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| a system of gov't in which the legislature selects a prime minister or parliament |
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| the joint listing of the prez and vp candidates on the same ballot as required by the 12th amendment |
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| the president's constitutional authority to control most executive functions |
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| a formal, public agreement b/t the US and one or more nations that must be approved by 2/3 Senate |
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| a formal agreement b/t the US prez and the leaders of other nations that does not require Senate approval |
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| congressional-executive agreement |
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| a formal agreement b/t the US prez and leaders of other nations that requires approval by both houses on Congress. |
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| Prez appointment made w/o Senate confirmation during Senate recess. |
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| a formal decision to reject a bill passed by Congress |
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| a formal decision to reject a bill passed by Congress after it adjourns- if Congress adjourns during the ten days that the prez gets before making a decision, then the veto stands with no chance of override. |
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| the constitutional requirement (in Arlticle II, Section III) that prezs take care that the laws are faithfully executed, even if they disagree with the purpose of them |
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| powers that grow out of the very existence of gov't |
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| State of the Union Address |
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| The Prez's annual statement to Congress and the nation. |
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| A formal accusation against the prez or another public official; the first step in removal from office |
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| The right to keep executive communications confidential, especially if they relate to national security. |
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| formal orders issued by the prez to direct action by the federal bureaucracy. |
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| a decision b the prez not to spend money appropriated by Congress, now prohibited under federal law. |
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| prez power to strike, or remove, specific items from a spending bill w/o vetoing the entire package; declared unconstitutional by the SC |
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| a formal doct that explains why a prez is singing a particular bill into law. May contain objections and promises not to implement key sections |
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| the head of the White House staff |
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| Executive Office of the President |
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| The cluster of prez staff agencies that help the prez carry out his responsibilities. Currently includes Office of Management and Budget, the Council of Economic Advisers, etc. |
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| Office of Management and Budget (OMB) |
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| A prez staff agency that serves as a clearinghouse for budgetary requests and management improvements for gov't agencies. |
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| the advisory council for the prez, consisting of the heads of the executive departments, the VP, and a few other officials selected by the prez. |
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| presidential support score |
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| the percentage of times a prez wins on key votes in Congress. |
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| a prez's claim of broad public support |
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| a rise in public approval of the prez that follows a crisis as Americans "rally 'round the flag" and the chief executive. |
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| a judicial system in which the court of law is a neutral arena when two parties argue their diffs. |
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| a law that defines crimes against the public order |
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| a law that governs relationships b/t indivs and defines their legal rights. |
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| in a criminal action, the person or party accused of an offense |
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| an agreement b/t a prosecutor and a defendant that the defendant will plead guilty to a lesser offense to avoid having to stand trial for a more serious offense. |
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| a dispute growing out of an actual case or controversy that is capable of settlement by legal methods. |
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| the party investigating a civil lawsuit |
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| the 3rd-ranking official in the Dep of Justice who is responsible for representing the US in cases before the US SC. |
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| an arrangement whereby public officials are hired to provide legal assistance to people accused of crimes who are unable to hire their own attorneys. |
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| the authority of a court to hear a case "in the first instance" |
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| the authority of a court to review decisions made by lower courts. |
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| a court with appellate jurisdiction that hears appeals from the decisions of lower courts. |
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| a decision made by a higher court such as a circuit court of appeals or the SC that is binding in all other federal courts. |
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| the prez custom of submitting the names of prospective appointees for approval to senators from the states in which to appointee are to work. |
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| a philosophy proposing that judges should strike down laws that are inconsistent with norms and values stated or implied in the Constitution. |
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| a philosophy proposing that judges should strike down the actions of the elected branches only if they clearly violate the literal meaning of the Const. |
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| a formal write used to bring a case before the SC |
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| a petition that allows a party to file "as a pauper" and avoid paying court fees. |
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| the list of potential cases that reach the SC |
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| " friend of the court" brief, filed by an indiv or organization to present arguments in addition to those presented by the immediate parties to the case. |
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| an explanation of a decision of the SC or any other appellate court |
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| an opinion disagreeing with the majority in a SC ruling. |
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| an opinion that agrees with the maj in a SC ruling but differs on the reasoning |
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| the rule of precedent, whereby a rule of law contained in a judicial decision is commonly viewed as binding on judges whenever the same question is presented. |
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| a specific course of action that gov't takes to address a problem. |
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| a public policy such as Social Security that provides benefits to all groups in society. |
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| policy that provides to one group of society while taking away benefits for another through policy tools such as tax increases to pay for job training. |
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| policy that takes away exactly as much in benefits as another group gains. |
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| a decision not to move ahead with the policy process. In short, it is a decision not to decide. |
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| the list of issues that the federal gov't pays attention to |
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| a nongov't organization that seeks to influence public policy through research and education |
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the movement of public opinion toward public policy from initial enthusiasm for action to realization of costs and a decline in interest. |
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| small adjustments to existing public policies |
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| radical changes to public policies that occur only after the mobilization of large segments of society to demand action. |
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| a policy making instrument composed of a tightly related alliance of a congressional committee, interest groups, and federal department of agency. |
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| a policy making instrument composed of loosely related interest groups, congressional committee, prez aides, and other parties. |
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| policy that encourages or discourages certain behavior by imposing a legally-binding rule. Rules are made through a long process that begins with an act of Congress and ends with issuance of a final rule. |
