Top 200 Drugs

Front 1

Amicus curiae brief

Back 1

"Friend of the court" . Brief filed by an interest group to influence a Supreme Court decision.

Front 2

Appellate Jurisdiction

Back 2

Authority of a court to hear an appeal from a lower court

Front 3

Balancing the ticket

Back 3

Occurs when a president nominee chooses a vice presidential running mate who has different qualities in order to attract more votes for the ticket

Front 4

Bill of attainder

Back 4

Legislative act inflicting punishment, including deprivation of poverty, without trial, on named individuals or members of a group.

Front 5

Blanket primary

Back 5

Election to choose candidates that is open to independents and that allows voters to choose candidates from all the parties

Front 6

Block grant

Back 6

Money granted by the federal government to the states for a broad purpose (e.g. transportation) rather than for a narrow purpose (e.g. school lunch program)

Front 7

Casework

Back 7

When congressional staff help a constituent solve a problem.

Front 8

Categorical grant

Back 8

Money granted by the federal government to the states for a narrow purpose (e.g. school lunch programs) rather than for a broad purpose (e.g. transportation)

Front 9

Caucus

Back 9

Face-to-face meetings of party members at the local or state level to determine their party's candidate for office

Front 10

Checks and balances

Back 10

System in which each branch of government can limit the power of the other two branches (e.g. presidential veto of a congressional law)

Front 11

Civil liberties

Back 11

Basic rights and freedoms guaranteed in the Bill of Rights/Constitution

Front 12

Civil Rights

Back 12

Basic right to be free from unequal treatment based on certain protected characteristics (race, gender, disability)

Front 13

Clear and present Danger Doctrine

Back 13

Judicial interpretation of the First Amendment that govt may not ban speech unless such speech poses and imminent threat to society

Front 14

Closed Primary

Back 14

Party election to choose candidates that is closed to independents. Voter may not cross party lines.

Front 15

Cloture

Back 15

Senate motion to end a filibuster that requires a 3/5 vote.

Front 16

Commerce Clause

Back 16

Gives Congress the power to regulate commerce among the states, with foreign nations, and among Indian tribes (article 1, sec 8)

Front 17

Conference committee

Back 17

Works out a compromise between differing House-Senate versions of a bill.

Front 18

Cooperative federalism

Back 18

System in which both federal govt and state govts cooperate in solving problems.

Front 19

Dealignment

Back 19

When voters no longer identify with one of the two major parties and become independent voters.

Front 20

Devolution

Back 20

A process by which the national govt gives more power and authority to the states.

Front 21

Direct Election

Back 21

Election of an official directly by the people rather than by an intermediary group such as the Electoral College

Front 22

Direct Primary

Back 22

Election in which the people choose candidates for the office

Front 23

Divided Government

Back 23

Government in which one party controls the presidency while another party controls Congress

Front 24

Earmarks

Back 24

Special spending projects that are set aside on behalf of individual members of Congress for their constituents

Front 25

Elastic Clause

Back 25

Stares that Congress can exercise those powers that are "necessary and proper" for carrying out the enumerated Powers (ex. Establishment of the first bank of the US)

Front 26

Elite Theory

Back 26

Theory that upper class elites exercise great influence over public policy

Front 27

Entitlement

Back 27

Federal benefit payments to which recipients have a legal right (ex. Social security)

Front 28

Establishment Clause

Back 28

Provision of the first Amendment that prohibits Congress from establishing an official state religion. Separation of church and state.

Front 29

Exclusionary Rule

Back 29

Supreme Court guidelines that excludes the use of illegally obtained evidence in a criminal trial.

Front 30

Executive Agreement

Back 30

An agreement between the president and another head of state that, unlike a treaty, does not require Senate consent.

Front 31

Executive Order

Back 31

Presidential rule or regulation that has the force of law

Front 32

Executive Privilege

Back 32

The president can withhold confidential information from Congress or the courts (Nixon vs US)

Front 33

Factions

Back 33

Terms used by Madison to denote what we now call interest groups

Front 34

Federalism

Back 34

Constitutional sharing of power between a central government and state governments

Front 35

Federalist papers

Back 35

Group of 85 essays written by Madison, Hamilton, and Jay for the purpose of persuading the people of NY to adopt the constitution.

Front 36

Filibuster

Back 36

Nonstop Senate debate that prevents a bill from coming to a vote.

Front 37

Franking privilege

Back 37

Allows members of Congress to send mail postage free. Helps incumbents during elections.

