Fsot - Us Government (0)

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A man’s home is his castle

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"A proverbial expression that illustrates the principle of individual privacy, which is fundamental to the American system of government. In this regard, the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitutionâ€"part of the Bill of Rightsâ€"prohibits “unreasonable searches and seizures.”

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academic freedom

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The right of teachers and students to express their ideas in the classroom or in writing, free from political, religious, or institutional restrictions, even if these ideas are unpopular.

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Acid rain

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Precipitation in the form of rain, snow, or dust particles, the increased acidity of which is caused by environmental factors such as pollutants released into the atmosphere. (Ch. 21)

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Activist approach

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The view that judges should discern the general principles underlying the Constitution and its often vague language and assess how best to apply them in contemporary circumstances, in some cases with the guidance of moral or economic philosophy. (Ch. 14)

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Activists

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Individuals, usually outside of government, who actively promote a political party, philosophy, or issue they care about. (Ch. 6)

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Ad hoc structure

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A method of organizing a president's staff in which several task forces, committees, and informal groups of friends and advisers deal directly with the president. (Ch. 12)

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ADEA

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Discrimination in hiring, promotions, wages, or firing/layoffs. Statements or specifications in job notices or advertisements of age preference and limitations. Denial of benefits to older employees. An employer may reduce benefits based on age only if the cost of providing the reduced benefits to older workers is the same as the cost of providing full benefits to younger workers., Since 1978 it has prohibited mandatory retirement in most sectors, with phased elimination of mandatory retirement for tenured workers, such as college professors, in 1993. The ADEA was later amended in 1986 and again in 1991 by the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act (Pub. L. 101-433) and the Civil Rights Act of 1991 (P.L. 102-166). The ADEA differs from the Civil Rights Act in that the ADEA applies to firms of 20 or more workers (see 29 U.S.C. § 630(b)) rather than 15 or more workers, thus providing less protection.

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Administrative Adjudication

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A quasi-judicial process in which a bureaucratic agency settles disputes between two parties in a manner similar to the way courts resolve disputes

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Administrative Discretion

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The ability of bureaucrats to make choices concerning the best way to implement congressional intentions

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Adversarial press

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A national press that is suspicious of officialdom and eager to break an embarrassing story about a public official. (Ch. 10)

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adversary system

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a system of law where the court is seen as a neutral area where disputants can argue the merits of their cases.

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Advise and consent

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Power of the Senate regarding presidential appointments.

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Affiliates

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Local television stations that carry the programming of a national network

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affirmative action

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government-mandated programs that seek to create special employment opportunities for african americans, women, and other victims of past discrimination.

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AFL-CIO

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Abbreviation for the American Federation of Laborâ€"Congress of Industrial Organizations, two groups that merged in 1955 to become the largest federation of labor unions in the United States. Member unions, including a variety of workers from machinists to musicians, make up over seventy percent of the unionized labor force in the United States. ‡ Though officially nonpartisan, the AFL-CIO has strong traditional ties with the Democratic party.

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Age Discrimination in Employment Act?

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The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, prohibits employment discrimination against persons 40 years of age or older. The law also sets standards for pensions and benefits provided by employers and requires that information about the needs of older workers be provided to the general public.

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Agenda setting

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Policy goals typically set by political parties.

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Alaskan pipeline

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An oil pipeline that runs eight hundred miles from oil reserves in Prudhoe Bay, on the northern coast of Alaska, to the port of Valdez, on Alaska’s southern coast, from which the oil can be shipped to markets. Also called the Trans-Alaska pipeline. ‡ After oil was discovered in Prudhoe Bay in 1968, construction of the pipeline was delayed for several years, as conservationists warned against the effects of the pipeline on the ecosystems through which it would run. ‡ In 1989 an environmental disaster occurred when an oil tanker, the Exxon Valdez, ran aground and leaked millions of gallons of oil into Prince William Sound, causing the largest oil spill in U.S. history

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alderman

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(AWL-duhr-muhn) A member of a city council. Aldermen usually represent city districts, called wards, and work with the mayor to run the city government. Jockeying among aldermen for political influence is often associated with machine politics

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amendment

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Addition to the Constitution. Amendments require approval by two-thirds of both houses of Congress and three-quarters of the states.

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American Civil Liberties Union

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An organization founded in 1920 in the wake of the red scare to defend civil liberties. The ACLU has often defended the rights of individuals aligned with unpopular causes, including American communists and Nazis.

