American Government / Civics Vocabulary

Front 1

This court order (“writ”) requires a person to be brought before a judge.

Back 1

Habeas Corpus

Front 2

This is a term that denotes the trend of big businesses controlling most of the agricultural production in the U.S.

Back 2

Agribusiness

Front 3

This is a person who is not a citizen of the state in which they reside.
Example: There are legal and illegal types of these.

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Alien

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This is a method by which the Constitution may be changed or added to.

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Amendment Process

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This is the authority of a court to hear or review a case after it has been decided at a lower court level.

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Appellate Jurisdiction

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This means to formally reprimand a member of Congress or the Federal government for their actions. It has no force of law.

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Censure

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This is the system of overlapping powers among judicial, executive, and legislative branches to allow each branch to oversee the actions of the others

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Checks And Balances

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This is a part of the Federal government that gathers and analyzes information about foreign governments and activities and their possible impact on the safety and security of the United States.

Back 8

CIA

Front 9

This is the body of law that regulates interactions between individuals in a state

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Civil Law

Front 10

In Heart of Atlanta Motel, Inc. v. United States (1964), the Supreme Court ruled not only that states had to following the law spelled out in this law from the same year as the case, but that the law itself was constitutional.

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Civil Rights Act

Front 11

Powers that are held by both the federal and state governments.
Example: Power to tax, to enforce laws

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Concurrent Powers

Front 12

This is a legally granted exclusive right to produce a literary, musical, or artistic work for a given period of time.

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Copyright

Front 13

This is the body of law that codifies what a state defines as legal and/or illegal as well as the punishments for the violations of the laws.

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Criminal Law

Front 14

This means segregation that is mandated by law. This kind of segregation is unconstitutional.
Example: A subdivision cannot prevent people of a certain race (or races) from living there.

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De Jure

Front 15

This is the part of the Department of Justice whose task it is to enforce the nation’s drug laws.

Back 15

DEA

Front 16

Powers specifically given to the government by the Constitution.
Example: regulate interstate commerce

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Delegated Powers

Front 17

This is a system of government in which the people participate directly in making all public policy.
Example: Town Hall meetings

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Direct Democracy

Front 18

This is the act of being tried or punished for the same crime by the same government. This is forbidden under the U.S. Constitution.

Back 18

Double Jeopardy

Front 19

This is a policy that the government’s actions towards its citizens must follow established rules and procedures.
Example: This is the right of an accused to a lawyer.

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Due Process

Front 20

This amendment prohibited the sale and use of alcoholic beverages

Back 20

Eighteenth

Front 21

This is a statement in the U.S. Constitution granting Congress the power to pass all laws necessary and proper for carrying out the enumerated list of powers.

Back 21

Elastic Clause

Front 22

This is the gathering of electors from each state following the Presidential election and the group who formally casts their ballots for their party’s presidential candidate.
Example: They actually elect the President, but it is largely a formality.

Back 22

Electoral College

Front 23

This is a law that punishes someone for an act that is now illegal but was not when the person committed it. These types of laws are illegal in the United States.

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Ex Post Facto

Front 24

These are powers that can only be executed by the federal government.
Example: This is the power to wage war, control interstate commerce

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Exclusive Powers

Front 25

This is the branch of government that is responsible for carrying out the laws.
Example: President, cabinet, CIA, FBI

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Executive

Front 26

This is an edict from a President (or Governor) that has the force of law without having to be passed or approved by Congress (or a state legislature).

Back 26

Executive Order

Front 27

This is the part of the Department of Justice that investigates crimes and protects the country’s internal security interests.

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FBI

Front 28

This is the part of the Federal government that, among other things, regulates and licenses civilian radio and television companies.

Back 28

FCC

Front 29

This is the part of the Federal Department of Health and Human Services that regulates and enforces laws about food production and standards in the United States.

Back 29

FDA

Front 30

This system of government has powers divided between the central government This system of government has powers divided between the central government and regional governments, with central government being supreme.
Example: U. S. and German governments

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Federalism

Front 31

This is an election in which the people choose from among the candidates nominated by the various political parties.
Example: First Tuesday after the first Monday in November

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General Election

Front 32

This is the formal accusation against a Federal (or state) official for wrong-doing while in office. It is the first step in the process of removing the official from office.

