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Definition
| The ability of government to respond effectively to change, make decisions efficiently and responsively and manage conflict |
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| The territorial range of government authority |
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| A system of government in which powers are divided between a central government and regional governments |
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| An anticipatory condition, as opposed to a reactive one |
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| Funds set aside while a state's finances are healthy, for use when state revenues are in decline |
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| Reducing the size and cost of something |
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| A characteristic of a government that is open and understandable, one in which officials are accountable to the public |
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| The attitudes, values, and beliefs that people hold toward government |
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| Political conflicts that emerge from deeply held moral values |
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| A league of sovereign states in which a limited central government exercises few independent powers |
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| One in which all authority is derived from a central authority |
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| A means of dividing the power and functions of government between a central government and a specified number of geographically defined regional jurisdictions |
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| Any groups of citizens or interests united in a cause or action that can threaten the rights or interests of the larger community |
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| Those powers expressly given to the national government, primarily in Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution |
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| Those powers granted by the Constitution to both the national and the state governments |
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| Nation-Centered Federalism |
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Definition
| A theory holding that the national government is dominant over the states |
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| State-centered federalism |
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Definition
| A theory holding that the national government represents a voluntary compact or agreement between the states, which retain a dominant position |
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| Those powers residing with the states by virtue of the Tenth Amendment |
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Definition
| The amendment to the Constitution, ratified in 1791, reserving powers to the state |
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| A theory of federalism that became the foundation for states' rights arguments (Constitution is a compact between the states) |
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| National Supremacy Clause |
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Definition
| Article VI of the Constitution, which makes national laws superior to state laws |
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| Necessary and Proper Clause |
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Definition
| Portion of Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution that authorizes Congress to enact all laws "necessary and proper" to carry out responsibilities |
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Definition
| Those powers that are not expressly granted by the Constitution but are inferred from the enumerated powers |
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| Part of Article I, Section 8, of the U.S. Constitution, which gives Congress the power to regulate trade with foreign countries and among the states |
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| The portion of Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution that provides for the general welfare of the United States |
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| Enacted in 1868, this amendment contains citizenship rights, due process, and equal protection provisions that states must apply to all citizens |
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| Enacted in 1913, an amendment that grants the national government the power to levy income taxes |
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| The principle that national laws take precedence over state laws |
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| A model of federalism in which the responsibilities and activities of the national and state governments are separate and distinct |
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| A model of federalism that stresses the linkages and joint arrangements among the three levels of government |
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| A model of cooperative federalism in which many new grants-in-aid, including direct national-local financial arrangements, were made. |
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| A model that represents a return of powers and responsibilities to the states |
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| A "no-strings" form of financial aid from one level of government to another |
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| The delegating of power and programs from the federal to state and local governments |
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| An intergovernmental transfer of funds or other assets, subject to conditions |
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Definition
| A form of financial aid from one level of government to another to be used for a narrowly defined purpose |
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Definition
| A form of financial aid from one level of government to another for use in a broad, functional area |
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| A funding mechanism that automatically allocates monies based on conditions in the recipient government |
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Definition
| A funding mechanism that awards monies based on the strength of an applicant government's proposal |
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| A requirement that a state or local government undertake a specific activity or provide a particular service as a condition of funding |
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| Requirements in block grants that assign a certain percentage of an expenditure for a particular activity |
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| The basic legal and political document of a state; it prescribes the rules through which government operates |
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| The legislature's dominance of the other two branches of government |
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| An ideal of the structure and contents of a state constitution, emphasizing brevity and broad functions and responsibilities of government |
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| A state constitutional tradition based on detailed provisions and procedures |
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Definition
| A State constitutional tradition based on basic and enduring principles that reach beyond statutory law |
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| An informal means of revising constitutions whereby members of the executive, legislative, or judicial branch apply constitutional principles and law to the everyday affairs of governing |
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| The power of the U.S. Supreme Court or state supreme courts to declare unconstitutional the actions of the executive and legislative branches as well as decisions of lower courts |
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| The formal approval of a constitution or constitutional amendment by a majority of the voters of a state |
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| the most common means of amending a state constitution, wherein the legislature proposes a revision, usually by a two-thirds majority |
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Definition
| the most common means of amending a state constitution, wherein the legislature proposes a revision, usually by a two-thirds majority |
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Definition
| A proposed law or constitutional amendment that is placed on the ballot by citizen petition |
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Definition