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American Dream

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the widespread belief that the US is a land of opportunity and that individual initiative and hard work can bring economic success

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American Legion

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The largest organization of American veterans, open to those who participated in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War, and subsequent conflicts, such as America’s war on terrorism. The American Legion has established an influential political position, gaining support in Congress and the federal executive branch for veterans’ interests; its efforts contributed to the creation of the Veterans Administration, now the Department of Veterans Affairs, which provides medical services and other benefits to veterans and their families. Traditionally conservative, the American Legion promotes patriotism and a strong military defense. (See also Veterans of Foreign Wars.)

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American Party/Know-Nothings

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Political party of the 1850s. The Know-Nothings (so named becaus of their secretiveness) pursued nativist goals, including severe limitations on immigration.

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527 groups

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a political group organized under section 527 of the IRS Code that may accept and spend unlimited amounts of money on election activites so long as they are not spent on broadcast ads run in the last 30 days before a primary or 60 days before a general election where a clearly identified candidate is referred to and a relevant electorate is targeted; these groups were important to the 2000 and 2004 elections

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Americans with Disabilities Act (1991)

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Act that required employers, schools, and public buildings to reasonably accommodate the physical needs of handicapped individuals by providing such things as ramps and elevators with appropriate facilities.

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amicus curiae

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"Friend of the Court"; a third party to a lawsuit who files a legal brief for the purpose of raising additional points of view in an attempt to influence a court's decision.

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Annapolis Convention

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A convention held in September 1786 to consider problems of trade and navigation, attended by five states and important because it issued the call to Congress and the states for what became the Constitutional Convention

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Anti-federalists

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Opponents of a strong central government who campaigned against ratification of the Constitution in favor of a confederation of largely independent states. Antifederalists successfully marshaled public support for a federal bill of rights. After ratification, they formed a political party to support states' rights. See also Federalists (Ch. 2)

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antitrust legislation

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federal laws that try to prevent a monopoly from dominating an industry and restraining trade (examples: Sherman Act of 1890)

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Appellate jurisdiction

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Courts that have the right to review cases from lower courts on appeal. The highest federal court, the Supreme Court, is the final court of appeal.

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apportionment

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The allocation of seats in a legislature or of taxes according to a plan. In the United States Congress, for example, the apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives is based on the relative population of each state, whereas the apportionment in the Senate is based on equal representation for every state. (See also gerrymander.)

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appropriation

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The grant of money by a legislature for some specific purpose. The authority to grant appropriations, popularly known as the power of the purse, gives legislatures a powerful check over executive branches and judicial branches, for no public money can be spent without legislative approval. Congress, for example, can approve or reject the annual budget requests of the executive branch for its agencies and programs, thereby influencing both domestic and foreign policy. (See also checks and balances and pork-barrel legislation.)

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Appropriation bill

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Congressional legislation that has spending as a basic characteristic. There are 13 appropriation bills that make up the federal budget.

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arbitration

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The settling of disputes (especially labor disputes) between two parties by an impartial third party, whose decision the contending parties agree to accept. Arbitration is often used to resolve conflict diplomatically to prevent a more serious confrontation.

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Are GAAPs regulated by law?

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The GAAP is not written in law, although the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requires that it be followed in financial reporting by publicly traded companies.

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aristocracy

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Form of government in which power in concentrated in the hands of the upper social class.

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Arms control

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Agreements reached by countries with the aim of reducing the proliferation of military weapons such as the Antiballistic Missile Treaty (1972), the first Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (1972), the second Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (1979), the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (1987), the first Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (1991), and the second Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (1993).

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Arraignment

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Court hearing where a person accused of a crime is formally charged.

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Article 7, Constitution

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Article 7 details the method for ratification, or acceptance, of the Constitution: of the original 13 states in the United States, nine had to accept the Constitution before it would officially go into effect.

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Articles of Confederation

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The United States' first constitution. The government formed by the Aritcles of Confederation lasted from 1781 (the year before the end of the Revolutionary War) to 1789. The government under the Articles proved inadequate, because it did not have the power to collect taxes from the states, nor could it regulate foreign trade in order to generate revenue from import and export tariffs.

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Articles of Impeachment

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The specific charges brought against a president or federal judge by the House

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Assistance program

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A government program financed by general income taxes that provides benefits to poor citizens without requiring contributions from them. (Ch. 17)

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Atomic Energy Commission

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An agency of the United States government from 1946 to 1974 that was charged with controlling and developing the use of atomic energy for civilian and military purposes. In 1974, the AEC was abolished, and its duties were divided between two new agencies: the Energy Research and Development Administration (now a part of the Department of Energy) and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

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attentive public

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those citizens who follow public affairs carefully

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attorney general of the United States

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The head of the United States Department of Justice and a member of the president’s cabinet. The attorney general is the chief law enforcement officer of the United States government

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Australian ballot

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A government-printed ballot of uniform size and shape to be cast in secret that was adopted by many states around 1890 in order to reduce the voting fraud associated with party-printed ballots cast in public. (Ch. 6)

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Authority

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The right to use power. (Ch. 1)

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Authorization legislation

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Legislative permission to begin or continue a government program or agency. An authorization bill may grant permission to spend a certain sum of money, but that money does not ordinarily become available unless it is also appropriated. Authorizations may be annual, multiyear, or permanent. See also Appropriation (Ch. 13)

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autocracy

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Form of government in which power is concentrated in the hands of a single individual.

