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| money granted by the federal government to the states for a broad purpose (e.g., transportation) rather than narrow purpose (e.g., school lunch program) |
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| money granted by the federal government to the states for a narrow purpose (e.g., school lunch program) rather than for a broad purpose (e.g., transportation) |
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| those who favor greater national authority rather than state authority |
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| system in which each branch of government can limit the power of the other two branches, e.g., presidential veto of a congressional law |
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| gives Congress the power to regulate commerce among the states, with foreign nations, and among Indian tribes. Granted through Article 1, section 8 of the Constitution |
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| those held by both Congress and the states, e.g., establishing law enforcement agencies |
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| system in which sovereign states are only loosely tied to a central government, e.g., the US under the Articles of Confederation |
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| those who favor greater state authority rather than national authority |
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| system in which the people rule themselves |
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| federal financial aid to individuals |
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| states that Congress can exercise those powers that are "necessary and proper" for carrying out the enumerated powers, e.g., establishment of the first Bank of the United States |
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| those that are specifically granted to Congress in Article 1, section 8 of the Constitution, e.g., the power to tax. Also known as expressed powers |
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| constitutional sharing of power between a central government and state government |
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| system in which the national government and state governments are coequal, with each being dominant within its respective sphere |
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| system in which both federal government and state governments cooperate in solving problems |
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| system in which the national government restores greater authority back to the states |
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| group of 85 essays written by Madison, Hamilton, and Jay for the purpose of persuading the people of New York to adopt the Constitution |
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| a change in the actual wording of the Constitution. Proposed by Congress or national convention, and ratified by the states |
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| those that are "necessary and proper" to carry out Congress enumerated powers, and are granted to Congress through the elastic clause |
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| system in which the people are rule by their representatives. Also known as representative democracy or republic. |
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| foreign policy powers(e.g., acquiring territory) held by the national government by virtue of its being a national government |
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| a change in the meaning, but not the wording of the Constitution, e.g., through a court decision such as Brown v. Board |
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| power of the courts to rule on the constitutionality of laws and government actions. Established by Marbury v Madison, 1803. |
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| requirements imposed by the national government upon the states. some are unfunded mandates, i.e., they are imposed by the national government, but lack funding |
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| established the power of judicial review |
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| McCulloch v. Maryland, 1819 |
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| established the principle of national supremacy and validity of implied powers |
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| powers of the states to protect the public health, safety, morals, and welfare of the public |
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| principle in which ultimate political authority rests with the people |
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| powers held by the states through the 10th amendment. any power not granted to the US government is "reserved" for the states |
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| principle in which the powers of government are separated among three branches: legislative, executive, judicial |
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| 1786 revolt by Massachusetts farmers seeking relief from debt and foreclosure that was a factor in the calling of the Constitutional Convention |
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| a majority greater than a simple majority of one over half, e.g., 3/5, 2/3 |
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| those who follow politics and public affairs carefully |
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| secret ballot printed at the expense of the state |
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| occurs when a presidential nominee chooses a vice presidential running mate who has different qualities in order to attract more votes for the ticket |
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| party election to choose candidates that is closed to independents. voters may not cross party lines |
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| the influence of a popular presidential candidate on the election of congressional candidates of the same party |
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| characteristics of populations, e.g., race, sex, income |
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Definition
| election of an official directly by the people rather than by an intermediary group such as the Electoral college |
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| election in which the people choose candidates for office |
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| terms of office that have a definite length of time, e.g., two years for a member of the House |
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| scheduling presidential primary elections early (e.g., February or March) in an election year |
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| difference in voting patterns for men and women, particularly in the greater tendency of the latter to vote for Democratic presidential candidates |
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| election in which the officeholders are chosen. Contrast with a primary election, in which only the candidates are shown |
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| campaign contributions donated directly to candidates |
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| set of beliefs about political values and the role of government |
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| an officeholder who is seeking reelection |
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Definition
| an officeholder who is seeking reelection |
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| one is not registered with a political party. INDEPENDENT LEANERS tend to vote for candidates of one particular party, whereas PURE INDEPENDENTS have no consistent pattern of party voting |
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Definition