Back 32

Impeachment

Front 33

Powers that are not expressed but that the government may be inferred to have from another power.
Example: construction of airports

Back 33

Implied Powers

Front 34

This is the branch of government that is responsible for interpreting what the law means.
Example: court system

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Judicial

Front 35

This is the authority of a court to hear and try a case

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Judicial Jurisdiction

Front 36

This is the power of a court to review a law or an official act of a government employee or agent for constitutionality or for the violation of basic principles of justice.
Example: Marbury v. Madison

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Judicial Review

Front 37

This is the branch of government that creates and makes laws.
Example: Senate and House of Representatives

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Legislative

Front 38

This is a ruling body that is not all powerful, but is restricted in what it may do by certain rights guaranteed to the people which may not be abolished or taken away from the people.
Example: U.S, English governments

Back 38

Limited Government

Front 39

These are actions of an interest group or agents to influence the policy of the governments.
Example: NRA, AARP

Back 39

Lobbying

Front 40

This is the tendency of more broadly interpreting the meaning of laws, especially Constitutional Amendments.
Example: “Liberal” judges often practice this, interpreting the laws for their underlying meanings or their intent when being created, rather than simply going by the law’s exact words.

Back 40

Loose Interpretation

Front 41

This is an activity found in many high schools, colleges, and law schools in which participants gain practical experience as to the legal workings of courts of law. They are, in a sense, practice or “mock” courts.

Back 41

Moot Court

Front 42

This is the process by which one becomes a citizen of a country if that person was not born in that country.

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Naturalization

Front 43

This is the acronym for a phenomenon in which people oppose a development or construction of a project that people want but not close the them.
Example: Prisons, garbage dumps, and half-way houses are examples of these situations.

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NIMBY

Front 44

This amendment gave women the right to vote

Back 44

Nineteenth

Front 45

This is the authority of a court to hear a case for the first time

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Original Jurisdiction

Front 46

This is a political organization within a business or industry that is legally allowed to raise money for candidates who favor or are sympathetic to the group’s cause(s).

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PAC

Front 47

These are powers of a government to promote safety, public health, and welfare of its citizens.
Example: establishing marshall law

Back 47

Police Powers

Front 48

This payment was meant to keep certain groups of people (mainly former slaves and African-Americans) from being allowed to vote.
Example: This was outlawed in the United States by the 24th Amendment.

Back 48

Poll Tax

Front 49

This is the belief that the ultimate power of the government rests on the will of the people themselves.

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Popular Sovereignty

Front 50

This is the smallest division of a voting district and is the actual place where a person goes to vote in an election

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Precinct

Front 51

This is the presiding officer of the Senate who is from the majority party and who serves as the leader when the Vice-President of the United States is absent

Back 51

President Pro Tempore

Front 52

This is an election in which the political parties choose their candidates to run for specific offices.
Example: elections held throughout spring to elect candidates for parties

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Primary

Front 53

This is a proposed law that is placed on the ballot for the general public to approve or disapprove for passage.

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Proposition

Front 54

This is the process the people use to remove an elected official from office.
Example: This is the removal of Governor Gray Davis in California

Back 54

Recall

Front 55

This is a form of government run by elected leaders.
Example: US government

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Republic

Front 56

These are powers that are held for the states to execute, not for the federal government.
Example: This is the power to regulate marriages

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Reserved Powers

Front 57

This is the policy that the law making, executive, and judicial powers be held by different groups and people.
Example: A system of checks and balances is put in place to ensure that each branch is equal.

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Separation Of Powers

Front 58

This amendment provided for the direct election of U.S. senators.

Back 58

Seventeenth

Front 59

This is the absolute power of a government within its own territory.
Example: Puerto Rico and colonies do not have this

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Sovereignty

Front 60

This is the presiding officer of the House of Representatives and is chosen from the majority party in the House.

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Speaker Of The House

Front 61

This is the tendency of more narrowing interpreting the meaning of laws, especially Constitutional Amendments.
Example: “Conservative” judges often practice this, judging on the exact words of what the laws say and leaving out intent or underlying meanings of the laws.

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Strict Interpretation

Front 62

This is the name given to the US law that requires that there be no discrimination in any aspect of education based on the basis of sex.
Example: Title IX has resulted in vast increases in opportunities for women in the field of athletics and science.

Back 62

Title IX

Front 63

This is the power of the executive to prevent a bill from passing.
Example: Presidential power

Back 63

Veto

Front 64

This is a formal request to have a case heard or reviewed by an appellate court. This is the way most cases get to the Supreme Court.

Back 64

Writ Of Certiorari