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Background story (news)

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A public official's explanation of current policy provided to the press on the condition that the source remain anonymous. (Ch. 10)

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Bakke decision

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(BAK-ee) An important ruling on affirmative action given by the Supreme Court in 1978. Allan Bakke, a white man, was denied admission to a medical school that had admitted black candidates with weaker academic credentials. Bakke contended that he was a victim of racial discrimination. The Court ruled that Bakke had been illegally denied admission to the medical school, but also that medical schools were entitled to consider race as a factor in admissions. The Court thus upheld the general principle of affirmative action.

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Balanced budget

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Public policy that advocates that the federal budget spends as much money as it receives. Attempt made to pass a constitutional amendment mandating this policy failed.

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Benefit

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Any satisfaction, monetary or nonmonetary, that people believe they will enjoy if a policy is adopted. See also Cost (Ch. 15)

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Bill

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A proposed law

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Bill of attainder

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A law that declares a person, without a trial, to be guilty of a crime. The state legislatures and Congress are forbidden to pass such acts by Article I of the Constitution. (Ch. 2)

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Bill of Rights

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First ten amendments to the US Constitution. The Bill of Rights guarantee personal liberties and limit the powers of the government.

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Bipartisan

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Refers to two political parties working together to reach a common policy goal.

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Black Codes

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Laws denying most legal rights to newly freed slaves; passed by southern states following the Civil War

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Blanket Primary

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A primary in which voters may cast ballots in either party's primary (but not both) on an office-by-office basis

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block grants

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broad grants to states for prescribed activities (welfare, child care, edu, social services, preventive health care, health services), very flexible

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blue laws

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Laws that prohibit certain businesses from opening on Sunday or from selling certain items on that day. Blue laws often apply to bars and to alcohol sales. Originally enacted to allow observation of Sunday as a Sabbath, blue laws have come under attack as violating the separation of church and state. The courts, however, have upheld most blue laws, on the basis that their observance has become secular and promotes Sunday as a day of rest and relaxation.

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Boycott

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A concerted effort to get people to stop buying goods and services from a company or person in order to punish that company or to coerce its owner into changing policies. (Ch. 15)

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branches of government

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The division of government into executive, legislative, and judicial branches. In the case of the federal government, the three branches were established by the Constitution. The executive branch consists of the president, the cabinet, and the various departments and executive agencies. The legislative branch consists of the two houses of Congress, the Senate and the House of Representatives, and their staff. The judicial branch consists of the Supreme Court and the other federal courts.

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bread-and-butter issues

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Those political issues specifically directed at the daily concerns of most working-class Americans, such as job security, tax rates, wages, and employee benefits.

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brief

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A document containing the legal written arguments in a case filed with a court by a party prior to a hearing or trial

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broad constructionism

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Belief that the Constitution should be interpreted loosely concerning the restrictions it places on federal power. Loose constructionists emphasize the importance of the elastic clause.

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Bubble standard

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The total amount of air pollution that can come from a given factory. A company is free to decide which specific sources within that factory must be reduced and how to meet the bubble standard. (Ch. 21)

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Budget resolution

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A proposal submitted by the House and Senate budget committees to their respective chambers recommending a total budget ceiling and a ceiling for each of several spending areas (such as health or defense) for the current fiscal year. These budget resolutions are intended to guide the work of each legislative committee as it decides what to spend in its area. (Ch. 16)

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Bully pulpit

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The ability to use the office of the presidency to promote a particular program and/or to influence Congress to accept legislative proposals.

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bundling

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a tactic of political action committees whereby they collect contributions from like-minded individuals (limited to $2000 each) and present them to a candidate or political party as a "bundle" thus increasing their influence

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Bureau of the Public Debt?

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An agency in the Treasury department that issues US Bonds.

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Bureaucracy

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A set of complex hierarchical departments, agencies, commissions, and their staffs that exist to help a chief executive officer carry out his or her duty to enforce the law.

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bureaucrat

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a career government employee

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Bureaucrats

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The appointed officials who operate government agencies from day to day. (Ch. 1)

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Burger Court

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Warren Burger was appointed by Richard Nixon in 1969 as the 15th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. The Court he presided over was more conservative than the Warren Court, handing over more power to the states through the Court's decisions.

