AP NSL- AP Exam Review

deflation

A decrease in the general level of prices

floor leaders

A political party leader in Congress who works for the passage of bills the party favors

Federal Reserve Board

A seven-member board that sets member banks reserve requirements, controls the discount rate, and makes other economic decisions.

checks and balances

A system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power

Bundling

A tactic in which PACs collect contributions from like-minded individuals (each limited to $2,000) and present them to a candidate or political party as a "bundle," thus increasing the PAC's influence.

Progressive taxes

A tax rate that increases as the amount of ones income increases

logrolling

An arrangement in which two or more members of Congress agree in advance to support each other's bills

how judicial experience plays into appointment and confirmation of judges

judges with more experience = more likely to get approved

blue states

largely uncontested states in which the Democratic candidate for president is very likely to win

red states

largely uncontested states in which the Republican candidate for president is very likely to win

Article III of the constitution

lays out the judiciary

minority leader

leader of the minority party in a legislature.

Campaign finance reform

legislation aimed at placing limits on political candidates accepting money and gifts from individuals and special interest groups

unanimous consent

legislative action taken "without objection" as a way to expedite business; used to conduct much of the business of the Senate.

22nd amendment

limits the number of terms a president may be elected to serve

democratic values

Freedom of Expression, Individualism, Equality of Opportunity (political equality, NOT economic), Majority rule (minority rights), Respect for Law

revenue sharing

Form of federal monetary aid under which Congress gave a share of federal tax revenue, with virtually no restrictions, to the States, cities, counties, and townships

White House Staff

Personnel who run the White House and advise the President. Includes the Chief of Staff and Press Secretary. Often given the title special assistant. Does NOT need senate approval.

17th amendment

Passed in 1913, this amendment to the Constitution calls for the direct election of senators by the voters instead of their election by state legislatures.

discharge petition

Petition that, if signed by majority of the House of Representatives' members, will pry a bill from committee and bring it to the floor for consideration.

Means tested entitlement

Programs such as Medicaid and Welfare under which applicants must meet eligibility requirements based on need.

social insurance programs

Programs to help the elderly, ill, and unemployed if the claimant has paid into them

Anti-trust laws

Prohibit monopolies & contracts, combinations & conspiracies that unreasonably restrain trade.

10th amendment

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

personal property

Movable objects, not real property, sometimes called chattels, such as cars, cash, stock

franking privilege

benefit allowing members of Congress to mail letters and other materials postage-free

Scotus

judges will often retire when the president has similiar views to them so their replacment has simliar views...

Dred Scott v Sandord

(1857), declared that slaves were not citizens of the U.S.

Munn v Illinois

(1877) United States Supreme Court Case that ended up allowing states to regulate business within their borders, including railroads

Earl Warren Court

(1954-1969) strong impact, 1954 Brown decision, 1960s made series of decisions on criminal justice system (Miranda, Escobedo), the political system of states & the definition of individual rights that had a pivotal effect on US politics & society.

Equal Pay Act

(1963), made it illegal for employers to pay female workers less than men for the same job

Educational Amendments Act

(1972) outlawed sexual discrimination in higher education

Hatch Act

A federal law prohibiting government employees from active participation in partisan politics.

appropriation

A legislative grant of money to finance a government program or agency

alien

A person who comes from a foreign country

cloture

A procedure used in the Senate to limit debate on a bill

Federal Election Commission

A six-member bipartisan agency created by the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1974. The federal Election Commission administers and enforces campaign finance laws.

Original Intent

A view that the Constitution should be interpreted according to the original intent of the framers. Many conservatives support this view.

Absentee ballot

Allows a person to vote without going to the polls on election day.

16th amendment

Amendment to the United States Constitution (1913) gave Congress the power to tax income.

Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974

An act designed to reform the congressional budgetary process. Its supporters hoped that it would also make Congress less dependent on the president's budget and better able to set and meet its own budgetary goals.

Supply side economics

An economic philosophy that holds the sharply cutting taxes will increase the incentive people have to work, save, and invest. Greater investments will lead to more jobs, a more productive economy, and more tax revenues for the government.

dark horse candidate

An unexpected presidential nomination. Polk was one of the first dark horse candidate. This shows the variance among America's political parties at the time.

