Us Govt Vocab 2

Front 1

Dual federalism

Back 1

Both state and national governments are equal authorities operating within their own spheres of influence

Front 2

Doctrine of nullification

Back 2

States had the right to nullify national laws that they believed contradicted with state interests

Front 3

Doctrine of secession

Back 3

The idea that states had the right to separate themselves from the Union

Front 4

Cooperative federalism

Back 4

Federalism under the New Deal

Front 5

Creative federalism

Back 5

An approach to solving national problems that involves releasing national funds, in the form of grants to state and local communities

Front 6

New federalism

Back 6

The return of authority to state governments during the 1980s

Front 7

Devolution

Back 7

The idea of returning power to the state

Front 8

p. 112

Back 8

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Front 9

Fiscal federalism

Back 9

A system of spending, taxing, and providing aid in the federal system

Front 10

Grants-in-aid

Back 10

Include money and other resources that the national government provides to pay for state and local activities

Front 11

Categorical grants

Back 11

Grants used only for a specific purpose

Front 12

Block grants

Back 12

Federal grants that are given for more general purposes or for broad policy areas, such as welfare, public health

Front 13

Federal mandates

Back 13

Demands on states to carry out certain policies as a condition of receiving grant money

Front 14

p. 206

Back 14

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Front 15

Income tax

Back 15

A tax on a person's or corporation's income

Front 16

Progressive tax

Back 16

A tax whose rates increase as the amount that is subject to taxation increases

Front 17

Payroll tax

Back 17

Makes up about 34 percent of federal revenues

Front 18

Regressive tax

Back 18

A tax that has a greater impact on lower income earners than on upper income earners

Front 19

Proportional tax

Back 19

A tax that is applied at the same rate against all income

Front 20

Bond

Back 20

A financial instrument by which a borrower agrees to pay back borrowed money

Front 21

Federal debt

Back 21

A total sum of money that the government has borrowed and not repaid

Front 22

Mandatory spending

Back 22

Spending required by laws and not subject to annual budget process

Front 23

Discretionary spending

Back 23

Spending subject to the annual budget process

Front 24

Fiscal policy

Back 24

A policy that is related to federal budget and tax laws

Front 25

Monetary policy

Back 25

A policy that deals with money

Front 26

p. 220

Back 26

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Front 27

Jurisdiction

Back 27

The authority to decide and hear a case

Front 28

Exclusive jurisdiction

Back 28

The sole right to hear a case

Front 29

Concurrent jurisdiction

Back 29

Refers to cases that fall under both state and federal jurisdiction

Front 30

Plaintiff

Back 30

Person making the legal complaint can file his or her case in federal or state court

Front 31

Defendant

Back 31

The person against whom the complaint is filed, can insist that the case be tried in federal court

Front 32

Original jurisdiction

Back 32

The court that first hears the case

Front 33

Appellate jurisdiction

Back 33

If a case moves to a higher court

Front 34

Judicial restraint

Back 34

Judges who exercise restraint when interpreting the Constitution

Front 35

Judicial activism

Back 35

A judge who exercises activism

Front 36

Precedent

Back 36

A previous court ruling

Front 37

Senatorial courtesy

Back 37

The courtesy of the Senate

Front 38

p. 227

Back 38

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Front 39

Grand juries

Back 39

To hear evidence of a possible crime and to recommended whether the evidence is sufficient to file criminal charges

Front 40

Bankruptcy

Back 40

A legal process by which persons who cannot pay money they owe others can receive court protection and assistance in settling their financial problems

Front 41

Magistrate judges

Back 41

The officials who are known as magistrate judges

Front 42

Misdemeanor

Back 42

Minor criminal cases punishable by one year or less of prison time--and certain civil cases

Front 43

Public defenders

Back 43

Defenders appointed by the panel of judges who make up the court of appeals

Front 44

Marshals

Back 44

US officers who provide security and police protection at federal courthouses

Front 45

Appellant

Back 45

Usually has to show that the original ruling was based on a legal mistake

Front 46

Briefs

Back 46

Written arguments from both sides of a case

Front 47

Sovereign immunity

Back 47

A sovereign nation is immune from being sued unless it agrees to be sued

Front 48

Courts-martial

Back 48

Court cases held by the military to determine violations of military codes

Front 49

p. 233

Back 49

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Front 50

Wit of certiorari

Back 50

An order seeking review of the lower court case

Front 51

Docket

Back 51

A list of cases to be heard

Front 52

Majority opinion

Back 52

A form that is signed by at least five of the nine members of the Court

Front 53

Concurring opinions

Back 53

Opinions that agree with the overall conclusion of a car but stress some different or additional legal reasoning

Front 54

Dissenting opinions

Back 54

Those held by the minority of the justices who do not agree with a ruling in a case

Front 55

p. 20

Back 55

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Front 56

Ideal

Back 56

Conception of something in its most perfect form

Front 57

Liberty

Back 57

The ability of people to act and think as they chose so long as their choices do no harm to the liberty or well-being of others