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260 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Public Policy |
The decisions and actions a government takes to solve problems in the community. |
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Representative Democracy |
A government in which people choose leaders to represent them. |
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Constitutional Monarchy |
A government in which the power of the monarch is limited by a constitution. |
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Majority Rule |
Democratic principle that says a majority of the people has the power to make laws binding on all the people. |
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Authoritarian Regime |
A government in which one person or a small group holds all the power. |
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Totalitarian |
A system in which government controls people's lives. |
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Ideology |
A set of ideas about life and society. |
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Democracy |
Rule by the people. |
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Direct Democracy |
A system in which the people govern themselves. |
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Representative Democracy |
Am system in which the people choose leaders to govern.
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Republic |
A country with a representative democracy. |
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Limited Government |
The idea that the power of a government can be limited. |
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Legislature |
A group of representatives that makes laws. |
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Natural Rights |
Rights that government cannot take away. |
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Social Contract |
An agreement in which the people agree to give up some freedom in exchange for the government's protection of people's rights. |
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Indentured Servant |
A person who agreed to work for someone else for a certian length of time, in return for passage on a ship, food, shelter, and clothing. |
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Dissenter |
Someone who does not agree with official or common views. |
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Economy |
Wealth and resources; way of producing goods. |
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Cash Crop |
Crops grown in large amounts to be sold. |
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Plantation |
Large farms where crops are grown for sale. |
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Liberty |
Personal Freedom. |
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Proclamation |
Official announcement. |
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Boycott |
Refuse to buy or use. |
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Repeal |
To cancel. |
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Duty |
A tax on imported goods. |
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Smuggling |
Moving goods illegally in or out of the country. |
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Delegate |
Representative.
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Constitution |
A detailed, written plan for government. |
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Bicameral |
Divided into two parts, or houses. |
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Confederation |
A group that comes together for a common purpose. |
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Articles of Confederation |
The first plan of government for the united states. |
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Ratify |
To approve. |
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Ordinance |
A law. |
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Ordinance of 1785 |
Law that set rules for surveying and selling land in the Northwest Territory. |
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Northwest Ordinance |
Law that set rules for governing the new territory. |
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Shay's Rebellion |
Armed uprising in which farmers attacked a federal building in Massachusetts. |
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Constitutional Convention |
Meeting at which the United States Constitution was written. |
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Great Compromise |
Agreement that settled the question of representation in Congress. |
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Three-Fifths Compromise |
Agreement that settled the question of representation of enslaved people in Congress. |
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Electoral College |
Group of electors who choose the president and vice-president. |
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Federalist |
Person who wanted to ratify the Constitution. |
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Federalism |
System in which power is divided between the federal and state governments. |
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The Federalist Papers |
Essays supporting the Constitution. |
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Anti-Federalist |
Person who was against ratifying the Constitution. |
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Preamble |
Introduction to the U.S. Constitution. |
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Article |
Section of the Constitution describing the structure of government. |
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Legislative Branch |
The part of government that makes laws. |
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Executive Branch |
The part of government that enforces the laws. |
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Judicial Branch |
The part of government that interprets the laws. |
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Interpret |
To decide what something means. |
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Amendment |
Any change in the Constitution. |
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Popular Sovereignty |
The peoples right to the rule. |
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Limited government |
The idea that the government can only do what the people allow it to do. |
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Rule of law |
The idea that the law applies to everyone. |
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Separation of Powers |
The division of government into three branches. |
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Checks and Balances |
The ways that each branch of government limits the power of the other two branches. |
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Enumerated Powers |
The powers given to the federal government under the Constitution. |
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Reserved Powers |
The powers set aside for the states. |
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Concurrent Powers |
The powers that both federal and state governments may exercise. |
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Supremacy Clause |
The part of the Constitution that puts federal credit. |
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Civil Liberties |
Basic Freedoms that all citizens have. |
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Free Speech |
The right to express ideas without fear of punishment by the government. |
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Censorship |
Telling the press what to print or broadcast. |
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Petition |
A written request. |
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Slander |
Telling lies about someone. |
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Libel |
Printing lies about someone. |
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The Accused |
Person(s) charged with a crime. |
