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| legislation that has passed both houses of Congress, has been signed into law by the president, or passed despite his veto, and therefore becomes law |
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| job or duty that is given to a person |
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| the process of the Senate approving the president’s choices for certain positions within the government |
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| having two chambers (e.g. the two houses of Congress, the Senate and the House of Representatives) |
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| people appointed by the president to head executive departments of government and act as official advisers to the president |
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| the head justice; the Chief Justice is “first among equals” |
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| city commissioner or council member |
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| a member of the governing body of a city |
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| how representatives and senators are chosen for their assigned committees |
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| a temporary panel composed of House and Senate members, which is formed for the purpose of reconciling differences in legislation that has passed both chambers. Conference committees are usually convened to resolve differences on major and controversial legislation. |
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| people public officials are elected to represent |
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| county commissioner or council member |
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| a member of the governing body of a county |
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| a formal statement from a court that orders someone to do or stop doing something |
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| an order that comes from the U.S. President or a government agency and must be obeyed like a law |
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| self-government by citizens at the local level |
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| the process of how a proposed law (“bill”) moves through Congress and the president in order to become a law |
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| to bring formal charges of wrongdoing against a public official (such as the U.S. President) |
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| a formal decision given by a court |
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| the power of the judicial branch to review the actions of the executive and legislative branches and determine whether or not they are constitutional |
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| a rule established by government or other source of authority to regulate people’s conduct or activities |
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| a position where a Member of Congress is elected by the majority party to serve as the chief spokesperson for that party and to manage and schedule the business of either house |
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| the political party with the most elected members |
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| more than half (50%) of the votes |
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| the head of government for a city or town |
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| a position where a member of Congress is elected by the minority party to serve as the chief spokesperson for the party and to support the majority party in managing and scheduling the business of either house |
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| the political party second in the number of elected members |
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| to suggest a person for a position or office |
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| a law enacted by a city or county affecting local affairs such as traffic, noise, and animal control |
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| the formal act of forgiving someone or excusing a mistake |
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| President pro tempore of the Senate |
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| the person who presides over the Senate when the Vice President is not present |
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| the power of the U.S. President to choose members of his or her cabinet, ambassadors to other nations, and other officials in his or her administration |
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| the group of persons elected to manage local public schools |
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| an office identified in Article I, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution; the leader of the U.S. House of Representatives, usually the highest ranking member of the majority party |
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| a permanent committee established under the standing rules of both houses of Congress that focuses specific subject areas (e.g. Special Committee on Aging) |
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| a group of people who are concerned with a particular issue and who try to influence legislators to act in their favor, also known as an interest group |
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| permanent committee that focuses on specific subject areas (e.g. Education and the Workforce Committee) |
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| a member of the Florida House of Representatives (state representative) or Florida Senate (state senator) |
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| a member of the lower house of a state legislature (the Florida House of Representatives) |
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| a member of the upper house of a state legislature (the Florida Senate) |
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| a law enacted at the state level |
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| a judgment decided by a trial court without that case going to trial; a summary judgment is an attempt to stop a case from going to trial |
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| a member of the U.S House of Representatives; representatives are elected in districts throughout each state |
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| a member of the U.S. Senate elected to represent an entire state, there are two senators per state |
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| a decision by an executive authority such as a president or governor to reject a proposed law or statue |
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| the procedure to see if the U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case; a writ of certiorari is issued when a higher level court agrees to hear an appeal of an inferior court’s decision |
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| a request, made after a trial, asking a higher court to decide whether that trial was conducted properly |
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| any court that has the power to hear appeals from lower courts |
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| court official who keeps order in the court, calls witnesses, is in charge of and makes sure no one tries to influence the jury |
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| a matter that goes before a judge or court of law |
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| the head justice, the Chief Justice is “first among equals” |
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| a court for a defined region of a state (usually including several counties) that has specific divisions and hears cases involving more serious crimes (felonies) and civil cases involving large amounts of money (more than $1000) |
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| a case involving the rights of citizens |
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| a court that hears both civil and criminal cases involving less serious crimes or minor issues for one specific county |
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| a place where justice is administered |
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| court officer responsible for giving the oath to jurors and witnesses, is also responsible for court paperwork and physical evidence |
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| court officer who records, word for word, everything that is said as part of the trial |
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| a case involving someone who is accused of committing an illegal activity |
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| the follow-up questioning of a witness by the side that did not call the witness to the stand |
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| the person who answers the legal action of a plaintiff |
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| the first questioning of a witness by the side that called the witness to the stand |
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| District Court of Appeals |
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| an appellate court in the state court system that reviews decisions made by the lower trial courts |
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| a system of government in which power is divided and shared between national, state, and local government |
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| the courts that have general jurisdiction over matters not covered by the county courts |
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| the courts where most non-jury trials occur; they are referred to as “the people’s courts” because they handle minor disagreements between citizens and minor criminal offenses |
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| the highest court in Florida |
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| a public official who decides questions brought before a court |
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| the branch of government that interprets the laws made by the legislative branch |
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| the power of the judicial branch to review the actions of the executive and legislative branches and determine whether or not they are unconstitutional (this includes laws passed by Congress); the U.S. Supreme Court case Marbury v. Madison established this power |
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| the right and power for courts to hear a case, interpret and apply the law |
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| a group of citizens sworn to give a true verdict according to the evidence presented in a court of law |
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| the title given to judges of the U.S. Supreme Court and Florida Supreme Court |
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| the power of a court to be the first to hear a case on a specific topic |
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| the person who brings legal action against another person |
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| the local, state, or federal court that is the first to hear a civil or criminal case; involves a hearing and decision with a single judge, with or without a jury |
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| U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals |
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| the courts where parties who are dissatisfied with the judgment of a U.S. District court may take their case |
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| the courts where most federal cases begin, the U.S. District Courts are courts of original jurisdiction and hear civil and criminal cases |
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| the highest court of the United States; it sits at the top of the federal court system |
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| the process of questioning potential member of a jury for a trial |
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| the procedure to see if the U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case; a writ of certiorari is issued when a higher level court agrees to hear an appeal of a lower court’s decision |
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| a deduction or lessening of something |
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| a change to a constitution (e.g., U.S. Constitution, Florida Constitution) |
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| a numbered chapter or section of a contract, treaty, or constitution |
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| the power to direct the actions of people or to make decisions |
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| the act of giving something up |
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| the basic principles and laws of a nation or state that determine the powers and duties of the government and guarantee certain rights to the people in it; usually a written document |
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| Florida Declaration of Rights |
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| the part of the Florida Constitution that lists the basic rights guaranteed to all citizens who live in the state |
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| advance beyond the usual limit, encroach |
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| the territory within which power can be exercised |
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| the entire body of physically fit civilians eligible by law for military service |
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| the introduction to a constitution; it states that the people establish the government, and it lists the purposes of the government |
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| to forbid or to not allow something |
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| money derived from income |
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| absolute, fixed, unconditional |
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