Term
| articles of confederation |
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Definition
| america's first written constitution. adopted by the continental congress in 1777, the articles of confederation and perpetual union was the formal basis for America's national government. |
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| a framework for the constitution introduced by edmund randolph which called for representation in the national legislature based on population of each state |
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| a framework for the constitution, introduced by William Peterson, which alled for equal representation in the national legislature regardless of a state's population |
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| 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 the population |
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| agreement reached at the constitutional convention of 1787 that stipulated that fo purposes of appointment of congressional seats, every slave would be counted as three-fifths of a person |
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| division of a legislative body into two houses, chambers or branches |
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| the notion that the constitution grants to the federal government only those powers specifically named in its text |
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| necessary and proper clause |
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| article I, section 8 of the constitution which enumerates the powers of congress and provides congress with the authority to make all laws "necessary and proper" to carry them out; also referred to as the "elastic clause" |
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| power of the courts to declare actions of the legislative and executie branches invalid or unconstitutional. The supreme court asserted this power in marbury v. madison |
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| article VI of the constitution, which states that all laws passed by the national government and all treaties are the supreme laws of the land and superior to all laws adopted by any state or any subdivision. |
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| the division of governmental power among several institutions that must cooperate in decision making |
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| system of government in which power is divided by a constitution between a central government and regional governments. |
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| the first ten amendments to the US constitution. they ensure certain rights and liberties of the people |
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| mechanism through with each branch of government is able to participate in and influence the activities of the other branches Major examples include the presidential veto power over congressional legislation,the power of the senate to approve presidential appointments, and judicial review of congressional enactments. |
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| those who favored a strong national government and supported the constitution proposed at the american constitutional convention of 1787. |
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| those who favored strong state governments and a weak national government and who were opponents of the constitution proposed at the American constitutional convention of 1787. |
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| system of government in which power is divided by a constitution between a central government and regional government |
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| expressed powers (congress) |
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Definition
| specific powers granted to the federal government under article I section 8 of the constitution |
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| 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 |
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| necessary and proper clause |
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Definition
| provides congress with the authority to make all laws "necessary and proper" to carry out its expressed powers |
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| powers that are not specifically delegated to the national government or denied to the states |
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| power reserved to the state to regulate the health, safety and morals of its citizens |
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| authority possessed by both state ad national governments, such as the power to levy taxes. |
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| ful faith and credit clause |
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Definition
| each state must accord the same respect to the laws and judicial decisions of other states that it accords to its own |
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| priveleges and immunities clause |
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Definition
| a state cannot discriminate against someone from another state or give its own residents special privileges |
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| power delegated by the state to a local unit of government to manage its own affairs |
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| the system of government that prevailed in the US from 1789 to 1927 in which most fundamental governmental powers were shared between the federal and state governments, with the states exercising the most important powers |
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| congress has power to regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the states. ruled in favor of national power over economy |
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| a type of federalism existing since the new deal era in which grants in aid have been used strategically to encourage states and localities (without commanding them) to pursue nationally defined goals |
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| a general term for funds given by congress to state an local governments |
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| a grant by congress to states and localities, given with the condition that expenditures be limited to a problem or group specified by the national government |
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| a grant program in which state and local governments submit proposals to federal agencies and for which funding is provided on a competitive basis |
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| a grant in aid in which a formula is used to determine the amount of federal funds a state or local government will receive |
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| a form of federalism in which congress imposes legislation on the states and localities requiring the to meet national standards |
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| regulations or conditions for receiving grants that impose costs or state and local governments for which they are not reimbursed by the federal government |
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| a federal grant in aid that allows states considerable discretion in how the funds should be spent |
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| a policy to remove a program from on level of government by delegating it or passing it down to a lower level of government, such as from the national government to the states. |
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| the principle that states should oppose increasing the authority of the national government. this view was most popular before the civil war. |
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| a legal doctrine that holds that states cannot be sued for violating an act of Congress |
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| the division of governmental powers among several institutions that must cooperate in decision making |
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| mechanisms through which each branch of government is able to participate in and influence the activities of the other branches. Major examples include the presidential veto power over congressional legislation, the power of the Senate to approve presidential appointments, and judicial review of congressional enactments. |
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| the preeminence of congress among the three branches of government as established by the constitution |