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| precise statement of how a law is implemented |
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| gov't policy that attempts to manage the economy by controlling taxing and spending |
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| gov't policy that attempts to manage the economy by controlling the money supply and thus interest rates. |
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| a rise in the general price level (and decrease in $ value) owing to an increase in the volume of $$ and credit in relation to available goods. |
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| # of Americans who are out of work but actively looking for a job. The # does not usually include those who are not looking. |
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| a combo of an economic slowdown (stagnation) and a rise in price (inflation). |
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| gross domestic product (GDP) |
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| the value of all goods and services produced by an economy during a specific period of time such as a year. |
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| a consumer tax on a specific kind of merchandise, such as tobacco |
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| the condition that exists when the federal gov't raises less revenue than it spends. |
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| a tax levied on imports to help protect a nation's industries, labor, or farmers from foreign competition. It can also be used to raise additional revenue. |
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| a tax graduated so that ppl with higher incomes pay a larger fraction of their income than ppl with lower incomes. |
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| tax whereby ppl with lower incomes pay a larger fraction of their income than ppl with higher incomes. |
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| the total amount of $$ the federal gov't has borrowed to finance deficit spending over the years. |
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| Congressional Budget Office (CBO) |
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| An agency of Congress that analyzes prez budget recommendations and estimates the costs of proposed legislation. |
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| a loss of tax revenue due to federal laws that provide special tax incentives or benefits to indivs or businesses. |
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| a general tax on sales transactions, sometimes exempting such items such as food and drugs. |
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| a tax on increased value of a product at each stage of production and distribution rather than just at the point of sale. |
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| the system created by Congress in 1913 to estbl banking practices and regulate currency in circulation and the amount of credit available. It consists of 12 regional baks supervised by the Board of Governors. Often called the "Fed" |
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| the amount of interest banks charge for loans to each other |
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| a theory that opposed gov't interferences in economic affairs beyond what is necessary to protect life and property. |
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| an eco theory based on the principles of John Maynard Keynes stating that gov't spending should increase during business slumps and be curbed during booms. |
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| a policy of erecting trade barriers to protect domestic industry |
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| an imbalance in international trade in which the value of imports exceeds the value of exports |
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| World Trade Organization (WTO) |
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Definition
| international organization derived from the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) that promotes free trade around the world. |
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| General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) |
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| international trade organization with more than 130 members that seeks to encourage free trade by lowering tariffs and other trade restrictions. |
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| North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) |
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| agreement signed by US Mexico and Canade in 1992 to form the largest free trade zone in the world. |
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| domination of an industry by a single company; also the company that dominates the industry |
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| federal laws that try to prevent a monopoly from dominating an industry and restraining trade. |
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| a monopoly that controls goods and services, often in combos that reduce competition |
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| a company with a labor agreement under which union membership is a condition of employment |
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| a company in which new employees must join a union within a stated period of time. |
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| a court order forbidding specific indivs or groups from performing certain acts (such as striking) that the court considers harmful to the rights and property of an employer or a community |
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| a method whereby representatives of the union and employer determine wages, hours, and other conditions of employment through direct negotiations |
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| environmental impact statement |
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| a statement required by federal law from all agencies for any project using federal funds to assess the potential effect of the new construction or development on the environment |
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| a policy promoting cutbacks in the amount of federal regulation in specific areas of economic activity |
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| programs which as unemployment insurance, disaster relief, or disability payments that provide benefits to all eligible citizens |
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| means-tested entitlements |
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| programs such as Medicaid and welfare under which applicants must meet eligibility requirements based on need. |
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| the many programs that the federal gov't provides to protect Americans against eco and social misfortune |
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| aid to the poor, welfare. |
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| programs in which eligibility is based on prior contributions to gov't, usually in the form of payroll taxes |
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| a combo of entitlement programs, paid for by employer and employee taxes, that includes retirement benefits, health insurance, and support for disabled workers and the children of deceased or disabled workers. |
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| a national health insurance program for the elderly and disabled |
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| a federal program that provides medical benefits for low-income ppl |
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| theory of international relations that focuses on the tendency of nations to operate from self-interest |
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| theory of international relations that focuses on the hope that nations will act together to solve international problems and promote peace |
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| the desire to avoid international engagement alltogether |
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| the belief that nations must engage in international problem solving |
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| a philosophy that encourages indiv nations to act on their own when facing threats from other nations. |
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| a policy adopted by the Bush Admin in 2001 that asserts America's right to attack any nation that has weapons of mass destruction that may be used against US interests at home or abroad |
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| a philosphy that encourages indiv nations to act together to solve international problems |
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| a policy of taking action before the US is attacked rather than waiting for provocation |
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| weapons of mass destruction |
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| biological, chemical, ornuclear weapons that can cause a massive # of deaths in a single use |
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| relliance on eco and military strength to solve international problems. |
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| reliance on diplomact and negotiation to solve international problems |
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| a theory that is based on creating enough military strength to persuade other nations not to attack first. |
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| trade status granted as part of an international trade policy that gives a nation the same favorable trade concessions and tariffs that the best trading partners receive |
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| denial of export, import, or financial relations with a target country in an effort to change that nation's policies. |
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