Federalist 51

Argues that separation of powers within the national government is the best way to prevent the concentration of power in the hands of one person or a single group.

presentment clause

Article 1, section 7, revenue measures have to come from the house, every bill has to be passed by both chambers in identical form before it is presented to the president for signature, veto overrides requires 2/3 vote of both chambers

administrative discretion

Authority given by Congress to the Federal bureaucracy to use reasonable judgment in implementing the laws.

exclusive jurisdiction

Authority of only federal courts to hear and decide cases

civil rights act of 1965

Banned racial discrimination in public facilities

Oregon v Smith

Banned the use of illegal drugs in religious ceremonies. Ruled that the government can act when religious practices violate criminal laws.

civil law

Body of law dealing with private rights of individuals

attack ads

Campaign advertising that criticizes a candidate's opponent-typically by making potentially damaging claims about the opponents background or record- rather than focusing on positive reasons to vote for the candidate

Split Ticket Voting

Casting votes for candidates of one's own party and for candidates of opposing parties, e.g., voting for a Republican presidential candidate and a Democratic congressional candidate.

Prior Restraint

Censorship imposed before a speech is made or a newspaper is published; usually presumed to be unconstitutional.

20th amendment

Changed date president takes office from March 4th to January 20th. Changed start of Congress to January3rd. End of Lame Duck Congress

substantive due process

Constitutional requirement that governments act reasonably and that the substance of the laws themselves be fair and reasonable; limits what the government may do.

doctrine of original intent

Constitutionality of US laws are evaluated by Supreme Court using original intentions of the writers of the Constitution.

Clinton Administration

Democrat Al Gore VP North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Clinton-Lewinsky Scandal Don't Ask don't tell

White Primaries

Democratic primary in the south that was limited to white people; ruled unconstitutional in Smith v. Allwright

DOD

Department of Defense [Formerly the Department of War]

Competitive seat

Draws strong candidates from both major parties while still others involve in an open seat

Bailey v US

Drugs +"use" of gun = 5 year sentence. The Supreme Court ruled instead that "use" means "active employment" of a firearm, and sent the cases back to the lower court for further proceedings. As a result of the Court's decision in Bailey, Congress amended the statute to expressly include possession of a firearm as requiring the additional five-year prison term.

state constitutions

During the revolutionary war, most states had their own const. to spell out the rights of citizens and set limits on the gvns. power.

FCC

Federal Communications Commission: established to oversee wired and wireless communication

categorical grants

Federal grants for specific purposes, such as building an airport

Block grants

Federal grants given more or less automatically to states or communities to support broad programs in areas such as community development and social services

27th amendment

First proposed in 1789, this amendment passed in 1992 prohibits Congress from raising their own pay. Pay raises may not take affect until the beginning of the next term.

Max Weber

German sociologist that regarded the development of rational social orders as humanity's greatest achievement. Saw bureaucratization (the process whereby labor is divided into an organized community and individuals acquire a sense of personal identity by finding roles for themselves in large systems) as the driving force in modern society.

divided government

Governance divided between the parties, as when one holds the presidency and the other controls one or both houses of Congress.

public assistance

Government aid to individuals who can demonstrate a need for that aid.

Laissez faire economics

Government should stay out of business

GOP

Grand Old Party (Republican)

Socio-economic

Group status based on social groupings and economic status; in terms of e-Commerce, these groups may or may not be limited by financial security, credit status/credit card ownership, and cost of online access.

chief diplomat (president)

Head of state in representing the nation. The President negotiates treaties, appoints ambassadors, and receives foreign ambassadors.

Nixon Administration

Henry Kissinger War Powers Resolution Detente Vietnamization China Eased Soviet tension The Nixon Doctrine Stagflation Kent State University Cambodia Pentagon Papers Plumbers Watergate Scandal Saturday Night Massacre

Non-Protected Speech

Libel, obscenity, fighting words, and commercial speech, which are not entitled to constitutional protection in all circumstances.

Jus Sanguinis

Literally meaning "right of blood", confers citizenship to a child from the parents.