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| the condition in american government wherein one party controls the presidency while the opposing party controls one or both houses of congress |
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| the claim that confidential communications between a president and close advisers should not be revealed without the consent of the president |
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| division of a legislative body into two houses, chambers or branches |
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| members of the district from which an official is elected |
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| a representative who votes according to the preferences of his or her constituency |
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| a representative who votes based on what he or she thinks is best for his or her constituency |
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| the type of representation by which representatives are held accountable to their constituents if they fail to represent them properly |
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| holding a political office for which one is running |
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| an effort by members of congress to gain the trust and support of constituents by providing them with personal service. one important type of casework consist of helping constituents obtain favorable treatment from the federal bureaucracy |
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| the resources available to higher officials, usually opportunities to make partisan appointments to offices and to confer grants, licenses, or special favors to supporters |
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| 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 district |
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| apportionment of voters in districts in such a way as to give unfair advantage to one political party |
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| party caucus or party conference |
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Definition
| a normally closed meeting of a political or legislative group to select candidates, plan strategy, or make decisions regarding legislative matters |
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| the chief presiding officer of the house of representatives. the speaker is elected at the beginning of every congress on a straight party vote. the speaker is the most important party and house leader, and can influence the legislative agenda, the fate of individual pieces of legislation, and the members' positions within the house. |
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| the elected leader of the party holding a majority in the house of representatives or in the senate. IN the House, the majority leader is subordinate in the party hierarchy to the speaker. |
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| the elected leader of the party holding less than a majority of the seats in the house or senate. |
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| permanent committee with the power to propose and write legislation that covers a particular subject , such as finance or appropriations |
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| priority or status ranking given to an individual on the basis of length of continuous service in a committee in congress |
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| provision by the house rules committee limiting or prohibiting the introduction of amendments during debate |
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| provision by the house rules committee that permits floor debate and the addition of amendments to a bill |
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| a tactict 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 sixty votes to end the filibuster |
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| rule allowing a supermajority of the members in a legislative body to set a time limit on debate over a given bill |
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| a joint committee created to work out a compromise on House and Senate versions of a piece of legislation |
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| the president's constitutional power to turn down acts of congress. a presidential veto may be overridden by a two thirds vote of each house of congress. |
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| a presidential veto of legislation wherein the president takes no formal action on a bill. if congress adjourns within ten days of passing a bill and the president does not sign it, the bill is considered to be vetoed. |
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| a roll call vote in the house or senate in which at least 50 percent of the members of one party take a particular position and are opposed by at least 50 percent of the members of the other party. party votes are rare today, although they were fairly common in the nineteenth century. |
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| a vote in which each legislator's yes or no vote is recorded as the clerk calls the names of the members alphabetically |
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| primarily a communications network in each house of congress, whips take polls of membership in order to learn their intentions on specific legislative issues and to assist the majority and minority leaders in various tasks. |
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| a legislative practice whereby reciprocal agreements are made between legislators usually in voting for or against a bill. in contrast to bargaining, parties to logrolling have nothing in common but their desire to exchange support. |
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| the effort by congress through hearings, investigations, and other techniques to exercise control over the activities of executive agencies |
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| in statutes the amounts of money approved by congress that each unit or agency of government can spend |
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| agreement between he president and another country, which has the force of a treaty but does not require the senate's "advice and consent" |
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| charging of a government official with treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors and bringing him or her before congress to determine guilt. |
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| the tendency of congress to spread the benefits of a bill over a wide range of members' districts |
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| expressed powers of the president |
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| specific powers granted to the president under article II section 2 and 3 of the constitution |
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| constitutional powers that are assigned to one governmental agency but that are exercised by another agency with the express permission of the first |
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| powers claimed by a president that are not expressed in the constitution, but are inferred from it |
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| the position of the president as the commander of the national military and the state national guard units |
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| a resolution of congress that the president can send troops into action only by authorization of congress or if american troops are already under attack or serious threat |
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| an agreement between the president and another country, which has the force of a treaty but does not require the senate's "advice and consent." |
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| the claim that confidential communications between a president and close advisers should not be revealed without the consent of the president |
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| a presidential veto of legislation wherein the president takes not formal action on a bill. if congress adjourns within ten days of passing a bill, and the president does not sign it, the bill is considered to be vetoed. |
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| power that allows a governor or the president to strike out specific provisions of bills that legislature passes. without the line item veto the governor must accept or reject an entire bill. the line item veto is no longer in effect for the president |
