Definitions for the 1999 Debate Resolution from the American Heritage� Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition � 1996 by Houghton Mifflin Company

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Federal

1. Of, relating to, or being a form of government in which a union of states recognizes the sovereignty of a central authority while retaining certain residual powers of government.

2. Of or constituting a form of government in which sovereign power is divided between a central authority and a number of constituent political units.

3. Of or relating to the central government of a federation as distinct from the governments of its member units.

4. Favorable to or advocating federation: The senator's federal leanings were well known.

5. Relating to or formed by a treaty or compact between constituent political units.

6. Federal. a. Of, relating to, or supporting Federalism or the Federalist Party. b. Of, relating to, or loyal to the Union cause during the American Civil War.

7. Often Federal . Of, relating to, or being the central government of the United States.

Government

1. The act or process of governing, especially the control and administration of public policy in a political unit.

2. The office, function, or authority of one who governs or of a governing body.

3. Exercise of authority in a political unit; rule.

4. The agency or apparatus through which an individual or a body that governs exercises authority and performs its functions.

5. A governing body or organization, as:. a. The ruling political party or coalition of political parties in a parliamentary system. b. The cabinet in a parliamentary system. c. The persons who make up a governing body.

6. A system or policy by which a political unit is governed.

7. Management or administration of an organization, a business, or an institution.

8. Political science.

Should

1. Used before a verb in the infinitive to show:. a. Something that will take place or exist in the future: We shall arrive tomorrow. b. Something, such as an order, a promise, a requirement, or an obligation: You shall leave now. He shall answer for his misdeeds. The penalty shall not exceed two years in prison. c. The will to do something or have something take place: I shall go out if I feel like it. d. Something that is inevitable: That day shall come.

Archaic. a. To be able to. b. To have to; must.

Establish

1. a. To set up; found. . b. To bring about; generate: establish goodwill in the neighborhood.

2. a. To place or settle in a secure position or condition; install: They established me in my own business. b. To make firm or secure.

3. To cause to be recognized and accepted: a discovery that established his reputation.

4. To introduce and put (a law, for example) into force.

5. To prove the validity or truth of: The defense attorneys established the innocence of the accused.

To make a state institution of (a church).

Education

1. The act or process of educating or being educated.

2. The knowledge or skill obtained or developed by a learning process.

3. A program of instruction of a specified kind or level: driver education; a college education.

4. The field of study that is concerned with the pedagogy of teaching and learning.

An instructive or enlightening experience: Her work in the inner city was a real education.

Policy

1. A plan or course of action, as of a government, political party, or business, intended to influence and determine decisions, actions, and other matters: American foreign policy; the company's personnel policy.

a. A course of action, guiding principle, or procedure considered expedient, prudent, or advantageous: Honesty is the best policy. b. Prudence, shrewdness, or sagacity in practical matters.

Significant

1. Having or expressing a meaning; meaningful.

2. Having or expressing a covert meaning; suggestive: a significant glance.

3. Having or likely to have a major effect; important: a significant change in the tax laws.

4. Fairly large in amount or quantity: significant casualties; no significant opposition.

5. Statistics. Of or relating to observations or occurrences that are too closely correlated to be attributed to chance and therefore indicate a systematic relationship.

Increase

1. To become greater or larger.

2. To multiply; reproduce.

Academic

1. Of, relating to, or characteristic of a school, especially one of higher learning.

2. a. Relating to studies that are liberal or classical rather than technical or vocational. b. Relating to scholarly performance: a student's academic average.

3. Relating or belonging to a scholarly organization.

4. Scholarly to the point of being unaware of the outside world.

5. Based on formal education.

6. Formalistic or conventional.

7. Theoretical or speculative without a practical purpose or intention.

8. Having no practical purpose or use.

Achievement

1. The act of accomplishing or finishing.

2. Something accomplished successfully, especially by means of exertion, skill, practice, or perseverance.

Secondary School

A school that is intermediate in level between elementary school and college and that usually offers general, technical, vocational, or college-preparatory curricula.

United States

A country of central and northwest North America with coastlines on the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. It includes the noncontiguous states of Alaska and Hawaii and various island territories in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. The original Thirteen Colonies declared their independence from Great Britain in 1776 and formed a government under the Articles of Confederation in 1781. A new constitution, adopted in 1787 and in effect after 1789, provided for a strong central government, and the nation soon began to expand westward. The Civil War (1861-1865) was a brief but tragic disruption in the unity of the nation. Since that time the United States has evolved into a vast, diversified economic power. Washington, D.C., is the capital and New York the largest city. Population, 249,632,692.

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