| ads that focus on issues and do not explicitly encourage citizens to vote for a certain candidate |
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Definition
| election to choose candidates that is open to independents, and in which voters man choose candidates from any one party |
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| a sense of affiliation that a person has with a particular political party |
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Definition
| a list of positions and programs that the party adopts at the national convention. each position is called a plank |
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| the widely shared beliefs, values, and norms that citizens share about the government |
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| more votes than anyone else, but less than half, e.g., Clinton won a plurality (43%) of popular votes in 1992, but not a majority. PLURALITY ELECTIONS such as those for Congress are won by the person with the most votes, regardless if he/she has a majority |
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Definition
| capacity to understand and influence political events |
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| process in which one acquires his/her political beliefs |
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Term
| realigning ("critical") election |
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Definition
| an election in which there is a long term change in party alignment, e.g., 1932 |
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Term
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Definition
| an office that is extremely likely to be won by a particular candidate or political party |
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Term
| single member district system |
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Definition
| system in which the people elect one representative per district. With a winner-take-all rule, this system strengthens the two major parties and weakens minor parties |
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Definition
| campaign contributions that are not donated directly to candidates, but are instead donated to parties |
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| historically, the South voted solidly Democratic. However, the South is now strongly Republican: Bush carried every Southern state in 2000 |
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Definition
| casting votes for candidates of one's own party and for candidates of opposing party, e.g., voting for a Republican presidential candidate and a Democratic congressional candidate |
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| casting votes only for candidates of one's party |
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| a delegate to the Democratic national convention who is there by virtue of holding an office |
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| a Tuesday in early March in which many presidential primaries, particulary in the South, are held |
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Term
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| a state that does not consistently vote either democratic or republican in presidential elections |
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| "friend of the court" brief filed by an interest group to influence a Supreme Court decision |
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| contention that parties are less meaningful to voters, who have abandoned the parties in greater numbers to become independents |
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| government in which one party controls the presidency while another controls the Congress |
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| theory that upper class elites exercise great influence over public policy |
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| terms used by Madison to denote what we now call interest groups |
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| FCC rule (no longer in effect) that required broadcasters to air a variety of viewpoints on their programs |
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Term
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Definition
| just as sharks engage in a feeding frenzy when they sense blood in the water, the media "attack" when they sense wrongdoing or scandal in government, and devote great amounts of coverage to such stories |
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Term
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Definition
| the problem faced by interest groups when citizens can reap the benefits of interest group action without actually joining, participating in, or contributing money to such groups |
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Term
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Definition
| the tendency of the media to report an election campaign as if it were a horse race, i.e., who is ahead, who is behind, who is gaining ground |
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Definition
| an informal association of federal agency, and interest group that is said to have heavy influence over policy making |
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Term
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Definition
| the act or process of carrying out a lawsuit |
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| attempting to influence policy makers |
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| election sin which candidates are not identified by party membership on the ballot |
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| ballot in which candidates are arranged by office rather than party. encourages split ticket voting |
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Definition
| ballot in which candidates are arranged by party rather than office. encourages straight ticket voting |
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Definition
| a staged campaign event that attracts favorable visual media coverage, e.g., a candidate reading to a group of school children |
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| theory that policy making is the result of interest group competition |
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Term
| Political Action Committee (PAC) |
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Definition
| an interest group that raises funds and donates to election campaigns |
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Definition
| appointing loyal party members to government positions |
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Term
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Definition
| the cycle in which a person alternately works for the public sector and private sector, thus blurring the individual's sense of loyalty |
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Term
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Definition
| the practice of perceiving media messages the way one wants to |
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Definition
| a short, pithy comment that is likely to attract media attention |
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Definition
| placing a certain slant on a story to deflect negative public attention against a candidate or office holder |
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| an abandoned rule of the Democratic Party national convention in which the candidate with the most delegates from a state won all of that state's convention votes |
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Definition
| money that Congress has allocated to be spent |
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| congressional committee that deals with federal spending |
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| authority of a court to hear an appeal from a lower court |