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Search Warrant |
Court order to search a suspect's property. |
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Probable Cause |
Valid reason. |
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Due Process |
Legal steps that must be followed. |
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Eminenent Domain |
The government's power to take private property. |
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Indictment |
Formal charge by a grand jury. |
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Double Jeopardy |
Being tried twice for the same crime. |
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Self-Incrimination |
Testifying against oneself. |
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Bail |
Money that an accused person pays to remain free while waiting for a trial. |
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Black Codes |
State laws that limited the rights of African Americans. |
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Suffrage |
The right to vote. |
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Poll Tax |
Fee that is charged for voting. |
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Senate |
The upper house of the United States Congress. |
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House of Representatives |
The lower of the United States. |
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Constituent |
A voter that a member of Congress represents. |
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Census |
A count of the population. |
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Gerrymander |
To draw congressional district lines to favor one party. |
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Majority Party |
Party that holds the most seats. |
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Minority Party |
Party that does not hold the majority. |
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Seniority |
Years of service. |
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Expressed Power |
A power of Congress that is listed in the Constitution. |
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Enumerated Power |
Another name for a power of Congress that is listed in the Constitution. |
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Implied Power |
A power of Congress that the expressed powers point to. |
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Elastic Clause |
Part of the Constitution that says Congress has implied powers. |
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Nonlegislative Power |
A power that is not related to making laws. |
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Impeach |
To accuse of wrongdoing. |
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Writ of Habeas Corpus |
An order that makes sure prisoners are told why they are being held. |
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Bill of Attainder |
A law that punishes a person without a trial. |
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Ex Post Fcato Law |
A law that makes an act crime after the act has been committed. |
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Franking Privilege |
The special right members of Congress have to send job-related mail without paying postage. |
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Lobbyist |
A person hired to influence government decisions. |
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Casework |
The work of helping people deal with the federal government. |
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Pork-Barrel Project |
When a representative gets government money for projects in one district or state. |
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Joint Resolution |
A resolution passed by both houses of Congress that has the force of law if signed by the president. |
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Special-Interest Group |
A group of people who work together for a common cause. |
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Rider |
Amendment to a bill that is unrelated to the subject matter of the bill. |
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Filibuster |
To talk to a bill to death. |
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Cloture |
A vote by three-Fifths of the Senate to limit debate on a bill. |
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Voice vote |
A vote in which members speak their votes aloud. |
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Standing Vote |
A vote in which members stand to be counted for or against a bill. |
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Roll-Call Vote |
A vote in the Senate in which senators give their vote as their name is called. |
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Pocket Veto |
The president does nothing to a bill for ten days.If Congress is not in session the bill is killed, if Congress is in session the bill is passed. |
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Elector |
A member of the Electoral College that chooses the president. |
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Executive Order |
An order given by the president that has the same force as a law. |
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Pardon |
Presidential order that forgives a crime. |
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Reprieve |
Presidential order that delays punishment. |
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Amnssty |
Pardon for a group of people. |
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Ambassador |
A person who represents the U.S. Government in another country. |
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Foreign Policy |
The plan a nation follows when dealing with other nations. |
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National Security |
Keeping the nation safe from attack. |
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Treaty |
A formal agreement with another nation. |
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Executive Agreement |
An agreement between the president and the leader of another country. |
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Trade Sanctions |
Stopping or slowing down between the president and the leader of another country. |
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Embargo |
An agreement among nations to refuse to trade with a nation. |
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Cabinet |
The heads of the 15 executive deparments. |
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Federal Bureaucracy |
The agencies below the cabinet departments in the executive branch. |
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Executive Agency |
A type of independent agency that deals with specific government programs. |
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Government Corporation |
A business operated by the government. |
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Regulatory Commission |
A type of independent agency that makes rules that business must follow. |
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Spoils System |
System in which workers are given jobs in return for their political support. |
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Civil Service System |
System the government uses to hire workers. |
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Merit System |
System in which workers are hired based on their skills and test scores. |
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Political Appointee |
A person appointed to a federal job by the president . |
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Dual Court System |
A system with both federal and state courts. |
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Jurisdiction |
The authority to hear and decide a case. |
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Exclusive Jurisdiction |
Authority of federal court alone to hear and decide cases. |
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Concurrent Jurisdiction |
