Duchesne American Government Second Semester Final Review Terms

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an official declaration that someone is not guilty of a charge

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acquittal

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the authority of a court to review decisions of inferior courts

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appellate jurisdiction

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An adjective describing a legislative body composed of two chambers

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bicameral

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Ten amendments to the Constitution

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bill of rights

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aimed at the soft-money problem. They ban soft-money contributions to political parties

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Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (aka McCain-Feingold Bill)

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a voting process in which voters receive a long ballot containing the name of all contenders, regardless of party, and can vote however they choose.

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blanket primary

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the presidents appointed advisor; heads of the Executive Departments

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cabinet

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as a nominating device, a group of like-minded people who meet to select the candidates they will support in an upcoming election

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caucus

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to obtain and analyze information about foreign governments, corporations, and persons and reporting such information to branches of the government.

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central intelligence agency

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a party nominating election in which only declared party members can vote.

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closed primary

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written by Thomas Paine; denounced British rule and contributed to the American Revolution; 1776

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common sense

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those powers that both the National Government and the States possess and exercise

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concurrent power

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gathering of delegates to create the articles of confederation.

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constitutional convention

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those powers, expressed, implied, or inherent, granted to the National Government by the Constitution

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delegated powers

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exists where the will of the people is translated into public policy directly by the people themselves in mass meetings

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direct democracy

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a law applied to an act committed before its passage

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expost facto justice

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evidence gained as the result of an illegal act by police cannot be used against the person from whim it was seized

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exculsionary rule

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The privilege of the president to speak freely without fear of being sued

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executive privilege

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a government handing over someone guilty of a crime to another

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extradition

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redrawing the district lines to create a majority, minority, or cross section; almost decides the outcome of the election in that district

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gerrymandering

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the formal device by which a person can be accused of a serious crime

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grand jury

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a formal complaint before a grand jury which charges the accused with one or more crimes

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indictment

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support is given to one legislation with the understanding the favor will be returned

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logrolling

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– people who believe that the Constitution changes interpretations with time

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loose constructionist

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Great Charter forced upon King John of England by his barons in 1215; established that the power of the monarchy was not absolute and guaranteed trial by jury and due process of law to the nobility

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magna carta

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enforce legislators to vote within party lines

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minority and majority whips

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The leader of the majority party in a legislature, as in the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives

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majority leaders

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The head of the minority party in a legislative body

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minority leaders

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the constitutional rights which police must read to a suspect before questioning can occur

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miranda rule

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An organization under the Department of Defense established in 1952; responsible for the collection and analysis of foreign communications and the protection of US governmental communication and information systems.

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national security agency

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a executive branch body responsible for coordination policy on national security issues and advising chief executive on ;matters related to national security.

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national security council

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elastic clause or basket clause; creates the implied powers of the federal government.

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necessary and proper clause

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elections in which candidates are not identified by party labels.

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nonpartisan elections

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the largest office within the Executive Branch; oversees activities of federal agencies

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office of management and budget

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office in the white house that coordinates all of the presidents and some of his cabinet members activities

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office of political development

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when people from any political party have the right to vote

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open elections

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a party-nominating election in which any qualified voter can take part.

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open primary

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power of the president to issue executive orders; originates form the Constitution and acts of Congress.

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ordinance power

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the power of a court to hear a case first, before any other court

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original jurisdiction

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release from the punishment or legal consequences of a crime, by the president or the governor

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pardon

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a form of government in which the executive branch is made up of the prime minister, or premier and that official’s cabinet

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parlamentary government

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A party platform is a political party's statement of governmental principle and policy. Some historians consider the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions of 1798–1799 the first party platform

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party platforms

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the courts that try defendants 12 members in the court room

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petit jury

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Document prepared by Parliament and signed by King Charles I of England in 1628; challenged the idea of the divine rights of kings and declared that even the monarch was subject to the laws of the land

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petition of right

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when the president doesn’t sigh or reject a bill within the tie allowed

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pocket veto

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Basic principle of the American system of government which asserts that the people are the source of any and all governmental power, and government can exist only with the consent of the governed.

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popular sovereignty

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government spending intended to benefit constituents of a politician in return for their political support.

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pork barrel projects

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The presiding officer of a senate; in Congress, the Vice President of the U.S.; in a State’s legislature, either the lieutenant Governor or a Senator

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President of the Senate

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an election in which a party’s voters choose State party organization’s delegates to their party’s national convention and/or express a preference for their part’s presidential nomination

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presidential primary

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Law specifying the order of presidential succession following the Vice President

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Presidential succession act of 1947

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reasonable grounds, a reasonable suspicion of crime

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probably cause

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the government must employ fair procedures and methods

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procedural due process

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sets up an automatic reapportionment; provides: permanent size of the House as 435 members, census numbers sent to president, within 60 days accept it and become effective

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reapportionemnt act of 1929

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a small group of people, chosen by the people to act as their representatives, expresses the popular will

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representative democracy

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an official postponement of the execution of a sentence

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reprieve

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those powers that the Constitution does not grant to the National Government and does not, at the same time, deny to the States

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reserved power

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items added to bills often having nothing to do with them

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riders

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a primary in which the top two vote-getters in the first direct primary face one another

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run off primary

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a court order authorizing a search

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search warrant

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unwritten; top post are reserved in each chamber for members with the longest records of service

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seniority rule

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The presiding officer of the House of Representatives, chosen by and from the majority party in the House

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speaker of the house

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people who believe that the interpretation of the Constitution can not change with time

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strict constructionist

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the constitution is the highest law in the land; no one is above the Constitution

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supremacy clause

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Plan of government adopted by the Continental Congress after the American Revolution; established “a firm league of friendship” among the States, but allowed few important powers to the central government

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articles of confederation

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18th century movement advocating reason as a basis of authority.

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the enlightenment

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the electoral support of the Southern United States for Democratic Party candidates for almost a century after the Reconstruction era, 1876-1964.

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the solid south

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The mid-level appellate courts; decides appeals from the district courts within its federal judicial circuit

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U.S. court of appeals

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The general trial courts; both civil and criminal cases are filed in the district court; a court of both law and equity

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U.S. District courts

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adjective describing a legislative body with one chamber

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unicameral

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A centralized government in which all government powers belong to a single, central agency

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unitarian government

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when the congress looses confidence that the person that has the power to lead the court can do a good job and they would be removed from the office and it is very rare for this to happen

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vote of no confidence

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limits the powers of the president to wage war without the approval of Congress.

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War Powers Resolution of 1973

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The White House Office is the collective name for the President's assistants. It was created by Reorganization Act No. 1 of 1939, on the recommendation of the Brownlow Commission, a Presidential study group. It concluded that to perform his many functions “the President needs help."

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white house office

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an order by a higher court directing a lower court to send up the record in a given case for review; “to be more certain”

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writ of certiorari

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a court order which prevents unjust arrests and imprisonments

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writ of habeas corpus