Entitlement programs

Madatory payments made by the federal government to people meeting eligibility requirements, such as Social Security, vets, welfare, medicare

limits on PAC donations

Maximum of: $5,000 to a candidate or candidate committee for each election (primary and general elections count as separate elections); $15,000 to a political party per year; and $5,000 to another PAC per year. PACs may make unlimited expenditures independently of a candidate or political party

committee chairman

Member who heads a standing committee in a legislative body. seniority rules bitch

mid-term elections

Midterm elections are elections in the United States in which members of United States Congress (including all 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives and full terms for 33 or 34 of the 100 seats in the United States Senate), and some state legislatures & governors are elected, but no presidential election is held. Usually has much lower turn outs.

grants-in-aid

Money given by the national government to the states

conglomerates

Multi-interest and often multinational corporations that, under one corporate roof, may manufacture a wide variety of products.

camp x-ray

Name the prison in Guantanamo Bay where the U.S. held unlawful enemy combatants from the Taliban and al-Qaeda, denying these prisoners rights they would have had were they kept in an American state or territory.

NAACP

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People- The group that fought for civil rights. They had the attorneys in brown v board. They are still really big today.

NOW

National Organization for Women- They work to help women's rights

4th amendment

No unreasonable searches or seizures

N.A.F.T.A.

North American Free Trade Agreement; allows open trade with US, Mexico, and Canada

legitimacy

Political authority conferred by law or by a state or national constitution

hard money

Political contributions given to a party, candidate, or interest group that are limited in amount and fully disclosed.

revolving door

Politicians tend to become lobbyists shortly after reitiring

Kim Wardlaw-I dont think you need to worry about her

President Clinton nominated Wardlaw to the United States District Court for the Central District of California on August 10, 1995.

Clinton last day pardons

President Clinton pardoned over 140 people on his last day in office. Several of these were controversial.

Great Society

President Johnson called his version of the Democratic reform program the Great Society. In 1965, Congress passed many Great Society measures, including Medicare, civil rights legislation, and federal aid to education.

square deal

President Theodore Roosevelt's plan for reform; all Americans are entitled to an equal opportinity to succeed

President as a party leader

President picks day-to-day leadership of his party, needs support from his party to pass legislation and they need support from him. If presidential approval ratings drop low most members see no political advantage of campaigning with the president or supporting his proposals.

line item veto

Presidential power to strike, or remove, specific items from a spending bill without vetoing the entire package; declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

presidential vs. parliamentary government

Presidential--the executive and legislative branches of the government are separate, independent of one another, and coequal; Parliamentary--the executive is made up of the prime minister or premier, and that official's cabinet

Methods used by the president to control the bureaucracy

Presidents make hundreds of appointments to the executive branch who share their views on different policies. They can also making changes in an agency's annual budget requests and ignore legislative initiatives originiating within the bureaucracy. The most effective use of presidential power is by executive order, which occurs very rarely.

Labor Department

Primary concern is to promote the interest of the nation's wage earners and to improve working conditions and opportunities for employment

recall

Procedure for submitting to popular vote the removal of officials from office before the end of their term.

18th amendment

Prohibited the manufacture, sale, and distribution of alcoholic beverages

Protests (use by interest groups)

Protests are used to help them spread the word about there cause. Can often get them free media time

Department of Health and Human Services

Provides health insurance, tries to keep people healthy from things like the flu, supports finding cures for diseases.

Mandatory spending

Required govt spending by permanent laws

12th amendment

Required presidential electors to vote separately for president and vice president

Council of Economic Affairs

Requires the president to submit an economic report stating the "condition of the economy in america", and suggest ways to help

7th amendment

Right to a trial by jury in civil cases

how the role of race and gender plays into appointment and confirmation of judges

Some presidents (such as Obama) recently have tried to really diversify the courts to better represent the american people.

earmarks

Special spending projects that are set aside on behalf of individual members of Congress for their constituents.

Snyder v Phelps

Speech on a public sidewalk, about a public issue, cannot be liable for a tort of emotional distress, even if the speech is found to be "outrageous". Fourth Circuit affirmed, trial court reversed and remanded.

independent expenditures

Spending by political action committees, corporations, or labor unions that is done to help a party or candidate but is done independently of them.

photo op

Staged appearance by politician (ex., at a hospital or work-site) with media coverage for maximum positive publicity

Article VI

Supremacy Clause (nat'l government's rules and laws override those of the states)

Miranda v Arizona

Supreme Court held that criminal suspects must be informed of their right to consult with an attorney and of their right against self-incrimination prior to questioning by police.

New Jersey v TLO

Supreme court case in which it was decided that a student may be searched if there is "reasonable ground" for doing so.