Authority of both federal and state courts to hear and decide a case. |
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Original Jurisdiction |
The authority to hear cases for the first time. |
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Appellate Jurisdiction |
The authority to hear a case appealed from a lower court. |
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Ruling |
An official decision. |
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Opinion |
A detailed explanation of the legal thinking behind a court's decision in a case. |
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Precedent |
A legal ruling that is used as a basis for a decision in a later, similar case. |
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Litigant |
A person engaged in a lawsuit. |
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Tenure |
A status that protects a person from being fired. |
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Subpoena |
A court order requiring someone to appear in court. |
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Judicial Review |
The power to review any federal, state, or local law or action to see if it is Constitution. |
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Constitutional |
Allowed by the U.S. Constitution. |
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Nullify |
To cancel. |
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Writ of Certiorari |
An order from a higher court to see the records from a lower court case. |
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Docket |
A court's calendar. |
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Caseload |
The number of cases handled in a court room. |
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Brief |
A written document explaining on side of a case. |
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Concurring Opinion |
A statement written by a justice who votes with the majority but for different reasons. |
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Dissenting Opinion |
A statement written by a justice who disagrees with the majority opinion. |
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Unanimous Opinion |
A ruling on which all the justices agree. |
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Stare Decisis |
The practice of using earlier rulings as a basis for deciding cases. |
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Political Party |
A group of people with similar ideas about government. |
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Two-Party System |
A practice by which two major political parties complete for powers. |
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Third Party |
A term used for a minor political party. |
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Platform |
The party's beliefs, principle, and positions on many issues. |
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National Committee |
Group that organizes the party's national convention. |
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Caucus |
Meeting of state and local party members. |
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Precinct |
The smallest election unit. |
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Political Machine |
Powerful local political organization. |
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Direct Primary |
Election in which voters choose candidates to run in the general election. |
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Closed Primary |
Only people who choose a party can vote. |
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Open Primary |
People do not have to choose a party to vote. |
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Plurality |
Winning less than half the votes . |
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Majority |
More than half the vote. |
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Suffrage |
The right to vote. |
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Register |
To sign up to vote. |
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Polling Place |
Location where a person goes to vote. |
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Ballot |
A list of candidates who are running for each office. |
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Voter Turnout Rate |
The measure of how many people turn out to vote. |
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Apathy |
Lack of interest. |
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Issue |
Matter of public concern. |
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Initiative |
Process that lets voters propose new laws or amendments to state constitutions. |
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Referendum |
Process that allows voters to accept or reject a law passed by the state legislature. |
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Recall |
Election in which voters can remove a person from office. |
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Electoral College |
Group of electors that chooses the president. |
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Popular Vote |
The votes cast by the people in the general election. |
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Winner-Take-All System |
Electoral College system in which the winner of a state's popular vote gets all of that state's electoral votes. |
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Canvass |
To go from door to door to gather support for a candidate. |
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Political Action Committee |
Organization set up by interest groups to raise money for candidates. |
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Public Opinion |
The ideas and views of the people. |
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Mass Media |
Media that reach large numbers of people. |
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Interest Group |
Group of people who share the same opinion about an issue about an issue and unite to promote their beliefs. |
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Public Opinion Poll |
A survey in which individuals are asked to answer questions about a particular issue or person. |
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Pollster |
A person who conducts polls. |
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Public Agenda |
The set of issues the government focuses on. |
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Leak |
To give information to the press secretly. |
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Watchdog |
The role played by the media when they try to undercover government waste or spoken. |
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Shield Law |
A law allowing the press to keep sources secret. |
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Libel |
Written false information that harms a person's reputation. |
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Malice |
Evil intent. |
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Public-Interest Group |
A group that supports causes that affect most Americans. |
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Nonpartisan |
Not related to either political party. |
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Lobbyist |
A person who works for an interest group. |
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Federal System |
The sharing of power between the central and state governments. |
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Reserved Powers |
Powers that the U.S. Constitution gives only to the states. |
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Concurrent Powers |
Powers that states and the federal government share. |
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Supremacy Clause |
Clause in the U.S. Constitution that says federal laws are above state laws. |
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Grants-In-Aid |
Money given to the states by the federal governments. |
