Am. Gov. Final 2010

Front 1

constitution

Back 1

body of laws setting out the principles and processes of a gov.

Front 2

legislative power

Back 2

power to make laws, and frame public policies

Front 3

unitary gov.

Back 3

centralized gov., all power belongs to single central agency

Front 4

parliamentary gov.

Back 4

executive branch made up of prime minister and official cabinet

Front 5

presidential gov.

Back 5

executive and legislative branches are seperate/independent.

Front 6

judicial power

Back 6

power to intercept laws, determine their meaning, and settle disputes

Front 7

democracy

Back 7

power rests with the people

Front 8

connecticut compromise

Back 8

agreement that congress should be composed of senate

Front 9

federalists

Back 9

favored ratification

Front 10

magna carta

Back 10

seeked protection against heavy handed acts by kin

Front 11

virginia plan

Back 11

called for a new gov. with three branches

Front 12

petition of right

Back 12

signed by king charles; challeneged idea of divine right of kings

Front 13

articles of confed.

Back 13

established weak central gov. led to conflicts among states

Front 14

bicameral
unicameral

Back 14

congress made up of two houses(historical and theoretical)

one house body

Front 15

charter

Back 15

written grant of authority by king

Front 16

ratification

Back 16

formal approval

Front 17

bill of rights

Back 17

first 10 amendments

Front 18

checks and balances

Back 18

each branch subject to number of constitutional checks by the other branches

Front 19

separation of powers

Back 19

three distinct and independant branches of gov.

Front 20

division of powers

Back 20

in federalism, gov. powers are divided between national gov and states

Front 21

exclusive powers

Back 21

exercised by national gov, alone

Front 22

electorate

Back 22

people eligible to vote

Front 23

plurality

Back 23

number of votes that the leading candidate obtains over the other

Front 24

splinter parties

Back 24

parties split away from one of major parties

Front 25

split ticket voting

Back 25

voting for candidates of diff.parties for diff. offices at same election

Front 26

bipartisan

Back 26

supported by two parties

Front 27

economic protest parties

Back 27

parties rooted in poor economic times

Front 28

two party system

Back 28

political system dominated by two major parties

Front 29

runoff primary

Back 29

primary where top two vote getters in first district primary go against eachother

Front 30

polling place

Back 30

place where voters who live in a precinct actually vote

Front 31

closed primary

Back 31

a party's nominating election where only declared members can vote

Front 32

blanket primary

Back 32

wide open primary

Front 33

open primary

Back 33

a party;s nominating election any voter can vote

Front 34

nonpartisan election

Back 34

elections where candidates arent identified with party labels

Front 35

political action committee

Back 35

political extension of special intrest groups

Front 36

mandate

Back 36

commands a constituency gives to its elected officials

Front 37

quota sample

Back 37

sample made to reflect several major characteristics of population

Front 38

pupeer groups

Back 38

people with whom one regularly assosiates with

Front 39

public agenda

Back 39

public issue on which the publics attention is focused

Front 40

exclusionary rule

Back 40

evidence gained from an illlegal seizure that cant be used in trial

Front 41

bench trial

Back 41

trial where only judge hears case

Front 42

term

Back 42

each lasts 2 years starts third day of january ...111th now in session

Front 43

single member district

Back 43

electoral district where one person is chosen for each electeed office

Front 44

apportioned

reapportioned

Back 44

distributed

re-distributed

Front 45

at large

Back 45

election of office holder by voteers of gov. unit not district

Front 46

sheild laws

Back 46

law gives reporters protection against sources

Front 47

sedition

Back 47

crime of attempting to overthrow the gov. by force

Front 48

commander and chief

Back 48

president as commander of nations armed forces

Front 49

platform

Back 49

political parties formal statement of basic principles

Front 50

presidential succession

Back 50

scheme by which a presidential vacancy is filled

Front 51

keynote address

Back 51

speech given to set the tone for the convention and campaign to come

Front 52

indictment

Back 52

formal accusation of a committed criminal offense before grand jury

Front 53

free enterprise system

Back 53

characterized by private ownership of capital goods

Front 54

expressed powers

Back 54

power to collect and tax coin money, regulate commerce raise armed forces and declare war

Front 55

reserved powers

Back 55

power that const. doesnt grant to National gov. nor deny to the states

Front 56

adjourning

Back 56

suspending

Front 57

prorogued

Back 57

adjourning

Front 58

characteristics of state

Back 58

1population
2territory
3sovereignty
4government

Front 59

concurrent powers

Back 59

powers that the state and national government poses and excersise

Front 60

original jurisdiction

Back 60

a court in which case is first held