American Government Exam 2

Front 1

an act of the legislature declaring a person or group of persons guilty of some crime and punishing them without benefit of a trial

Back 1

bill of attainder

Front 2

individual freedoms guarenteed to the people primarily by the bill of rights

Back 2

civil liberties

Front 3

citizenship rights guarenteed to the people and protected by the government

Back 3

civil rights

Front 4

rule used by the courts that allow language to be regulated only if it presents and immediate and urgent danger

Back 4

clear and present danger test

Front 5

first amendment guarentee that the government will not create and support an official state religion

Back 5

establishment clause

Front 6

a law that retroactively changes that leagal consequences of acts committed or legal status of facts and relationships that existed prior to the enactment of the law.

Back 6

ex post facto law

Front 7

1st amendment guarentee that citizens may freely engage in the religious activities of their choice

Back 7

free excercise clause

Front 8

a legal action or writ by means of which detainees can seek relief from unlawful imprisonment

Back 8

habeas corpus

Front 9

rule used by the courts that restricts speech only if it is aimed at producing or is likely to produce imminent lawless action

Back 9

imminent lawless action test

Front 10

written defamation of character

Back 10

libel

Front 11

rule used by the courts in which the definition of abscenity must be based on local standards

Back 11

miller test

Front 12

the idea that language shapes behavior and therefore should be regulated to control its social effects

Back 12

political correctness

Front 13

censorship of or punishment for the expression of ideas before the ideas are printed or spoken

Back 13

prior restraint

Front 14

speech that criticizes the government

Back 14

sedition

Front 15

refusal to buy certain goods or services as a way to protest policy or force political reform

Back 15

boycott

Front 16

supreme court case that rejected the idea that separate could be equal in education

Back 16

brown vs. board of education

Front 17

a constitutional amendment passed by congress but never ratified; would have banned discrimination on the basis of gender

Back 17

equal rights movement

Front 18

provisions exempting from voting; restrictions the descendants of those able to vote in 1876

Back 18

grandfather clause

Front 19

southern lawas designed to circumvent the 13th 14th and 15th amendments and to deny blacks rights on bases other than race

Back 19

Jim Crows Laws

Front 20

tests requiring reading or comprehesion skills as a qualification for voting

Back 20

literacy tests

Front 21

standard of review used by the court to evaluate lawas that make a no suspect clasifcation

Back 21

minimum rationality test

Front 22

establishes separate but equal doctrine upholds segregation

Back 22

plessy vs. fergusson

Front 23

taxes levied as a qualification of voting

Back 23

poll taxes

Front 24

institutionalized power inequalities in society based on the perception of racial differences

Back 24

racism

Front 25

the period following the civil war during which the federal government took action to rebuild the south

Back 25

reconstruction

Front 26

separate facilities for blacks and whites for leisure, business, travel, education, and other activities

Back 26

segregation

Front 27

unwelcome suxual speech or behavior that creates a hostile work environment

Back 27

sexual harassment

Front 28

classifications such as race for which an discriminatory law must be justified by a compelling state interest

Back 28

suspect classification

Front 29

congressional work to secure projects services and funds for the represented district

Back 29

allocative representation

Front 30

legislature with two chambers

Back 30

bicameral legislature

Front 31

legislative work on behalf of individual constituents to solve their problems with government agencies and programs

Back 31

casework

Front 32

a vote to end a senate filibuster, requires three fifths majority or sixty votes

Back 32

cloture

Front 33

rule created by the Supreme Court that evidence illegally seized may not be used to obtain a conviction

Back 33

the exclusionary rule

Front 34

the efforts by elected officials to look out for the interests of those who elect them

Back 34

representation

Front 35

the creation of policy to address the problems and needs of the entire nation

Back 35

national lawmaking

Front 36

public works projects and grants for specific districts paid for by general revenues

Back 36

pork barrel

Front 37

the privilege of free mail service provided to members of Congress

Back 37

franking

Front 38

: a reallocation of congressional seats among the states every ten years, following the census

Back 38

reapportionment

Front 39

process of redrawing of district lines in states with more than one representative (carried out by state legislators or commission)

Back 39

redistricting

Front 40

redistricting to benefit a particular group

Back 40

gerrymandering

Front 41

office-seeker who bases the decision to run on a rational calculation that he or she will be successful

Back 41

strategic poltician

Front 42

the electoral edge afforded to those already in office

Back 42

incumbency advantage

Front 43

majority party leader, serves as the presiding officer of the House

Back 43

speaker of the house

Front 44

permanent committees responsible for legislation in particular policy areas

Back 44

standing committee

Front 45

: combined House-Senate committee formed to coordinate activities and expedite legislation in a certain area