TV's influence on elections

TV is the main place people get their news (the internet is taking over though) this plays a big role. They help control what people see and hear, and what they think. They also help with peoples political socialization

Excise taxes

Taxes placed on manufactured products. The excise tax on whiskey helped raise revenue for Hamilton's program.

chief citizen

Term for the President as the representative of the people, working for the public interest

conditions of aid

Terms set by the national government that states must meet if they are to receive certain federal funds.

Jim Crow Laws

The "separate but equal" segregation laws state and local laws enacted in the Southern and border states of the United States and enforced between 1876 and 1965

Engel v Vitale

The 1962 Supreme Court decision holding that state officials violated the First Amendment when they wrote a prayer to be recited by New York's schoolchildren.

Roe v Wade

The 1973 Supreme Court decision holding that a state ban on all abortions was unconstitutional. The decision forbade state control over abortions during the first trimester of pregnancy, permitted states to limit abortions to protect the mother's health in the second trimester, and permitted states to protect the fetus during the third trimester.

Budget Requests

The Chief Executive's budget staff may prepare the budget requests for smaller agencies

Cost-benefits analysis

The analysis to compare costs and benefits to see whether investing in the development of a new system will be beneficial

statutory law

The body of law enacted by legislative bodies (as opposed to constitutional law, administrative law, or case law).

Bureaucracy's power to implement/regulate/spend

The Bureaucracy has the right to decide how it spends money, most of the time bills congress pass to appropriate them money aren't for an entirley specific purpose. The individual agencies can decide how exactly the money will be used. The laws that are passed by congress are also not always very specific. The agencies can each create rules that explain in detail how a law that will be implemented.

constitution ratification

The Constitution had to be ratified (approved) by at least 9 of the 13 original states in order to be put into effect.

HUD

The Department of Housing and Urban Development which is responsible for the implementation and administration of U.S. government housing and urban development programs.

Legislative Veto

The authority of Congress to block a presidential action after it has taken place. The Supreme Court has held that Congress does not have this power

gulf of tonkin resolution

The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was a joint resolution of the U.S. Congress passed on August 7, 1964 in direct response to a minor naval engagement known as the Gulf of Tonkin Incident. It is of historical significance because it gave U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson authorization, without a formal declaration of war by Congress, for the use of military force in Southeast Asia.

House ways and means committee

The House of Representatives committee that, along with the Senate Finance Committee, writes the tax codes, subject to the approval of Congress as a whole.

arguments for conservative bias of the media

The Local media will make villains out of projects that go over budget, they will also only show how taxes effect people, not how the legislation that they support will help them

new deal coalition

The New Deal coalition is an American political term that refers to the alignment of interest groups and voting blocs that supported the New Deal and voted for Democratic presidential candidates from 1932 until the late 1960s

Executive Immunity

The President has absolute immunity from civil damages based on any action he took within his official responsibilities, but there is no immunity for acts that allegedly occurred before taking office. If presidential aides have exercised discretionary authority in a sensitive area, they may share the immunity for suits brought concerning that area.

impoundment

The President's refusal to spend money Congress has voted to fund a program

administrative law

The body of law created by administrative agencies (in the form of rules, regulations, orders, and decisions) in order to carry out their duties and responsibilities.

congressional election of 1994

The Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich says he'll do anything he can to get Clinton out; Republican majority

wall of separation doctrine

The Supreme Court's interpretation of the No Establishment Clause that laws may not have as their purpose aid to one religion or aid to all religions.

three-fifths compromise

The agreement by which the number of each state's representatives in Congress would be based on a count of all the free people plus three-fifths of the slaves

Racial Gerrymandering

The drawing of election districts so as to ensure that members of a certain race are a minority in the district; ruled unconstitutional in Gomillion v. Lightfoot (1960).

Gerrymandering

The drawing of legislative district boundaries to benefit a party, group, or incumbent.

Monetary policy

The management of the money supply and interest rates

Arguments for liberal bias of the media

The media is more leaning towards it's side of the story, it wants to present the issues that it thinks people will care about. These issues typically invoke more feelings of we need stuff, which is more liberal. Also most national stations (except fox) are more liberal.

constitutional convention

The meeting of state delegates in 1787 in Philadelphia called to revise the Articles of Confederation. It instead designed a new plan of government, the US Constitution.