| A procedure by which the voters of a jurisdiction propose the passage of constitutional amendments, state laws, or local ordinances, bypassing the legislative body |
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Definition
| Similar to the direct initiative, except that the voter-initiated proposal must be submitted to the legislature before going on the ballot for voter approval |
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| Constitutional Convention |
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Definition
| An assembly of delegates chosen by popular election or appointed by the legislature or the governor to revise an existing constitution or to create a new one |
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Term
| Constitutional Commission |
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Definition
| A meeting of delegates appointed by the governor or legislature to study constitutional problems and propose solutions |
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Definition
| Actions through which ordinary members of a political system attempt to influence outcomes |
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Term
| Voting RIghts Act of 1965 |
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Definition
| THe law that effectively enfranchised racial minorities by giving the national government the power to decide whether individuals are qualified to vote and to intercede in state and local electoral operations when necessary |
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Term
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Definition
| Adults eighteen years of age and older |
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| Voting-eligible Population |
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Definition
| THe voting-age population excluding those who are noncitizens, convicted felons, or mentally incompetent, depending on state law |
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Definition
| The number of uncounted, unmarked and spoiled ballots in an election |
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Definition
| The electoral mechanism for selecting party nominees to compete in the general election |
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Definition
| A primary in which only voters registered in the party are allowed to participate |
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Definition
| Voters decide which party's primary they will participate in |
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Definition
| A primary in which a voter can choose from among candidates of both parties on a single ballot |
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Definition
| A second election pitting the top two vote-getters from a first election in which no candidate received a majority of the votes cast |
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Definition
| Voters use preference rankings to select candidates at a single election |
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Definition
| The number of votes (though not necessarily a majority) cast for the winning candidates in an election with more than two candidates |
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Definition
| A state-election provision that allows candidates to run on more than one party ticket |
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| The tendency of a winning (or losing) presidential candidate to carry state candidates of the same party into (or out of) office |
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| An election without party labels |
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| Non partisan political organizations that endorse and promote a slate of candidates |
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Definition
| A special type of referendum whereby citizens can petition to vote on actions taken by legislative bodies |
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Definition
| A procedure whereby a governing body submits proposed laws, constitutional amendments, or bond issues to the voters for ratification |
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| A procedure that allows citizens to vote elected officials out of office before their term has expired |
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Definition
| Statutes that open the meetings of government bodies to the public |
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Term
| administrative procedure acts |
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Definition
| Acts that standardize administrative agency operations as a means of safeguarding clients and the general public |
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Definition
| An organization created by government to involve members of the public in studying and recommending solutions to public problems. |
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Definition
| A small group of individuals assembled to provide opinion and feedback about specific issues in government. Participants are often paid for their time. |
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Definition
| A form of participation in which individuals or groups donate time or money to a public purpose |
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| Organizations that nominate candidates to compete in elections, and promote policy ideas |
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| Core beliefs about the form and role of the political system |
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| Voting for candidates of different political parties in a general election |
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Definition
| A practical approach to problem solving; a search for "what works" |
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| A situation in which one party controls the governor'soffice and the other party controls the legislature |
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| A situation in which both the governor's office and the legislature are controlled by the same party |
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| Senators/District/Congressman |
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Definition
| Webb, Warner, 1st district, WIttman |
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Definition
| The weakening of an individual's attachment to political parties |
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| A conservative grassroots political movement whose supporters favor smaller government |
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| Organizations of like-minded individuals who desire to influence the government |
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Definition
| A form of participation designed to draw attention to a cause. (protest marches, blockades, demonstrations) |
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Definition
| The process by which groups and individuals attempt to influence policymakers |
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Definition
| Group mobilization of citizens to contact public officials on behalf of shared public policy views |
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| Political Action Committee |
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Definition
| An organization that raises and distributes campaign funds to candidates for elective office |
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Term
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Definition
| Named after a section in the U.S. tax code, these groups spend money to influence the outcome of elections, but they do not contribute directly to candidates |
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Definition
| Unregulated funds contributed to national political parties and non-party political groups |
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Definition
| Legislative assistance on behalf of a constituent, usually with the bureaucracy |
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Term
| Multimember district (MMD) |
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Definition
| A legislative district that contains more than one seat |
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Definition
| Skewed allocation of legislative districts that violate the "one person, one vote" ideal |
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Definition
| the reallocation of seats in a legislative assembly |
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Definition
| The redrawing of legislative district lines to conform to the one person, one vote ideal |
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Definition
| The process of creatively designing a legislative district to enhance the electoral fortunes of the party in power |
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Term
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Definition