Back 45

joint committee

Front 46

a practice of unlimited debate in the Senate in order to prevent or delay a vote on a bill

Back 46

filibuster

Front 47

publicly recorded votes on bills and amendments on the floor of the House or Senate

Back 47

roll call voting

Front 48

reversal of a presidential veto by a two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress

Back 48

veto override

Front 49

presidential authority to kill a bill submitted within ten days of the end of a legislative session by not signing it

Back 49

pocket veto

Front 50

the party with the most seats in a house of Congress

Back 50

majority party

Front 51

the added votes received by congressional candidates of a winning presidential party

Back 51

coattail effects

Front 52

the tendency for the presidential party to lose congressional seats in off-year elections

Back 52

midterm loss

Front 53

the apolitical, unifying role of the president as symbolic representative of the whole country

Back 53

head of state

Front 54

the political role of the president as leader of a political party and chief arbiter of who gets what resources

Back 54

head of government

Front 55

head of federal agencies and responsible for the implementation of national policy; appoints cabinet members (heads of departments and agencies)

Back 55

chief administrator

Front 56

a presidential advisory made up of the vice president, the heads of the federal executive departments, and other high officials to whom the president elects to give cabinet status

Back 56

cabinet

Front 57

top officer of the country’s military establishment and civilian head of American military forces

Back 57

commander in chief

Front 58

negotiates treaties, makes executive agreements with other countries

Back 58

chief foreign policy maker

Front 59

formal agreements with other countries, negotiated by the president and requiring approval by two-thirds of the Senate

Back 59

treaties

Front 60

a presidential arrangement with another country that creates foreign policy without the need for Senate approval

Back 60

executive agreement

Front 61

speech given by the president to a joint session of Congress and to the nation announcing the president’s agenda

Back 61

state of the union address

Front 62

president’s authority to reject a bill passed by Congress; may only be overridden by two-thirds majority in each house; veto threat often brings congressional compromise

Back 62

presidential veto

Front 63

clarification of congressional policy issued by the president and having the full force of law

Back 63

executive orders

Front 64

release or excuse person from legal penalties of a crime

Back 64

pardoning power

Front 65

tradition of granting senior senators of the president’s party considerable power over federal judicial appointments in their home states

Back 65

senatorial courtesy

Front 66

implied but not explicitly stated in the Constitution

Back 66

inherent powers

Front 67

a president’s ability to convince Congress, other political actors, and the public to cooperate with the administration’s agenda

Back 67

power to persuade

Front 68

president’s strategy of appealing to the public on an issue, expecting that public pressure will be brought to bear on other political actors

Back 68

going public

Front 69

the predictable rise and fall of a president’s popularity at different stages of a term in office

Back 69

cycle effect

Front 70

the time following an election when a president’s popularity is high and congressional relations are likely to be productive

Back 70

honeymoon period

Front 71

political rule split between two parties: one controlling the White House and the other controlling one or both houses of Congress

Back 71

divided government

Front 72

Collection of nine organizations that help the president with policy and political objectives

Back 72

executive office of the president

Front 73

organization within the EOP that oversees the budgets of departments and agencies

Back 73

office of management and budget

Front 74

organization within the EOP that advises the president on economic matters

Back 74

council of economic advisors

Front 75

organization within the EOP that provides foreign policy advice to the president

Back 75

national security council

Front 76

image projected by the president that represents how he would like to be perceived at home and abroad

Back 76

presidential style

Front 77

the executive personnel who work with members of congress to secure their support in getting a president's legislation passed

Back 77

legislative liasion

Front 78

the person who oversees the operations of all white house staff and controls access to the president

Back 78

chief of staff

Front 79

political rule split between two parties: one controlling the White House and the other controlling one or both houses of Congress

Back 79

divided government

Front 80

Collection of nine organizations that help the president with policy and political objectives

Back 80

executive office of the president

Front 81

organization within the EOP that oversees the budgets of departments and agencies

Back 81

office of management and budget

Front 82

organization within the EOP that advises the president on economic matters

Back 82

council of economic advisors

Front 83

organization within the EOP that provides foreign policy advice to the president

Back 83

national security council

Front 84

image projected by the president that represents how he would like to be perceived at home and abroad

Back 84

presidential style

Front 85

the executive personnel who work with members of congress to secure their support in getting a president's legislation passed

Back 85

legislative liasion

Front 86

the person who oversees the operations of all white house staff and controls access to the president

Back 86

chief of staff