Robert Bork

The most recent Supreme court nominee to be denied, he decided answering every question that he was completely instead of giving vague answers was a good idea. Look at him now.

referendum

The name given to the political process in which the general public votes on an issue of public concern.

Bicameralism

The principle of a two-house legislature

Privatization

To change from government or public ownership or control to private ownership or control.

authorizing committee

Type of committee that proposes solutions and determines funding

slander

an abusive attack on a person's character or good name

executive agreement

an agreement between the president and the leader of another country

how president is a moral builder

best example: fire side chats. the president helps the coutry through it's worst times and helps build morale. Critical when we go to war. FDR and Reagan masters of this.

bail

deliver something in trust to somebody for a special purpose and for a limited period

diffuse support

fundamental support for our system of government, constitution, systems ect even if specific isn't good, trust it will work out most people don't want fundamental change STRONG in U.S.

Medicare

health care for the aged

Unreasonable search and siezure

search that violates the 4th amendment

Vice President

second highest elected off in the nation

DOJ

the United States federal department responsible for enforcing federal laws (including the enforcement of all civil rights legislation)

Incumbent

the official who holds an office

Morse v Frederick

"Bong Hits For Jesus Case" 2007 Supreme Court decision thats said the First Amendment does not prevent educators from suppressing student speech, at a school-supervised event, that is reasonably viewed as promoting illegal drug use

Brandenburg v Ohio

(1969) , extended freedom of speech to new limits. Threats of a KKK leader were deemed ok b/c of a failure to prove a real danger from them. Declared that speech is protected unless proven that actions directly incited the action

Swann v Charlotte-Mecklenburg

(1971) integration in public schools was an important United States Supreme Court case dealing with the busing of students to promote integration in public schools.

US v Nixon

(1974) Is the President's right to safeguard certain information, using his "executive privilege" confidentiality power, entirely immune from judicial review? No. The Supreme Court does have the final voice in determining constitutional questions; no person, not even the President of the United States, is completely above law; and the president cannot use executive privilege as an excuse to withhold evidence that is 'demonstrably relevant in a criminal trial

Bakke v UC Davis

(1978) Invalidating admissions quota system based on race, where no showing of institution-specific history of discrimination. Racial preference for its own sake unconstitutional. Diversity a valid goal, but must be "narrowly tailored" to achieve.

INS v Chada

(1983) Legislative veto violated the constitutional separation of powers inconsistent with the bicameralism principle and Presentment Clause of the United States Constitution.

Employment Division v Smith

(1990) The Court ruled that Oregon could deny unemployment benefits to workers fired for using dugs (peyote) as part of a religious ceremeony

Shaw v Reno

(1993), No racial gerrymandering; race cannot be the sole or predominant factor in redrawing legislative boundaries; majority-minority districts.

Grutter v Bollinger

(2003), case in which Supreme Court held that University of Michigan's law school admission program was sufficiently "narrowly tailored" to consider race as a factor in admission decisions in order to achieve goal of a diverse student body

necessary and proper clause

(Article I, Section 8, Clause 3) Constitutional clause that gives congress the power to make all laws "necessary and proper" for executing its powers.

Sandra Day O'Connor

(b. 1930) Arizona state senator from 1969 to 1974, appointed to the Arizona Court of Appeals in 1979. Reagan appointed her to the U.S. Supreme Court, making her the first female Justice of the Supreme Court.

conviction

(criminal law) a final judgment of guilty in a criminal case and the punishment that is imposed

Hoover Administration

- Rugged Individualism- It refers to the idea that each individual should be able to help themselves out, and that the government does not need to involve itself in people's economic lives nor in national economics in general. - Was not in favor of government spending. - Did not believe in direct government aid - took over when great depression started did nothing. Belived in lassie-faire economics

Ford Administration

- When Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974, Ford assumed the presidency, making him the only person to assume the presidency without having been previously voted into either the presidential or vice presidential office. - "I am acutely aware that you have not elected me as your president by your ballots, and so I ask you to confirm me as your president with your prayers."[55] - With inflation at 11% in 1974, FORD promoted a voluntary approach to energy use & inflation control w/ little effect - When the Federal Reserve Board raised interest rates, the worse recession since the 1930s hit the US in 1975, with unemployment reaching over 8%. Complicating the economic situation, American productivity had been falling sicne the mid-1960s, raching a low of 0.2% in the later 1970s.