| THe minimum number of legislators who must be present to transact business |
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Term
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Definition
| Literally, "per day". THe payment a legislator receives to cover expenses during the session |
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Term
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Definition
| An elected official who cannot serve beyond the current term of office |
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Definition
| A stash of funds accumulated in advance of a campaign |
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Definition
| A legislator who functions as a conduit for constituency opinion |
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Definition
| A legislator who votes according to his or her conscience and best judgement |
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Definition
| A legislator who functions as either a delegate or a trustee, depending on the circumstances |
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| A person who brings new ideas to a policymaking body |
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| An action whereby the legislature overturns a state agency's rules or regulations |
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Definition
| Statues that set automatic expiration dates for specified agencies and other organizations |
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Definition
| Favoritism, by a governor or other elected official, in distributing government monies or other resources to a particular program, jurisdiction, or individual |
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Definition
| Powers of the governor derived from the state constitution or statute |
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| Powers of the governor not derived from constitutional or statutory law |
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Definition
| A system in which more than one member of the executive branch is popularly elected on a statewide ballot |
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Definition
| The informal power for a governor (or other officeholder) to make appointments on the basis of party membership and to dispense contracts or other favors to political supporters |
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| The governor's formal power to veto a bill in its entirety |
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Definition
| The governor's formal power to veto separate items in a bill instead of the entire piece of proposed legislation |
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Definition
| The governor's power to withhold approval or disapproval of a bill after the legislature has adjourned for the session, thus vetoing the measure |
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Definition
| A type of veto used by the governor to reject a bill and also to recommend changes that would cause the governor to reconsider the bill's approval |
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| a rule, regulation, or policy issued unilaterally by the governor to affect executive branch operations or activities |
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| A case that concerns a dispute involving individuals or organizations |
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Definition
| A case brought by the state against persons accused of violating state law |
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| A case in which a government agency applies rules to settle a legal dispute |
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| Unwritten law based on tradition, custom, or court decisions |
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Definition
| The power of a court to hear a case first |
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Definition
| The power of a court to review cases previously decided by a lower court |
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| LImited Jurisdiction Trial Courts |
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Definition
| Courts with original jurisdiction over specialized cases such as juvenile offenses and traffic violations |
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Definition
| Court of general jurisdiction that handles major criminal and civil cases |
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Definition
| The highest state court, beyond which there is no appeal except in cases involving federal law |
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| Intermediate Appellate court |
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Definition
| A state appellate court that relieves the case burden on the supreme court by hearing certain types of appeals |
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Definition
| Negotiation between a prosecutor and a criminal defendant's counsel that results in the defendant's pleading guilty to a lesser charge or pleading guilty in exchange for a reduced sentence |
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| A trial by a single judge, without a jury |
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Definition
| A trial in which a jury decides the facts and makes a finding of guilty or not guilty |
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| The legal principle that previous court decisions should be applied to future decisions |
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Definition
| The legal doctrine that precedents should guide judges' ruling |
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| State constitutional and statutory law and consulted and applied before federal law |
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Definition
| Judges' making of public policy through decisions that overturn existing law or effectively make new laws |
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Definition
| A rule that limits the powers of local government to those expressly granted by the state or those powers closely linked to the expressed powers |
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Term
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Definition
| Enacted by the governing body, it is the local government equivalent of a law |
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Definition
| THe legal ability of a local government to run its own affairs, subject to state oversight |
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Definition
| The shift in power from state government to local government |
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| Mandate Reimbursement Requirements |
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Definition
| Measures that take the financial sting out of state mandates |
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Definition
| The addition of unincorporated adjacent territory to a municipality |
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Definition
| A central city of at least 50,000 people, the adjacent suburbs, and the surrounding county (or counties); often called an urban area. |
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Definition
| Populated areas, often residential in character, on the outskirts of a central city. Some suburbs have their own governments; some do not |
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Definition
| New boom towns featuring retail shops and malls, restaurants, office buildings, and housing developments, far from the central city |
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| Development characterized by low population density, rapid land consumption, and dependence on the automobile |
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Definition
| A fee, levied by a government on developers, that is intended to shift some of the societal costs of growth to the developer |
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| Government efforts to limit urban sprawl by managing growth |
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Definition
| An area-wide structure for local governance, designed to replace multiple jurisdictions |
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| city-county consolidation |
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Definition
| THe merger of city and county governments into a single jurisdiction |
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Definition
| The theory that individuals shop around to find a local government whose taxes and services are in line with their own preferences |
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Definition
| Formal organizations of general purpose governments in an area, intended to improve regional coordination |
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| Floor Area Ratio-amount of developed area within an acre |
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