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busing

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The movement of students from one neighborhood to a school in another neighborhood, usually by bus and usually to break down de facto segregation of public schools. ‡ A Supreme Court decision in 1971 ruling that busing was an appropriate means of achieving integrated schools (see integration) was received with widespread, sometimes violent, resistance, particularly among whites into whose neighborhoods and schools black children were to be bused. In 1991, the Court ruled that school districts could end busing if they had done everything “practicable†to eliminate the traces of past discrimination.

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cabinet

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A group of presidential advisers, composed of the heads of the fourteen government departments (the secretaries of the Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, Department of Defense, Department of Education, Department of Energy, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of the Interior, Department of Labor, Department of State, Department of Transportation, Department of the Treasury, Department of Veterans Affairs, and the attorney general (head of the Department of Justice)â€"all of whom are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate) and a few other select government officials. Theoretically, the cabinet is charged with debating major policy issues and recommending action by the executive branch; the actual influence of the cabinet, however, is limited by competition from other advisory staffs.

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Cabinets of the executive branch.

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State, Treasury, Defense, Attorney General, Interior, Agriculture, Commercie, Labor, Health and Human Services, HUD, Transportation, Energy, Education, Vetrans Affairs, Homeland Security

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Campaign finance reform

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Legislation aimed at placing limits on political candidates accepting money and gifts from individuals and special interest groups.

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candidate appeal

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how voters feel about a candidate's background, personality, leadership ability, and other personal qualities

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capital offense

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A crime, such as murder or betrayal of one’s country, that is treated so seriously that death may be considered an appropriate punishment.

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capital punishment

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The infliction of the death penalty as punishment for certain crimes. (See capital offense.) ‡ In the United States, capital punishment has been an extremely controversial issue on legal, moral, and ethical grounds. In 1972, the Supreme Court ruled that the death penalty was not, in principle, cruel and unusual punishment (and not, therefore, unconstitutional), but that its implementation through existing state laws was unconstitutional. In 1976, the Supreme Court again ruled that the death penalty was not unconstitutional, though a mandatory death penalty for any crime was. Thirty-nine states now practice the death penalty.

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Capitol Hill

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A hill in Washington, D.C., on which the United States Capitol building sits. (See photo, next page.) The House of Representatives and the Senate meet in the Capitol. (See on the Hill.)

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Casework

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process of solving constituents' problems dealing with the bureaucracy

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Categorical grants

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Federal grants for specific purposes defined by federal law: to build an airport, for example, or to make welfare payments to low-income mothers. Such grants usually require that the state or locality put up money to "match" some part of the federal grants, though the amount of matching funds can be quite small. See also Grants-in-aid; Block grants (Ch. 3)

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categorical-formula grants

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Congress appropriated funds for specific purposes, allocated by formula and are subject to detailed federal conditions, provide federal supervision to ensure that money is spent as planned, local government receiving funds must also invest some of its own funds in the desired endeavors

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Caucus

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Party regulars meeting in small groups asking questions, discussing qualifications regarding the candidate, and voting on whether to endorse a particular candidate. The Iowa caucus has taken on almost as much importance as the New Hampshire primary because of its timing.

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Central Intelligence Agency

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U.S. espionage and information-gathering agency. The CIA operates overseas, monitoring the activities of U.S. enemies and potential enemies.

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centralists

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people who favor national action over action at the state and local levels

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Chief executive

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Used to describe the President. Powers found in Article II of the Constitution.

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chief of staff

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head of the White House staff

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Circular structure

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A method of organizing a president's staff in which several presidential assistants report directly to the president. (Ch. 12)

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City

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A municipal corporation or municipality that has been chartered by a state to exercise certain defined powers and provide certain specific services. (Ch. 3)

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Civic competence

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A belief that one can affect government policies. (Ch. 4)

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Civic duty

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A belief that one has an obligation to participate in civic and political affairs. (Ch. 4)

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civil court

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court in which lawsuits are heard.

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Civil law

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The body of rules defining relationships among private citizens. It consists of both statutes and the accumulated customary law embodied in judicial decisions (the "common law"). See also Criminal law (Ch. 14)

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civil liberties

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In general, the rights to freedom of thought, expression, and action, and the protection of these rights from government interference or restriction. Civil liberties are the hallmark of liberal, democratic “free” societies. In the United States, the Bill of Rights guarantees a variety of civil liberties, most notably freedom of assembly, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, and freedom of speech, expressed in the First Amendment. (See civil rights.)

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civil rights

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those protections against discrimination by the government and individuals, intended to prevent discrimination based on race, religion, gender, ethnicity, physical handicap, or sexual orientation