Obama Administration

-accountability -national standards/assessments -major changing on low performing schools -funding race to the top -pro charter school

Everson v BOE

..., Allowed free transportation of private/parochial school kids on public school buses

Allegheny v ACLU

..., Chanukah and Christmas displays are permitted in public places but not one display and not the other (doesn't include houses) (1989)

In re Gault

..., Children were granted some of the rights in criminal cases protected by the Bill of Rights.

Florida v Harris

..., Police officer pulled the man over and used a dog to sniff the outside of the car, when the dog alerted the officer, and found drugs. While on bail, the same thing happened again but the officer did not find drugs. Court held as long as the officer had fair probability according to the reasonable and prudent act, that the search was lawful

Family Research Council

..., Promotes faith (religious) based work as it applies to freedom and family

Fletcher v Peck

..., Supreme Court case which protected property rights and asserted the right to invalidate state laws in conflict with the Constitution

Lemon v Kurtzman

..., The 1971 Supreme Court decision that established that aid to church-related schools must (1) have a secular legislative purpose; (2) have a primary effect that neither advances nor inhibits religion; and (3) not foster excessive government entanglement with religion.

Hazelwood v Kuhlmeier

..., The Court held that public school curricular student newspapers that have not been established as forums for student expression are subject to a lower level of First Amendment protection than independent student expression or newspapers established (by policy or practice) as forums for student expression.

Katz v US

..., This 1967 Supreme Court case prohibited illegal eavesdropping and extending the zone of privacy to include the home, office, person, and immediate public arena.

Kyllo v US

..., When the gov't uses a device not in general public use to explore details of the home previously unknown (without physical intrusion), the surveillance is a 'search' and unreasonable without a warrant

NARAL

..., a North American Pro-Choice advocate that is opposed to the denial or threat of denial of the freedom of abortion.

Gratz v Bollinger

..., affirmative action case; a point system for admission in which points were given for race was ruled unconstitutional; too much like a quota system; upheld Bakke case

American Center for Law and Justice

..., conservative, Christian pro-life group

People for the American Way

..., formed in 1982 by prominent figures to support American civil liberties and freedoms rather just conservative Christianity

California v Greenwood

..., garbage containers outside of the curtilage of the home are considered abandoned and may be searched without a warrant and without cause

Janet Napolitano

..., secretary of homeland security

Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe

..., students may not lead prayers before the start of a football game at a public school

Milliken v Bradley

..., supreme court case that ruled that desegregation plans could not require students to move across school district lines

techniques interest groups use

1. Lobbying 2. Publicity/Mass Media/Internet 3. Mass Mailing 4. Direct Contact with Government 5. Litigation 6. Protest 7. Support for Candidates 8. Campaign Contributions 9. Creation of New Political Parties

presidential powers

1. runs executive branch 2. commander and cheif or military 3. makes treaties 4. appoints government officials 5. Vetos laws 6. cangrant pardon to people convicted of crimes

Senate elections

1/3 of seats are elected every 2 years on the Tuesday following the 1st Monday of November (election day); seats for each state are never up for election at the same time

Equal Protection Clause

14th amendment clause that prohibits states from denying equal protection under the law, and has been used to combat discrimination

alexander hamilton

1789-1795; First Secretary of the Treasury. He advocated creation of a national bank, assumption of state debts by the federal government, and a tariff system to pay off the national debt.

Pendleton Act

1883 law that created a Civil Service Commission and stated that federal employees could not be required to contribute to campaign funds nor be fired for political reasons

Wagner Act

1935; established National Labor Relations Board; protected the rights of most workers in the private sector to organize labor unions, to engage in collective bargaining, and to take part in strikes and other forms of concerted activity in support of their demands.

West Virginia Board of Education v Barnette

1943, forcing students to salute the flag is a violation of 1st amendment free speech, and is therefore unconstitutional.

Korematsu v US

1944 Supreme Court case where the Supreme Court upheld the order providing for the relocation of Japanese Americans. It was not until 1988 that Congress formally apologized and agreed to pay $20,000 to each survivor

Malcolm X

1952; renamed himself X to signify the loss of his African heritage; converted to Nation of Islam in jail in the 50s, became Black Muslims' most dynamic street orator and recruiter; his beliefs were the basis of a lot of the Black Power movement built on seperationist and nationalist impulsesto achieve true independence and equality

Griswold v Connecticut

1965 decision that the Constitution implicitily guarantees citizens' right to privacy.