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Definition
| departments, agencies, bureaus, and commissions in the executive branch of government |
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Definition
| personal work done by a member of Congress for his constituents |
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Term
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Definition
| concerns noncriminal disputes between private parties |
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Definition
| lawsuit brought on behalf of a class of people against a defendant, e.g., lawsuits brought by those who have suffered from smoking against tobacco companies |
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| rules committee rule that bans amendments to a bill |
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Definition
| senate motion to end a filibuster that requires a 3/5 vote |
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Definition
| written by a Supreme court justice who voted with the majority, but for different reasons |
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Definition
| works out a compromise between differing House-Senate versions of a bill |
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| the people who are represented by elected officials |
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| a motion to force a bill to the House floor that has been bottled up in committees |
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Definition
| written by a Supreme Court Justice (or Justices) who express a minority viewpoint in a case |
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Definition
| an agreement between the President and another head of state that, unlike a treaty, does not require Senate consent |
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| presidential rule or regulation that has the force of law |
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| the privilege of a President and his staff to withhold their "privileged" conversations from Congress or the courts |
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| nonstop senate debate that prevents a bill from coming to a vote |
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Definition
| senate committee that handles tax bills |
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| allows members of Congress to send mail postage free |
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Definition
| redrawing of district lines to favor one party at the expense of the other |
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| senate maneuver that allows a senator to stop or delay consideration of a bill or presidential appointment |
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| house action that formally charges an official with wrongdoing. conviction requires 2/3 vote from the senate |
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| refusal of a President to spend money that has been appropriated |
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| court order that forbids a party from performing a certain action |
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| philosophy that the courts should take an active role in solving problems |
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| philosophy that the courts should defer to elected lawmakers in setting policy, and should instead focus on interpreting law rather than making law |
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Definition
| ongoing process of congressional monitoring of the executive branch to ensure that the latter complies with the law |
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Definition
| process in which congress overturned rules and regulations proposed by executive branch agencies. struck down in 1983 |
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Definition
| power of most governors (and President Clinton for only a few years) to delete or reduce funding in a bill on a line by line basis |
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Definition
| when two members of Congress agree to vote for each other's bill |
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| written to express the majority viewpoint in a Supreme Court case |
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| committee action to amend a proposed bill |
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| system of hiring federal workers based upon competitive exams |
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| house rules committee rule that allows amendments to a bill |
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Definition
| authority of a court to first hear a case |
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| power to appoint loyal party members to federal positions |
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| presidential killing of a bill by inaction after Congress adjourns |
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| those who have received presidential appointments to office. |
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| wasteful congressional spending, e.g. funding for a Lawrence Welk museum in North Dakota |
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Term
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Definition
| minimum number of members needed for the House or Senate to meet |
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Definition
| reallocation of House seats to the states on the basis of changes in state populations, as determined by the census |
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Definition
| redrawing of congressional district boundaries by the party in power of the state legislature |
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| complex rules and procedures required by bureaucratic agencies |
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Definition
| the supreme court's sending of a case back to the original court in which it was heard |
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Definition
| amendment to a bill that has little to do with that bill. also known as a nongermane amendment |
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Definition
| the Supreme Court will hear a case if four Justices agree to do so |
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Definition
| the "traffic cop" of the House that sets the legislative calendar and issues rules for debate on a bill |
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Definition
| tradition in which the President consults with the senators within a state in which an appointment is to be made |
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Definition
| tradition in which the Senator from the majority party with the most years of service on a committee becomes the chairman of that committee |
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Definition
| power to appoint loyal party members to federal positions (patronage) |
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Definition
| the permanent congressional committees that handle legislation |
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Term
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| latin for "let the decision stand." Supreme Court policy of following precedent in deciding cases |
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Definition
| house committee that handles tax bills |
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Definition
| laws that automatically expire after a given time |
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Term
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Definition
| an employee who exposes unethical or illegal conduct within the federal government or one of its contractors |
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Term
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Definition
