, Week 7, Week 9, Week 13, Week 14
Congress The legislative branch of the United States federal government, made up of two parts: the Senate and the House of Representatives. Used in: Week 3, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 12
Constituent A person who lives in the area represented by an elected official. If your city council member represents your district, you are their constituent. Used in: Week 10, Week 12, Week 17
Constitution The highest law of a country. The U.S. Constitution sets up the government and lists the rights of the people. Used in: Week 2, Week 5, Week 6, Week 8, Week 9, Week 13, Week 18, Bonus Week 1
Court A place where a judge (and sometimes a jury) listens to both sides of a disagreement and makes a decision based on the law. Used in: Week 3, Week 6, Week 8, Week 10, Week 13, Bonus Week 1, Bonus Week 2
Custom A way of behaving that a group of people has followed for a long time. Customs are not written laws, but people are expected to follow them. Used in: Week 3
Defendant The person who is accused of a crime (in a criminal case) or is being sued (in a civil case). In a trial, the defendant is the one who has to respond to the charges. Used in: Bonus Week 1, Bonus Week 2
Deliberation When a jury goes to a private room to talk about the evidence and decide together whether the defendant is guilty or not guilty. Used in: Bonus Week 2
Democracy A system of government in which the people have the power to choose their leaders and influence the rules they live by. In a direct democracy, citizens vote on laws themselves. In a representative democracy (like the United States), citizens elect people to make decisions on their behalf. Used in: Week 8, Week 9, Week 18, Bonus Week 1
Diplomacy The practice of countries talking to each other, negotiating, and solving disagreements peacefully instead of fighting. Used in: Week 13, Week 14
Election An organized event in which people vote to choose leaders or decide on issues. Used in: Week 9, Week 10, Week 12, Week 13, Week 18, Bonus Week 1
Executive branch The part of government responsible for carrying out and enforcing laws. At the federal level, it is led by the President. Used in: Week 6, Week 8
Fairness Treating people equally and making sure the rules apply to everyone in the same way. Used in: Week 1, Week 2, Week 4, Week 5, Week 9, Week 13, Bonus Week 1, Bonus Week 2
Federal government The national government of the United States, based in Washington, D.C. It handles issues that affect the whole country. Used in: Week 5, Week 10
Free rider A person who benefits from something—like a park or a clean street—without helping to pay for it or take care of it. Used in: Week 11, Week 14
Government The system of people and rules that manages a community, state, or country and makes decisions on behalf of the people. Used in: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11, Week 12, Week 13, Week 14, Week 18, Bonus Week 1
Governor The leader of a state's executive branch. A governor is elected by the people of that state. Used in: Week 9, Week 15
House of Representatives One of the two chambers of the U.S. Congress. The number of representatives each state gets depends on how many people live there. Used in: Week 7
Impeachment The process by which Congress can formally accuse a government official (including the President) of serious wrongdoing. The House of Representatives votes to impeach, and the Senate holds a trial to decide whether to remove the person from office. Used in: Week 8
Judge A person whose job is to make sure trials are fair and to decide what the law means in a court case. Used in: Week 6, Week 8, Week 9, Bonus Week 1, Bonus Week 2
Judicial branch The part of government made up of courts and judges. It interprets laws and decides whether they follow the Constitution. Used in: Week 6, Bonus Week 1
Judicial review The power of courts — especially the Supreme Court — to examine a law and decide whether it follows the Constitution. If a law is found unconstitutional, the court can strike it down. Used in: Week 8
Jury A group of ordinary citizens chosen to listen to the facts in a court case and help decide the outcome. Used in: Week 5, Week 6, Week 18, Bonus Week 1, Bonus Week 2
Justice Fairness in the way people are treated, especially by the law. It also refers to a judge on the Supreme Court. Used in: Week 5, Week 8, Week 12, Week 13, Week 14, Bonus Week 1, Bonus Week 2
Law An official rule created by a government that everyone in that place must follow. Breaking a law can lead to consequences. Used in: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Bonus Week 1, Bonus Week 2
Legislative branch The part of government that writes and votes on new laws. At the federal level, this is Congress. Used in: Week 6, Week 7
Legislator A person who is elected to make laws, such as a senator or a representative. Used in: Week 9
Local government The government closest to where you live—your city, town, or county. It takes care of things like roads, parks, and schools. Used in: Week 9, Week 10, Week 11, Week 12, Week 14, Week 18
Mayor The elected leader of a city or town government. Used in: Week 3, Week 9, Week 10, Week 12, Week 13
Norm An unwritten rule or expectation about how people should behave in a group, such as raising your hand before speaking. Used in: Week 12
Ordinance A local law passed by a city council or town board. It only applies to that community — not the whole state or country. Used in: Week 10, Week 11
Petition A written request, often signed by many people, asking the government or a leader to take action on an issue. Used in: Week 8, Week 12, Week 15