Freedom of Information Act

1966 Act allowing citizens to inspect all government records with the exception of classified military or intelligence documents, trade secrets or private personnel files.

New York Times v US

1971 - "Pentagon Papers" case decided Nixon's attempted "prior restraint" was unconstitutional interference w/ press freedom.

Watergate

1972; Nixon feared loss so he approved the Commission to Re-Elect the President to spy on and espionage the Democrats. A security gaurd foiled an attempt to bug the Democratic National Committe Headquarters, exposing the scandal. Seemingly contained, after the election Nixon was almsot impeached but stepped down

Buckley v Valeo

1974 campaign finance case declared some federal limits on campaign contributions in FECA violated First Amendment (ex. maximum spending limit and limits on candidates' spending their own money).

budget and impoundment control act

1974, 1. sets the budget calender 2.creates CBO 3. say pres cannot impound funds (pres. can't withhold $ that congress has already appropriated)

Department of Education

1977 - Carter added it to the Cabinet to acknowledge the changing role of the federal government in education.

University of California v Bakke

1978 The supreme court ruled that a white man Allan Bakke had been unfairly denied admission to medical school on the basis of quotas. the court did not ruleout all forms of affirmative action, but it did strike down the quota system

Bethel v Fraser

1986 - The First Amendment, as applied through the Fourteenth Amendment, permits a public school to punish a student for giving a lewd and indecent, but not obscene, speech at a school assembly.

Whistle Blower Protection Act

1989, Created the Office of Special Counsel to investigate complaints from bureaucrats that were punished after reporting to Congress about waste, fraud, or abuse in their agencies

Bush Sr. Administration

1989-1993, attempted to continue the Reagan Conservative gov't but was unable to do this, economy fails by 1992 & unable to be reelected, Persian Gulf War

Clinton v City of New York

1997, Court found the line-item veto to be unconstitutional as a violation of the Presentment Clause of the Constitution which describes what the president can do when a bill comes forth from congress.

Clinton v Jones

1997, Court ruled that President is not immune from civil litigation and the judicial process. Furthermore, court stated that although branches are separate the branches have the right to exercise control over one another.

impeachment process

2 Steps. 1.) Investigation and articles of impeachment with majority 218 members. 2.)Trial in Senate, must find guilty of High Crimes and Misdemeanors. need SuperMajority 67/100. Need bi-partisan support. Chief Justice of Supreme Ct. oversees trial.

Article VII

9 states approval to ratify (remember only 13 at the time)

Plessy v Ferguson

A 1896 Supreme Court decision which legalized state ordered segregation so long as the facilities for blacks and whites were equal

Miller v California

A 1973 Supreme Court decision that avoided defining obscenity by holding that community standards be used to determine whether material is obscene in terms of appealing to a "prurient interest" and being "patently offensive" and lacking in value.

Texas v Johnson

A 1989 case in which the Supreme Court struck down a law banning the burning of the American flag on the grounds that such action was symbolic speech protected by the First Amendment.

Strict Scrutiny

A Supreme Court test to see if a law denies equal protection because it does not serve a compelling state interest and is not narrowly tailored to achieve that goal

American Medial Association (AMA)

A bunch of rich doctor guys and gals work together to drive our medical bills and insurance up. YEAH!!!

Grandfather clause

A clause in registration laws allowing people who do not meet registration requirements to vote if they or their ancestors had voted before 1867.

Due process clause

A clause to the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments that says no person shall be deprived of "life, liberty or property" without due process of the law. SCOTUS uses this to justify states having to abide by same standards as the federal government for civil rights and liberties

horse race

A close contest; by extension, any contest in which the focus is on who is ahead and by how much rather than on substantive differences between the candidates.

joint committee

A committee of the House and the Senate that usually acts as a study group and reports its findings back to the House and the Senate.

constitutional court

A federal court authorized by Article III of the Constitution that keeps judges in office during good behavior and prevents their salaries from being reduced. They are the Supreme Court (created by the Constitution) and appellate and district courts created by Congress.

senate rules committee

A five-member committee consisting of the senate president pro tem and two other members from each party in the senate; assigns chairs and committee appointments; functions as the gatekeeper of most senate legislation.

direct democracy

A form of government in which citizens rule directly and not through representatives

Signing Statements

A formal document that explains why a president is signing a particular bill into law. These statements may contain objections to the bill and promises not to implement key sections.

