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108 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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constituents
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the people a member of Congress represents
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bill
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a proposed law
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interest groups
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groups of people who work together for similar interests or goals.
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lobbyists
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people who represent interest groups
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congressional district
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the area that a member of the House represents
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budget
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the plan for raising and spending money
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bill of attainder
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the law that convicts a person of a crime without a trial
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Speaker of the House
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the presiding officer of the House of Representatives
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president pro tempore
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the officer who will preside over the Senate when the Vice President is absent
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floor leaders
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the chief officers of the majority and minority parties in each house.
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pocket veto
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if the President pockets, or keeps, the bill for 10 days, during which Congress ends its session, the bill will not become law.
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filibuster
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the use of long speeches to prevent a vote on a bill.
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cloture
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an agreement to end the debate on a bill.
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executive branch
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the branch of government responsible for executing, or carrying out, the law
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foreign policy
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the set of plans for guiding our nation's relationships with other countries.
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Ambassadors
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the official representatives to foreign governments
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executive agreements
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agreements with other countries that do not need Senate approval.
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domestic policy
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a set of plans for dealing with national problems.
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bureaucracy
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an organization of government departments, agencies, and offices.
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administration
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a team of executive branch officials
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treaties
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formal agreements between nations
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executive privilege
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the right to keep some information secret from Congress and the courts
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plaintiff
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an individual or a group of people who bring a complaint against another party. The party who answers a complaint and defends against it is called
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defendant
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The party who answers a complaint and defends against it
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prosecution
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a government body that brings a criminal charge against a defendant who is accused of breaking one of its laws.
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precedent
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a guideline for how all similar cases should be decided in the future.
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jurisdiction
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the authority to hear a case first
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appeal
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to ask a higher court to review the decision and determine if justice was done
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appellate jurisdiction
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the authority to hear an appeal
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courts of appeals
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handles appeals from the federal district courts
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circuit courts
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another name for the courts of appeals
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judicial review
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the power to overturn any law that the Court decides is in conflict with the Constitution
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opinion
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a written statement explaining the reasons for the decisions
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judicial activism
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an effort by judges to take an active role in policymaking by overturning laws relatively often
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judicial restraint
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an effort by judges to avoid overturning laws and to leave policymaking up to the other 2 branches of government.
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public policy
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Government response to public issues
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unitary system
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a common system of government in which practically all political power lies with a central government
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apportioned
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divided among districts
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initiative
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the process by which citizens can propose laws
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referendum
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the process by which a law is referred to the voters to approve or reject
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recall
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a process for removing elected officials from office
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revenue
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income
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sales tax
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charges made on purchases of goods and services
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excise tax
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a charge on certain goods, such as alcoholic beverages, gasoline, and tobacco.
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income tax
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a tax on the earnings of individuals and businesses
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bonds
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certificates that people buy from the government
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item veto
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the power to reject particular parts, or items, of a bill
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lieutenant governor
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the state official second in rank to the governor
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missouri plan
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a method of choosing judges
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judicial action commissions
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official governmental bodies that handle situations in which judges might not be doing their job well
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board
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a group of people who manage the business of an organization
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ordinances
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local laws
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municipality
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a government that serves people who live in an urban area
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utilities
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services needed by the public, such as water, gas, and electricity
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zoning
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local rules that divide a community into areas and tell how the land in each area can be used
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property tax
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a tax on land and buildings
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Intergovernmental revenue
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money given by one level of government to another
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grant
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money that Federal and state governments often give to local communities
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councils of governments
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groups that work together to meet regional needs
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home rule
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the right to write their own charter
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laws
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rules enforced by governments
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morals
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beliefs about what is fair and what is right or wrong
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civil disobedience
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breaking a law in a nonviolent way because it goes against personal morals
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statutes
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written laws made by legislatures
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common law
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a body of law based on judges' decisions
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legal code
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a written collection of laws, often organized by subject
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crime
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any behavior that is illegal because the government considers it harmful to society
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Criminal law
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the group of laws that tell which acts are crimes, how accused persons should be tried in court, and how crimes should be punished
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felony
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a serious crime for which the penalty can be imprisonment for more than 1 year
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misdemeanor
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a less serious crime for which the penalty is often a fine
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Civil law
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the group of laws that help settle disagreements between people
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Assault
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placing someone in fear without actual physical contact.
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Battery
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placing someone in fear with physical contact, as with a weapon or a foot
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burglary
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when a person breaks into a building and plans to do something illegal inside
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embezzlement
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stealing money that has been entrusted to your care
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treason
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the betrayal of one's country by helping its enemies or by making war against it.
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terrorism
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a crime in which people or groups of people use, or say the will use, violence in order to get what they want from the government or society.
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probable cause
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a good reason to believe that a suspect has been involved in a crime
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warrant
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a legal paper, issued by a court, giving police permission to make an arrest, seizure, or search
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bail
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money that a defendant gives the court as a kind of promise that he or she will return for the trial
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indictment
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a formal charge against the accused-or refuse to indict
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arraignment
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a court hearing in which the defendant is formally charged with a crime and enters a plea of guilty, not guilty, or no contest
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plea bargaining
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agreeing to plead guilty in exchange for a lesser charge or a lighter sentence
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parole
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letting an inmate go free to serve the rest of his or her sentence outside of prison
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probable cause
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a good reason to believe that a suspect has been involved in a crime
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warrant
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a legal paper, issued by a court, giving police permission to make an arrest, seizure, or search
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bail
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money that a defendant gives the court as a kind of promise that he or she will return for the trial
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indictment
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a formal charge against the accused-or refuse to indict
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arraignment
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a court hearing in which the defendant is formally charged with a crime and enters a plea of guilty, not guilty, or no contest
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plea bargaining
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agreeing to plead guilty in exchange for a lesser charge or a lighter sentence
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parole
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letting an inmate go free to serve the rest of his or her sentence outside of prison
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delinquent
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a juvenile who is found guilty of a crime
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status offender
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a youth who is found guilty of running away, disobedience, or truancy (skipping school without permission).
-a youth who is judged to be beyond the control of his or her parents or guardian |
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lawsuits
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cases in which a court is asked to settle a dispute
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compensation
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being "made whole" for harm caused by another person's acts
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damages
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money that is paid in an effort to make up for a loss
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equity
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the use of general rules of fairness, to settle conflicts
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injunction
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an order to do or not do a certain act
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contracts
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legal agreements between buyers and sellers
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complaint
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a legal document that charges someone with having caused harm
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summons
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an order to appear in court
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discovery
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the process of gathering evidence before a trial
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subpoena
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a court order to produce a witness or document
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deposition
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the record of answers to questions asked of a witness before a trial
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answer
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the defendant's written response to a complaint
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mediation
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a process by which people agree to use a 3rd party to help them settle a conflict
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arbitration
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the use of a 3rd person to make a legal decision that is binding on all parties
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Small claims court
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a civil court that people use when the amount of money they want to recover is small, usually not more than $3,000 dollars
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