Political Systems Vocabulary
Maryland Learning Outcomes

4th and 5th Grade

Authority - the right to use power to control the behaviors of others.

Branches of government - legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government.
Legislative - the branch of government that makes the laws.
Executive - the branch of government that enforces the laws made by the legislative branch.
Judicial - the branch of government that interprets the laws and settles disputes.

Citizen - a person who is a member of a town, city, state, or country.

Civic participation - engaging in activities that contribute to the well-being of a community, i.e. obeying rules and laws, voting, getting a good education.

Community improvement - working to make the community better.

Compromise - a way to settle conflict by all sides agreeing to give up part of what they want.

Conflict - a disagreement among people or organizations.

Democracy - a form of government in which power is held by the people. The people exercise their power either directly or through elected representatives.

Government - a group of people who work together to bring order to a community, state, or nation. The main jobs of a government are to make and enforce laws.

Justice - the act of being fair and honest

Landmark - 1) a familiar object at a place that people easily know as a part of that community; 2) an important object that reminds people of an important event or person.
Independence Hall is a landmark in Philadelphia.

Maintain order - to keep the community clean, safe, and organized for the good of all citizens.

Participate - to take part in an activity.

Participation - taking part in or sharing in the activities of a group or organization.

Patriotism - great loyalty to one's country.

Petition - a formal written request for something made to a person in authority.

Political process - the system of citizens electing representatives or leaders to make decisions for people. The political process can also refer to steps of forming policy or making, enforcing, and interpreting laws.

Political system - a set of democratic principles and ideas that citizens follow.

Principles - the democratic ideas and values in American government including privacy, authority, power, justice/fairness, responsibility, patriotism, tolerance, and respect for the rights of others.

Privacy - the state of being alone or not being interfered with.

Respect - to be thoughtful of and caring of another person.

Rights and responsibilities - Rights are freedoms granted to American citizens that allow them to make their own choices. For example, Americans have the right to an education, to express ideas, and to vote for leaders. Responsibilities are duties that citizens have.

Rule - something you must or must not do.

Rule of Law - the belief that every citizen must follow the laws. Even the President must follow the laws of the country.

Social institution - a group or organization with a special purpose in a society or culture. Examples are family, local government, school, or a club.

Symbol - a picture that stands for something else. The Statue of Liberty symbolizes equality and justice. The Bald Eagle symbolizes freedom and independence.

Tolerance - being willing to let others have their own beliefs and ways of behaving, even though it may be different from your own belief.