Gov

Front 1

Amicus curiae brief

Back 1

Friend of the court

Front 2

Appellate jurisdiction

Back 2

The authority of a court to review decisions made by lower courts

Front 3

Bicameral

Back 3

Two house legislator

Front 4

Cabinet

Back 4

Advisory council for the president

Front 5

Chief of staff

Back 5

Head of White House staff

Front 6

Closed rule

Back 6

A procedural rule in the House of Representatives that prohibits any amendments to bills

Front 7

Concurring opinion

Back 7

Opinion that agrees with the majority in a Supreme Court ruling but differs on the reasoning

Front 8

Conference committee

Back 8

A committee appointed by the presiding officers of each chamber to adjust differences on a particular bill passed by each in different form

Front 9

Criminal law

Back 9

Defines crimes against the public

Front 10

Defendant

Back 10

Person or party accuse of an offense

Front 11

Department

Back 11

Largest organization in government with the largest mission

Front 12

Discharge petition

Back 12

Signed by a majority of the House of Representatives, will pry a bill from committee and bring it to the floor consideration

Front 13

Dissenting opinion

Back 13

Opinion disagreeing with the majority in a Supreme Court ruling

Front 14

District court

Back 14

Courts in which criminal and civil cases are originally tried in the federal judicial system

Front 15

Earmark

Back 15

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

Front 16

Executive agreement

Back 16

A formal agreement between the U.S. president and the leaders of other nations that does not require Senate approval

Front 17

Executive privilege

Back 17

Power to keep executive communications confidential, especially if they relate to national security

Front 18

Executive order

Back 18

Formal orders to government or an agency or agencies as a whole that carry the force of law issued by the president to direct action by the federal bureaucracy, or by a governor to direct a state bureaucracy

Front 19

Executive office of the president

Back 19

Cluster of presidential staff agencies that help the president carry out his or her responsibilities

Front 20

Federal election commission

Back 20

Commission created by the 1974 amendments to the federal election campaign act to administer election reform laws

Front 21

Filibuster

Back 21

Procedural practice in the Senate whereby a senator refuses to relinquish the floor and thereby delays proceedings and prevents a vote on a controversial issue

Front 22

Advice and consent

Back 22

Legal expression in the United States constitution that allows the senate to constrain the president ms powers of appointment and treaty making

Front 23

Ambassador

Back 23

Diplomatic official of the highest rank

Front 24

Attorney general

Back 24

Chief law officer and legal counsel of the government of a state or nation

Front 25

Apportionment

Back 25

Act of apportioning

Front 26

Apportionment

Back 26

Act of apportioning

Front 27

Appropriations

Back 27

Legislative act authorizing the expenditure of a designated amount of public funds for a specific purpose

Front 28

Attorney general

Back 28

Chief law officer and legal counsel of the government of a state or nation

Front 29

Cloture

Back 29

Procedure for terminating debate

Front 30

Commander in chief

Back 30

Supreme commander of all the armed forces of a nation

Front 31

Common law

Back 31

Law established by court decisions rather than by statutes enacted by legislatures

Front 32

Congressional oversight

Back 32

Oversight by the United States congress on the executive branch.

Front 33

Congressional oversight

Back 33

Oversight by the United States congress on the executive branch.

Front 34

Conservative

Back 34

Favoring traditional views and values

Front 35

Circuit court

Back 35

Court that serves a particular jurisdiction or geographic area

Front 36

Civil law

Back 36

Body of law of a state or nation governing the behavior of individuals and corporations

Front 37

Delegation

Back 37

Person or group chosen to represent another or others

Front 38

Department of justice

Back 38

United States federal department responsible for enforcing laws

Front 39

Elector

Back 39

Qualified voter in an election

Front 40

Federal Bureau of Investigations

Back 40

Governmental agency belonging to the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency

Front 41

Discretionary authority

Back 41

Extent to which appointed bureaucrats can choose courses of action and make policies that are not spelled out in advance by laws

Front 42

Entitlement program

Back 42

Government program that guarantees certain benefits to a particular group or segment of the population

Front 43

Expressed powers

Back 43

Found in Article one section 8!of the constitution