Front 38

Gender gap

Back 38

Difference in voting patterns for men and women, particularly in the greater tendency of the latter to vote for Democratic presidential candidates.

Front 39

General election

Back 39

Election in which the office holders are chosen. Congrats with a primary election, in which only the candidates are chosen.

Front 40

Gerrymandering

Back 40

Redrawing district lines to favor one party at the expense of the other.

Front 41

Horse race coverage

Back 41

The tendency of the media to report on an election campaign as if it were a horse race

Front 42

Impeachment

Back 42

House action that formally charges an official with wrongdoing. Requires 2/3 vote from the Senate.

Front 43

Implied Powers

Back 43

Powers that are necessary to carry out an expressed power in the Constitution, like the power of Congress to establish a bank or establish national healthcare

Front 44

Impoundment

Back 44

Refusal of a President to spend money that has been appropriated by Congress

Front 45

Incorporation

Back 45

Applying the Bill of Rights to the states

Front 46

Incumbent

Back 46

An officeholders who is seeking reelection

Front 47

Independent Leaners

Back 47

Voters not registered with a political party but tend to vote for candidates of one particular party

Front 48

Inherent Powers

Back 48

Powers that are naturally derived from the duties of a specific govt position

Front 49

Iron Triangle

Back 49

An informal association of federal agency, congressional committee, and interest group that is said to have heavy influence over policy making

Front 50

Judicial Activism

Back 50

Philosophy that the courts should take an active role in solving problems

Front 51

Judicial Restraint

Back 51

Philosophy that the courts should defer to elected lawmakers in setting policy and should instead focus on interpreting law rather than making laws

Front 52

Judicial Review

Back 52

Power of courts to review the constitutionality of laws or government actions (Marbury)

Front 53

Legislative Veto

Back 53

Process in which Congress overturned rules and regulations proposed by executive branch agencies. Stuck down 1983.

Front 54

Line item Veto

Back 54

Power of most governors (and Pres Clinton for only a few years) to delete or reduce funding in a bill on a line by line basis

Front 55

Lobbying

Back 55

Attempting to influence policy makers

Front 56

Logrolling

Back 56

When members of Congress trade votes for favors in order to get the bill they support passed

Front 57

Mandates

Back 57

Requirements imposed by the national government upon the states. Some are unfunded

Front 58

Miranda warnings

Back 58

Warnings that must be read to suspects prior to questioning if responses are to be used one criminal trial. Suspects must be advised that they have the rights of silence and counsel.

Front 59

Necessary and Proper clause

Back 59

Aka "elastic clause". A major power of Congress that gives the ability to interpret lawmaking in a broad manner(Article 1 section 8)

Front 60

Open primary

Back 60

Election to choose candidates that is open to independents, and which voters may choose candidates from any one party

Front 61

Original Jurisdiction

Back 61

Authority of a court to first hear a case

Front 62

Oversight

Back 62

Congressional committee hearings held to determine how well an agency is doing its job

Front 63

Party Identification

Back 63

A sense of affiliation that a person has with a particular political party

Front 64

Pluralism

Back 64

Theory that policy making is the result of interest group competition

Front 65

Plurality Elections

Back 65

Such as those for Congress are won by the person with the most votes, regardless if he/she has a majority.

Front 66

Plurality

Back 66

More votes than anyone else, but less than half

Front 67

Political Action Committee (PAC)

Back 67

An interest group that raises funds and donated to election campaigns

Front 68

Political Culture

Back 68

The widely shared beliefs, values, and norms that citizens share about their government.

Front 69

Political efficacy

Back 69

An individuals belief that his/her political participation can make a difference

Front 70

Political socialization

Back 70

Process in which one acquires his/her political beliefs

Front 71

Pork barrel spending

Back 71

A provision on a bill that benefits a specific congressional Constituency. Frequently used to "buy a vote".

Front 72

Prior Restraint

Back 72

When a court stops expression before it is made. Presumed to be unconstitutional.

Front 73

Pure independents

Back 73

Voters who have no consistent pattern of party voting.

Front 74

Realigning (critical) election

Back 74

An election in which there is a long term change in party alignment.

Front 75

Redistricting

Back 75

Redrawing of congressional district boundaries by the party in power of the state legislature.

Front 76

Reserved powers

Back 76

Powers held by the state through the 10th Amendment. Any power not granted to the US government is "reserved" for the states.

Front 77

Rule of Four

Back 77

The Supreme Court will hear a case if four Justices agree to do so.

Front 78

Rules Committee

Back 78

The "traffic cop" of the House that sets the legislative calendar and issues rules for debate one bill.