laws enacted by southern states following Reconstruction that discriminated against African Americans

doctrine that public accommodations could be segregated by race but still be considered equal

one of the three Civil War amendments; guaranteed equal protection and due process

one of the three Civil War amendments; guaranteed voting rights for African American men

government policies or programs that seek to redress past injustices against specified groups by making special efforts to provide members of those groups with access to educational and employment opportunities

the process, occurring after every decennial census, that allocates congressional seats among the 50 states

the amounts of money approved by Congress in statutes (bills) that each unit or agency of government can spend

having a legislative assembly composed of two chambers or houses

the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1791; they ensure certain rights and liberties to the people

 mechanisms through which each branch of government is able to participate in and influence the activities of the other branche

• ex: the presidential veto power over congressional legislatio

• ex: power of the Senate to approve presidential appointments

• ex: judicial review of congressional enactments

a legal action by which a group or class of individuals with common interests can file a suit on behalf of everyone who shares that interest

a rule allowing a majority of two thirds or three-fifths of the members of a legislative body to set a time limit on debate over a given bill. In the U.S. Senate, 60 senators (three-fifths) must agree in order to impose such a limit

Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution, which delegates to Congress the power “to regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several States and with the Indian tribes.” This clause was interpreted by the Supreme Court in favor of national power over the economy

authority possessed by both state and national governments, such as the power to levy taxes

the residents from an area from which an official is elected

a system of rule which is formal and effective limits are placed on the powers of the government

literally “by fact”; refers to practices that occur when there is no legal enforcement, such as school segregation in much of the United States today

literally “by law” ; refers to legally enforced practices such as school segregation in the South before the 1950s

a system of rule that permits citizens to play a significant part in the government process, usually through the election of key public official

the right of every citizen against arbitrary action by national or state governments

the presidential electors from each state who meet after the popular election to cast ballots for president and vice president

the belief or attitude that some individuals who form an elite—a select group of people with a certain ancestry, intrinsic quality or worth, high intellect , wealth, specialized training or experience, or other distinctive attributes—are those whose influence or authority is greater than that of others; whose views on a matter are to be taken more seriously or carry more weight; whose views or actions are more likely to be constructive to society as a whole; or whose extraordinary skills, abilities, or wisdom render them especially fit to govern

provision of the 14th Amendment guaranteeing citizens the equal protection of the laws

laws that declare an action to be illegal after it has been committed

the ability of the courts to exclude evidence obtained in violation of the 14th Amendment

the claim that confidential communications between a president and close advisors should not be revealed without the consent of the president

specific powers granted by the Constitution to Congress (Article I, Section 8) and to the president (Article II)

 a tactic used by members of the Senate to prevent action on legislation they oppose by continuously holding the floor and speaking until the majority backs down. Once given the floor, senators have unlimited time to speak, and it requires a vote of ⅗ of the Senate to end a filibuster

provision, from Article IV, Section I, of the Constitution, requiring that the states normally honor the public acts and judicial decisions that take place in another state

the apportionment of voters in districts in such a way as to give unfair advantage to one racial or ethnic group or political party

the agreement reached at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that gave each state an equal number of senators regardless of its population, but linked representation in the House of Representatives to population

the formal charge by the House of Representatives that a government official has committed “Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors”

powers derived from the necessary and proper clause of Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution. Such powers are not specifically expressed, but are implied through the expansive interpretation of delegated powers

judicial philosophy that posits that the Court should go beyond the words the Constitution or a statute to consider the broader societal implications of its decisions

the power of the courts to review and, if necessary, dec;are actions of the legislative and executive branches invalid or unconstitutional; the Supreme Court asserted this power in Marbury v. Madison

an economic system in which the means of production and distribution are privately owned and operated for profit with minimal or no government interference

a principle of constitutional government; a government whose powers are defined and limited by a constitution

the requirement, articulated by the Supreme Court in Miranda v. Arizona, that persons under arrest must be informed prior to police interrogation of their rights to remain silent and to have the benefit of legal counsel

Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution, which provides Congress with the authority to make all laws “necessary and proper” to carry out its expressed powers

a principle of democracy in which political authority rests ultimately in the hands of the people

appropriations made by legislative bodies for local projects that are often not needed but that are created so that local representatives can win reelection in their home districts

provision, from Article IV, Section 2, of the Constitution, that a state cannot discriminate against someone from another state or give its own residents special privileges

Representative Government (democratic/ republican)

a system of government in which the populace selects representatives, who play a significant role in governmental decision making

the practice whereby the president, before formally nominating a person for a federal judgeship, seeks the indication that senators from the candidate;s own state support the nomination

an oral statement made in “reckless disregard of the truth” that is considered damaging to the victim because it is “malicious, scandalous, and defamatory”

literally “let the decision stand.” The doctrine that a previous decision by a court applies as a precedent in similar cases until that decision is overruled

legally prescribed limits on the number of terms an elected official can serve

the president’s constitutional power to turn down acts of Congress. A president veto may be overridden by a two-thirds vote of each house  of Congress

a resolution of Congress that the president can send troops into action abroad only by authorization of Congress, or if American troops are already under attack or serious threat

a decision of at least four of the nine Supreme Court justices to review a decision of a lower court; meaning “ to make  more certain”

a court order that the individual in custody be brought into court and shown the cause for detention. Habeas corpus is guaranteed by the Constitution and can be suspended only in cases of rebellion or invasion