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18 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Natural law |
Gods or Nature's law that defines right from wrong and is higher than human law |
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Separation of powers |
Constitutional division of powers among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches with the legislative branch making laws, executive applying and reinforcing the laws, and the judicial interpreting the laws |
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Checks and balances |
A constitutional grant of powers that enables each of the three branches of government to check some acts of the others and therefore ensures that no branch can dominate |
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Autocracy |
A type of government in which one person with unlimited power rules |
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Partisanship |
Strong allegiance to one's own political party, often leading to willingness to comply with members of the opposite party |
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Divided government |
Governance between the parties, especially when one holds the presidency and the other controls one or both houses of Congress |
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Unified Government |
Government in which one party controls both the White House and both houses of Congress |
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Electoral college |
The electoral system used in electing the president and vice president, in which voters vote for electors pledge to cast their ballots for a particular party's candidates |
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Judicial review |
Power of a court to review laws of government regulations to determine whether they are consistent with the US Constitution, or in a state court, the state constitution |
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Federalists |
Argued for the ratification of the Constitution, including a stronger national government at the expense of States powers. Controlled the new federal government until TJ's election in 1800 |
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Writ of mandamus |
Court order directing an official to perform an official Duty |
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Congressional elaboration |
Congressional legislation that gives further meaning to the constitution based on sometimes vague constitutional Authority, such as the necessary and proper clause |
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Impeachment |
Formal accusation against the president or other public officials; first step in removal from office |
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Executive order |
A president or Governor's formal order to a government agency or agencies that carries the force of law |
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Executive privileges |
The power to keep executive Communications confidential, especially if related to National Security |
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Impoundment |
A decision by the president not to spend money appointed by Congress, now prohibited under federal law |
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Originalist approach |
An approach to constitutional interpretation that envisions the document as having a fixed meaning that might be determined by a strict reading of text or the framers intentions |
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Adaptive approach |
Method used to it interpret the Constitution that understands the document to be flexible and responsive to changing needs of the times |