Plaintiff The person who brings a complaint in a civil court case — the one who says "you wronged me" and asks the court to fix it. Used in: Bonus Week 1, Bonus Week 2
Policy A plan or set of guidelines that a government or organization follows to handle a specific issue. Used in: Week 12, Week 15
Preamble The opening statement of the Constitution. It explains why the Constitution was written and begins with the famous words "We the People." Used in: Week 5
President The elected leader of the United States and the head of the executive branch. Used in: Week 3, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10
Prosecution The side of a criminal trial that tries to prove the defendant broke the law. The prosecutor is the lawyer who presents the government's case. Used in: Bonus Week 1, Bonus Week 2
Public comment A time during a government meeting when regular citizens can stand up and share their opinions, usually for 2-3 minutes. Used in: Week 12
Public good Something that benefits everyone in a community, like a public park, clean air, or a fire department, whether or not each person helped create it. Used in: Week 11, Week 14
Public hearing A formal meeting where government officials listen to citizens' opinions about a specific issue before making a decision. Used in: Week 12, Week 15
Public notice An announcement from the government letting the public know about an upcoming meeting, decision, or event. Public notices are often posted on government websites or in local newspapers. Used in: Week 10, Week 12
Public policy A plan or set of actions that a government takes to address a community issue. For example, a city's plan to add more bike lanes is a public policy. Used in: Week 11, Week 15, Week 16
Public service Work done by the government or community organizations to help people, such as running schools, libraries, or fire stations. Used in: Week 10, Week 11, Week 13
Representation The idea that elected leaders speak and make decisions on behalf of the people who voted for them. Good representation means the leader considers the needs and views of all their constituents — not just the people who agree with them. Used in: Week 6, Week 9
Republic A type of government in which the people elect representatives to make laws and decisions for them, rather than voting on every issue directly. Used in: Week 5, Week 9
Responsibility A duty or something you are expected to do, such as following rules, helping your community, or voting when you are old enough. Used in: Week 4, Week 15
Right A freedom that is protected by law, such as the right to speak freely, practice a religion, or have a fair trial. Used in: Week 1, Week 2, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 12, Week 14, Week 15, Week 17, Week 18, Bonus Week 1, Bonus Week 2
Rule An instruction that tells people what they can or cannot do. Rules help keep things safe and fair. Used in: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 12, Week 13, Week 14, Week 15, Week 18, Bonus Week 1, Bonus Week 2
School board A group of elected or appointed people who make decisions about how public schools in a community are run. Used in: Week 3, Week 6, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11, Week 12, Week 13, Week 15
Senate One of the two chambers of the U.S. Congress. Every state has exactly two senators. Used in: Week 7, Week 8
Separation of powers The principle of dividing government into separate branches — legislative, executive, and judicial — so that no single person or group holds all the power. Used in: Week 6, Week 8
Social contract An agreement—often unwritten—between people and their government: the people follow the rules, and the government protects their rights. Used in: Week 4, Week 5, Week 14
State government The government of one of the 50 U.S. states. It handles issues like state roads, education, and driver's licenses. Used in: Week 10, Week 12
Supreme Court The highest court in the United States. Its nine justices have the final say on whether laws follow the Constitution. Used in: Week 6, Week 8, Week 10, Bonus Week 1, Bonus Week 2
Tax Money that people and businesses pay to the government so it can provide services like schools, roads, and emergency responders. Used in: Week 9, Week 10, Week 11, Week 14
Testimony A statement made by a witness under oath in a court of law. The witness promises to tell the truth about what they saw or know. Used in: Bonus Week 1, Bonus Week 2
Treaty A formal, written agreement between two or more countries, such as a promise to trade fairly or to keep the peace. Used in: Week 13
United Nations An international organization where representatives from countries around the world meet to talk about shared problems and work toward peace. Used in: Week 13, Week 14
Verdict The final decision made by a jury (or sometimes a judge) about whether a defendant is guilty or not guilty. Used in: Bonus Week 1, Bonus Week 2
Veto The power of a president or governor to reject a bill passed by the legislature. The legislature can sometimes override a veto with enough votes. Used in: Week 7, Week 8
Vote A way for people to make a choice together, such as picking a leader or deciding on a rule. Every person's vote counts equally. Used in: Week 2, Week 3, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11, Week 12, Week 13, Week 18
Voting rights The legal protections that make sure every eligible citizen can vote without being unfairly blocked or turned away. Used in: Week 9
Zoning Local government rules about what can be built or done in different areas of a community — for example, separating areas for homes, businesses, and parks. Used in: Week 10