American Gov Ch 11 Def

Front 1

Constitution

Back 1

A written plan which sets up a form of government and establishes its basic governing principles

Front 2

Amendment

Back 2

A minor change in a state constitution

Front 3

Revision

Back 3

A major change in a state constitution

Front 4

Initiative

Back 4

Process by which voters propose Constitutional Amendments

Front 5

Referendum

Back 5

An election in which the voters of the state approve or reject a proposed amendment

Front 6

Impeachment

Back 6

Process used by the legislature to remove the Governor from office

Front 7

Recall

Back 7

Process used by the voters to remove the Governor from office

Front 8

Ex-officio

Back 8

By Virtual of Office or position

Front 9

Executive order

Back 9

Order that dictates how a law should be carried out

Front 10

Item veto

Back 10

Power to veto part of a bill without vetoing the entire bill

Front 11

Lieutenant governor

Back 11

State office that can be compared to that of the vice president, State executive officer who presides over the state senate and serves as acting Governor when the governor is out of the state

Front 12

Secretary of State

Back 12

State executive officer who has charge of keeping a wide variety of State records and documents

Front 13

Attorney General

Back 13

State executive officer who gives legal advice to the governor and other state officials, State's Chief prosecutor

Front 14

Treasurer

Back 14

State executive officer who is the guardian of a state's finances and is often in charge of tax collection

Front 15

Auditor or comptroller

Back 15

State executive officer who sees that state funds were spent properly

Front 16

Baker V. Carr

Back 16

Supreme Court case that open the door for federal court regulation of State apportionment

Front 17

Reynolds V. Sims

Back 17

Supreme Court case that ruled the apportionment of both houses of a state legislatures must be based upon population

Front 18

Direct primary

Back 18

Primary where voters choose the political party's nominees

Front 19

Constituent power

Back 19

A legislature's power to propose Constitutional Amendments

Front 20

Joint committees

Back 20

Committees composed of members of both state houses for the purpose of cooperation between the two houses on various matters

Front 21

County

Back 21

The largest unit of government in most States

Front 22

County seat

Back 22

The city in which a County government has its headquarters

Front 23

County Board

Back 23

The County's popularly elected governing body

Front 24

Town

Back 24

The most important unit of local government

Front 25

Town meeting

Back 25

The unique feature of traditional town government that serves as an example of direct democracy, an assembly of citizens to discuss, debate, and vote on such matters as taxes and local ordinances

Front 26

Township

Back 26

A system of local government, a subdivision of a county

Front 27

Planning Commission

Back 27

A city's planning agency

Front 28

Zoning

Back 28

Process of dividing a city into numerous zones and regulating the use of property in each Zone

Front 29

Suburbs

Back 29

The developed areas outside city limits

Front 30

Annexing

Back 30

Method used by a city to extend its city limits

Front 31

Extraterritorial powers

Back 31

A city's regulatory Powers outside at city limits

Front 32

Metropolitan area

Back 32

A major city and the populated areas surrounding it

Front 33

Special Districts

Back 33

Units of government which are usually limited to providing one, or perhaps several, governmental services

Front 34

Regressive tax

Back 34

Everyone pays the same rate

Front 35

Progressive tax

Back 35

Persons with greater incomes pay at a higher rate

Front 36

Real property

Back 36

Land, buildings, and improvements on the land

Front 37

Personal property

Back 37

Personal possessions, can be divided into tangible personal property and intangible personal property

Front 38

Assessment

Back 38

The act of determining property value for tax purposes