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99 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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activist approach
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View that judges should discern the general principles underlying laws or the constitution and apply them to modern circumstances.
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activists
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People who tend to participate in all forms of politics.
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ad hoc structure
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Several subordinates, cabinet officers, and committees report directly to the president on different matters.
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adversarial press
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Tendency of national media to be suspicious of officials and eager to reveal unflattering stories about them.
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affirmative action
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Programs designed to increase minority participation in some institutions (businesses, schools, labor unions, or government agencies).
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amendment
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A new provision in the constitution that has been ratified by the states.
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amicus curiae
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A brief submitted by a "friend of the court."
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Antifederalists
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Those who favor a weaker national government.
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appropriation
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A legislative grant of money to finance a government program or agency.
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Articles of Confederation
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A weak constitution that governed America during the Revolutionary War.
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assistance programs
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A government program financed by general income taxes that provides benefits to poor citizens without requiring contribution from them.
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Australian ballot
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A government-printed ballot of uniform dimensions to be cast in secret that many states adopted after 1890 to reduce voting fraud associated with party-printed ballots.
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authority
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The right to use power.
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authorization legislation
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Legislative permission to begin or continue a government program or agency.
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background
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A public official's statement to a reporter that is given on the condition that the official not be named.
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benefit
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A satisfaction that people believe they will enjoy if a policy is adopted.
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bicameral legislature
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A lawmaking body made up of two chambers or parts.
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bill of attainder
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A law that declares a person, without a trial, to be guilty.
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Bill of Rights
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First ten amendments to the Constitution.
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bipolar world
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A political landscape with two superpowers.
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blanket primary
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A primary election in which each voter may vote for candidates of both parties.
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block grants
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Money from the national government that states can spend within broad guidelines determined by Washington.
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blog
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A series, or log, of discussion items on a page of the World Wide Web.
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brief
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A written statement by an attorney that summarizes a case and the laws and rulings that support it.
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budget
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A document that states tax collections, spending levels, and the allocation of spending among purposes.
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budget resolution
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A congressional decision that states the maximum amount of money the government should spend.
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bully pulpit
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The president's use of his prestige and visibility to guide or enthuse the American public.
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bureaucracy
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A large, complex organization composed of appointed officials.
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bureaucratic view
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View that government is dominated by appointed officials.
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cabinet
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The heads of the fifteen executive branch departments
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categorical grants
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Federal grants for specific purposes, such as building an airport.
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caucus
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A meeting of party members to select delegates backing one or another primary candidate.
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charitable choice
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Name given to four federal laws passed in the 90s specifying the conditions under which nonprofit religious organizations could compete to administer certain social service delivery and welfare programs.
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checks and balances
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Authority shared by the three branches of government
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circular structure
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Several of the president's assistants report directly to him.
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civic competence
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A belief that one can affect government policies.
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civic duty
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A belief that one has an obligation to participate in civic and political affairs.
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civil disobedience
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Opposing a law one considers unjust by peacefully disobeying it and excepting the resultant punishment.
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civil rights
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The rights of people to be treated without unreasonable or unconstitutional differences.
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class consciousness
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A belief that you are a member of an economic group whose interests are opposed to people in other such groups.
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class-action suit
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A case brought by someone to help him or her and all others similarly situated.
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clear-and-present-danger test
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Law should not punish speech unless there was a clear and present danger of producing harmful actions
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client politics
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A policy in which one small group benefits and almost everybody pays.
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closed primary
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A primary election in which voting is limited to already registered party members.
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closed rule
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An order from the House Rules Committee that sets a time limit on debate; forbids a bill from being amended on the floor.
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cloture rule
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A rule used by the Senate to end or limit debate.
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coalition
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An alliance of factions.
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coattails
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The alleged tendency of candidates to win more votes in an election because of the presence at the top of the ticket of a better-known candidate.
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command-and-control strategy
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A strategy to improve air and water quality, involving the setting of detailed pollution standards and rules.
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committee clearance
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The ability of a congressional committee to review and approve certain agency decisions in advance and without passing a law.
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competitive service
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The government offices to which people are appointed based on merit, as ascertained by a written exam or by applying certain selection criteria
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concurrent powers
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Powers shared by the national and state governments.