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| the president's inherent power to bring a legislative agenda before congress |
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| a rule or regulation issued by the president that has the effect and formal status of legislation |
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| the secretaries, or chief administrators, of the major departments of the federal government. cabinet secretaries are appointed by the president with the consent of the senate |
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Term
| national security council |
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Definition
| a presidential foreign policy advisory council composed of the president, the vice president, the secretary of state, the secretary of defense, and other officials invited by the president. the NSC has a staff of foreign policy specialists. |
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| description of presidential politics in which all presidential actions are taken with reelection in mind |
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| an announcement made by the president when signing bills into law, often presenting the president's interpretation of the law. |
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| the complex structure of offices, tasks, rules, and principles of organization that are employed by all large-scale institutions to coordinate the work of their personell |
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| the efforts of departements and agencies to translate laws into specific bureaucratic routines |
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| department or bureau of government whose mission is to promote, serve or represent a particular interest |
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| a department, bureau, or independent agency whose primary mission is to impose limits, restrictions, or other obligations on the conduct of individuals or companies in the private sector |
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| administrative legislation |
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| rules made by regulatory agencies and commissions |
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| consisting of twelve federal reserve banks, an agency that facilitates exchanges of cash, checks and credit; it regulates member banks and is uses monetary policies to fight inflation and deflation |
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| the oft-observed phenomenon of bureaucratic implementation that produces policy more to the liking of the bureaucracy than to the original intention of the legislation that created it, but without triggering a political reaction from elected officials. |
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| the effort by congress through hearings, investigations, and other techniques to exercise control over the activities of executive agencies |
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| a policy of reducing or eliminating regulatory restraints in the conduct of individual or private institutions |
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| a policy to remove a program from one level of government by delegating it or passing it down to a lower level of government such as from the national government to the states. |
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| removing all or part of a program from the public sector to the private sector |
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| the branch of law that deals with disputes or actions involving criminal penalties. it regulates the conduct of individuals, defines crimes, and provides punishment for criminal acts |
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| the individual or organization that brings a complaint to court |
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| the individual of organization against which a complaint is brought in criminal or civil cases |
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| a system of jurisprudence, including private law and governmental actions, to settle disputes that do not involve criminal penalties |
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| a prior case whose principles are used by judges as the bases for their decisions in a present case |
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| literally "let the decision stand." a previous decision by a court applies as a precedent in similar cases until that decision is overruled. |
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| cases in private law, civil law, or criminal law in which one party to the dispute argues that a license is unfair, a law is inequitable or unconstitutional, or an agency has acted unfairly violated a procedure or gone beyond its jurisdiction |
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| the frist court to hear a criminal or civil case |
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| a court that hears the appeals of trial court decisions |
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| the highest court in a particular state or in the US. this court primarily serves an appellate function |
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| the authority of a court to consider a case initially. distinguished rom appellate jurisdiction, which is the authority to hear appeals from a lower court's decision |
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| to proceed according to law and with adequate protection for individual rights |
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| a court order demanding that an 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 |
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| justice on the supreme court who presides over the court's public sessions |
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| the practice whereby the president, before formally nominating a person for a federal judgeship, will seek approval of the nomination from the senators who represent the candidate's own state |
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| power of the courts to declare actions of the legislative and executive branches invalid or unconstitutional. the supreme court asserted this power in marbury v madison |
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| article VI , states that laws passed by the national government and all treaties are the supreme laws of the land and superior to all laws adopted by any tate or subdivision |
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| the right of an individual or organization to initiate a court case |
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| a criterion used by courts to screen cases that no longer require resolution |
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| a decision of at least four of the nine supreme court justices to review a decision of a lower court; from the latin "to make more certain." |
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| the top government lawyer in all cases before the appellate courts to which the government is a party |
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| literally "friend of the court"; individuals or groups who are not parties to a lawsuit but who seek to assist the court in reaching a decision by presenting additional briefs |
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| a written document in which attorneys explain why a court should rule in favor of their client. |
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| oral presentations toa court made by attorneys for both sides in a dispute |
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| the written explanation of the supreme court's decision in a particular case |
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| decision written by a justice in the minority in a particular case in which the justice wishes to express his or her reasoning in the case |
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| judicial deference to the views of legislature and adherence to strict jurisdictional standards |
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| proclivity of a court to select cases because of their importance to society rather than adhering to strict legal standards of jurisdiction |
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| a lawsuit in which large numbers of persons with common interests join together under a representative party to bring or defend a lawsuit, such as hundreds of workers together suing a company |
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