| issued by the Supreme court to a lower court to send up the records of a case so that it can be reviewed by the high court |
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Definition
| court order that the authorities show cause for why they are holding a prisoner in custody. Deters unlawful imprisonment |
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| court order directing a party to perform a certain action |
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| support from both parties for policy, e.g., a bipartisan foreign policy |
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| results when federal expenditures exceed federal revenues for a one year period |
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Definition
| the federal government's practice of spending more money than it takes in as revenue |
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Definition
| elimination of federal regulations on private companies |
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| federal benefit payments to which recipients have a legal right, e.g., Social security. Also known as uncontrollables |
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Definition
| taxing and spending policies |
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| requiring that those who receive federal benefits show a need for them |
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Definition
| federal reserve board's regulation of the supply of money in circulation |
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Definition
| total debt owed by the federal government due to past borrowing. also know as the public debt |
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Definition
| federal financial aid to individuals, e.g., welfare, food stamps, agricultural subsidies |
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Definition
| southern laws that excluded blacks from exercising suffrage by restricting the right to vote only to those whose grandfathers had voted before 1865 |
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Definition
| personal freedoms, e.g., speech, assembly, religion |
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Definition
| protections against discrimination |
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Term
| clear and present danger doctrine |
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Definition
| judicial interpretation of amendment 1 that government may not ban speech unless such speech poses an imminent threat to society |
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Term
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Definition
| segregation "by fact," i.e., segregation that results from such factors as housing patterns rather than law |
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Definition
| segregation by law, i.e., segregation that is required by government |
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Definition
| being prosecuted twice for the same offense. banned by amendment 5 |
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Definition
| prohibits the national government (5th amendment) and states (14th amendment) from denying life, liberty, or property without due process of law |
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Definition
| 14th amendment clause that prohibits states from denying equal protection under the law, and has been used to combat discrimination |
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Definition
| the right of the government to take private property for the public good. fair compensation must be paid to the owner of such property |
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Definition
| provision of amendment 1 that prohibits congress from establishing an official state religion. this is the basis for separation of church and state |
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Definition
| supreme court guideline that excludes the use of illegally obtained evidence in a criminal trial |
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Definition
| provision of amendment 1 stating that congress may not prohibit the free exercise of religion |
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Definition
| determines whether or not to bring criminal charges against a suspect |
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Definition
| applying the bill of rights to the states. A "total incorporation" view is that the states must obey all provisions of the Bill of Rights because of the due process clause of the 14th amendment. A "selective incorporation" view is that the Bill of Rights is to be applied to the states in a more gradual manner on a case by case basis, also via the due process clause of the 14th amendment |
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Definition
| grand jury order that a suspect must stand trial for a criminal offense |
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Definition
| southern laws that required racial segregation in places of public accommodations |
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Definition
| written untruths that damage a reputation |
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Definition
| southern method of excluding blacks from exercising suffrage by requiring that voters prove their ability to read and write |
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Term
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Definition
| warnings that must be read to suspects prior to questioning, suspects must be advised that they have the rights of silence and counsel |
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Definition
| arrangement in which a suspect pleads guilty to a lesser offense in order to avoid a trial. the manner in which most cases are disposed of |
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Term
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Definition
| powers that allow states to pass laws protecting the health, welfare, safety, and morals of their residents |
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Term
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Definition
| southern method of excluding blacks from exercising suffrage by requiring payment of a tax prior to voting |
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Term
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Definition
| when a court stops expression before it is made, e.g., prohibiting a demonstration by a radical group because the assembly is likely to become violent. presumed to be unconstitutional |
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Definition
| drawing of legislative boundaries to give electoral advantages to a particular racial group. "majority-minority" districts include large numbers of racial minorities in order to ensure minority representation in legislatures |
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Definition
| advocacy of the overthrow of the government |
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Definition
| supreme court doctrine established in the case of plessy v fergusson. allowed state-required racial segregation in places of public accommodation as long as the facilities were equal |
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Definition
| state laws that protect journalists from having to reveal their sources |
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Definition
| spoken untruths that damage a reputation |
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Definition
| supreme court guideline for determining if government can make racial distinctions. according to this guideline, such distinctions are highly suspect and are allowed only if the are narrowly tailored to serve a compelling government interest |
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Definition
| primary election in which Southern states allowed only whites to vote |
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