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Unicameral |
Having one house in the legislative. |
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Redistricting |
To redraw the boundaries of a legislative district. |
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Malapportionment |
An unequal representation in a state legislature. |
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Session |
A meeting of a legislature to conduct business. |
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Special Session |
A legislative meeting called for a specific purpose. |
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Legislative Referendum |
A vote called by a legislature to seek voter approval of a law. |
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Popular referendum |
A question placed on a ballot by a citizen petition to decide if a law should be repealed. |
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Line-Item Veto |
To veto a specific part of a bill. |
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Commute |
To decrease a criminal's sentence. |
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Parole |
To give a prisoner an early release from prison, with certain limits. |
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Trial Court |
A court in which a judge or jury listens to evidence and reaches a verdict in favor of one party or another in the case. |
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Misdemeanor |
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Civil Case |
Court cases in which one party in a dispute claims to have been harmed by the other. |
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Plaintiff |
The person in a civil case who claims to have been harmed. |
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Defendant |
The person in a civil who is said to have caused the harm. |
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Appellate Court |
Type of court in which a party who lost a case in a lower court asks judges to review that decision and reverse it. |
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Felony |
A type of crime more serious than a misdemeanor. |
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Incorporate |
To apply for and receive a state charter to set up a local government. |
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City Charter |
A document granting power to a local government. |
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Home Rule |
A status that allows cities to write their own charters, choose their own type of government, and manage their own affairs. |
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Ordinance |
A city law. |
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At-large election |
An election for a city or other area as a whole. |
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Special District |
A unit of government that deals with a single service, such as education, water supply or tanspertation. |
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Metropolitan Area |
A large city and its suburbs. |
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Suburb |
A community near or around a city. |
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County |
A land and political subdivision of a state. |
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County seat |
The town where a county courthouse is located.
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Town |
A political unit that is smaller than a city and larger than a village. |
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Township |
A subdivision of a county that has its own government. |
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Town Meeting |
A gathering of local citizens to discuss and vote on important issues.
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Village |
The smallest unit of local government.
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Common Law |
Law that grew from court and decisions over many years. |
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Precedent |
Earlier ruling on which decisions in later cases are based. |
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Statute |
Law made by a legislature. |
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Lawsuit |
A civil case brought before a court to collect damages for some harm that has been done. |
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Constitutional Law |
Branch of the dealing with forming and interpreting constitutions. |
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Case Law |
Branch of Law based on judges decisions. |
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Administrative Law |
Branch of law that includes all the rules the executive branch makes as it does its job. |
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Writ of Habeas Corpus |
Court order that says officials cannot put a person in prison without explaining why he or she is being held. |
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Bill of Attainder |
A law that punishes a person without a trial. |
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Ex Post Facto Law
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A law that punishes a person for an action that was not illegal when it was done. |
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Due Process
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Principle that says the government must act fairly and follow the law. |
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Search Warrant |
Court order allowing a search. |
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Exclusionary Rule |
Rule that says that evidence obtained by police illegally may not be used in court. |
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Miranda Warning
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List of rights that must be read to a suspect before questioning. |
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Double Jeopardy
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Being charged twice for the same crime. |
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Bail |
Money that a person waiting for a trial may give the court in order to be set free from jail until the trial. |
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Contract
|
An agreement between two or more parties to exchange something of vale. |
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Tort |
A wrongful cat for which a person has the right to sue. |
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Negligence |
A lack of proper care and attention. |
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Plaintiff |
The party in a lawsuit who claims to have been harmed. |
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Defendant |
The party in a lawsuit said to have done the harm. |
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Complaint
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A formal notice that a lawsuit is being brought. |
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Damages |
A sum of money ordered by a court to pay of injuries or losses suffered. |
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Summons |
A notice directing a person to appear in court to answer a complaint. |
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Discovery |
A process by which lawyers check facts and gather evidence before a trial. |
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Crime |
An act that breaks the law and harms people or society. |
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Penal Code
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The body of law that describes crimes and punishments. |
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Misdemeanor |
Minor crime for which a person can be fined a small sum of money or jailed for up to a year. |
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Felony |
More serious crime such as murder, rape, kidnapping, or robbery. |
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Sentence
|
Punishment for committing a crime. |