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concurrent resolution
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An expression of opinion without the force of law that requires the approval of both the House and Senate, but not the president.
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concurring opinion
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A signed opinion in which one or more members agree with the majority view but for different reasons.
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conditions of aid
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Terms set by the national government that the states must meet if they are to receive certain funds.
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conference committees
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A joint committee appointed to resolve differences in the Senate and House versions of the same bill.
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congressional campaign committee
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A party committee in Congress that provides funds to members and would-be members.
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conservative coalition
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An alliance between Republican and conservative Democrats.
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Constitutional Convention
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Meeting in Philadelphia in 1787 that produced a new constitution.
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constitutional court
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A federal court authorized by Article III of the Constitution that keeps judges in office during good behavior and prevents their salaries from being reduced. (Supreme Court and appellate courts)
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containment
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The belief that the United States should resist the expansion of aggressive nations (USSR).
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cost
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A burden that the people believe they must bear if a policy is enacted.
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cost overruns
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When money actually paid to military suppliers actually exceeds the estimated cost.
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court of appeals
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Federal courts that hear appeals from district courts; no trials.
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critical or realignment period
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Periods when a major, lasting shift occurs in the popular coalition supporting one or both parties.
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de facto segregation
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Racial segregation that occurs, not because of laws, but because of patterns of residency.
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deficit
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What occurs when the government in one year spends more than it takes in from taxes.
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de jure segregation
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Racial segregation that is required by law.
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democracy
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the rule of the many.
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devolution
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The effort to transfer responsibility for many public programs and services from the federal government to the states.
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direct or participatory democracy
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A government in which all or most citizens participate directly.
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discharge petition
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A device by which any member of the House, after a committee has had the bill for thirty days, may petition to have it brought to the floor.
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discretionary authority
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The extent to which appointed bureaucrats can choose courses of action and make policies that are not spelled out in advance of a law.
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disengagement
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The belief that the United States was harmed by its war in Vietnam and so should avoid supposedly similar events.
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dissenting opinion
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A signed opinion in which one or more justices disagree on the majority view.
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district courts
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The lowest federal courts; federal trials can be held only here.
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diversity cases
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Cases involving citizens of different states who can bring suit in federal courts.
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divided government
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One party controls the White House and another party controls Congress.
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division vote
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A congressional voting procedure in which members stand and are counted.
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double-tracking
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A procedure to keep the Senate going during a filibuster in which the disputed bill is shelved temporarily so that the Senate can get down with other business.
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dual federalism
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Doctrine holding that the national government is supreme in its sphere, the states are supreme in theirs, and the two spheres should be kept separate.
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due process of law
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Denies the government the right without due process of law, to deprive people of life, liberty and property.
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Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
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A provision of a 1975 law that entitles working families with children to receive money from the government if their total income is below a certain amount.
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economic planning
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The belief that government plans, such as wage and price controls or the direction of investment, can improve the economy.
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electoral college
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The people chosen to cast each state's votes in a presidential election.
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elite
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Persons who possess a disproportionate share of some valued resource, like money or power.
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entitlements
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A claim for government funds that cannot be changed without violating the rights of a claimant.
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entrepreneurial powers
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A policy in which almost everybody benefits and a small group pays the cost.
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enumerated powers
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Powers given to the national government alone.
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environmental impact statement
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A report required by federal law that accesses the possible effect of a project on the environment if the project is subsidized in whole or part by the federal government.
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equal protection of the law
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A standard of equal treatment that must be observed by the government
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equal time rule
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An FCC rule that if a broadcaster sells time to one candidate, it must sell equal time to other candidates.
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equality of opportunity
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Giving people an equal chance to succeed.
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equality of result
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Making certain that people achieve the same result.
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establishment clause
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First Amendment ban on laws "respecting an establishment of religion"
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ex post facto law
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A law that makes an act criminal although the act was legal when it was committed
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exclusionary rule
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Improperly gathered evidence may not be introduced in a criminal trial.
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exit polls
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Polls based on interviews conducted on Election Day with randomly selected voters.
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external efficacy
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The willingness of a state to respond to the citizenry.
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