Government Corporations

A government organization that, like business corporations, provides a service that could be provided by the private sector and typically charges for its services. The U.S. Postal Service is an example.

australian ballot

A government printed ballot of uniform size and shape to be cast in secret that was adopted by many states around 1890 in order to reduce the voting fraud associated with party printed ballots cast in public.

nine old men

A historical court that was never as controversial as it was during the New Deal. FDR urged congress to pass dozens of laws taht were designed to end the Great Depressions. These laws were brought to the Supreme Court who dismantled the New Deal one policy at a time.

Swift Boating

A kind of negative campaigning that involves turning a candidate's strength into a weakness by spreading false information.

bicameral legislature

A law making body made of two houses (bi means 2). Example: Congress (our legislature) is made of two house - The House of Representatives and The Senate.

revenue sharing

A law providing for the distribution of a fixed amount or share of federal tax revenues to the states for spending on almost any government purpose.

ex post facto laws

A law which punishes people for a crime that was not a crime when it was committed. Congress cannot pass these laws.

caucus

A meeting of local party members to choose party officials or candidates for public office and to decide the platform.

in forma pauperis

A method whereby a poor person can have his or her case heard in federal court without charge

subgovernments

A network of groups within the American political system that exercise a great deal of control over specific policy areas. Also known as iron triangles, they are composed of interest group leaders interested in a particular policy, the government agency in charge of administering that policy, and the members of congressional committees and subcommittees handling policy.

straw poll

A nonscientific poll; a poll in which there is no way to ensure that the opinions expressed are representative of the larger population.

census

A periodic and official count of a country's population

Bush Doctrine

A policy adopted by the Bush administration in 2001 that asserts America's right to attack any nation that has weapons of mass destruction that might be used against U.S. interests at home or abroad.

enumerated powers

A power specifically granted to the national government by the Constitution. The first seventeen clauses of Article I, Section 8, specify most of the enumerated powers of the national government.

Solicitor General

A presidential appointee and the third-ranking office in the Department of Justice. The Solicitor General is in charge of the appellate court litigation of the federal government. The main lawyer for the federal government in the supreme court

Federal mandates

A requirement in federal legislation that forces states and muicipalities to comply with certain rules

poll tax

A requirement that citizens pay a tax in order to register to vote

Budget resolution

A resolution binding Congress to a total expenditure level, supposedly the bottom line of all federal spending for all programs.

confederation systems

A system in which the state governments are sovereign and the national government may do only what the states permit

dual federalism

A system of government in which both the states and the national government remain supreme within their own spheres, each responsible for some policies.

dual federalism

A system of government in which both the states and the national government remain supreme within their own spheres, each responsible for some policies. (layered cake)

cooperative federalism

A system of government in which powers and policy assignments are shared between states and the national government. They may also share costs, administration, and even blame for programs that work poorly.

Merit System

A system of public employment in which selection and promotion depend on demonstrated performance rather than political patronage.

conference committee

A temporary joint committee set up when the house and the senate have passed different versions of the same bill

select committee

A temporary legislative committee established for a limited time period and for a special purpose.

Literacy Test

A test administered as a precondition for voting, often used to prevent African Americans from exercising their right to vote. Ruled unconstitutional in Guinn v US

Litmus Test

A test of ideological purity used by recent presidents in selecting and senators in confirming judges to nominate to federal courts

unitary governments

A way of organizing a nation so that all power resides in the central government. Most national governments today are unitary governments.

2nd amendment

A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.

Plea Bargain

Agreement between 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. Happens for more then 90% of cases.

Federal Elections Campaign Act of 1971/1974

Allows corporations, unions and trade associations to form PACs as a means of raising campaign funds. United States federal law which increased disclosure of contributions for federal campaigns, and amended in 1974 to place legal limits on the campaign contributions. The amendment also created the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

Executive Departments

Also called Cabinet departments. Units of federal administration, built around a central activity. • Each dept. headed by a secretary, except for Justice- headed by Attorney General. Heads work with President, media to make headway with issues concerning their dept.

Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act

Also known as Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Act, this act mandates maximum allowable deficits until 1991 when the budget should balance. It was abandoned in 1991.

Article V

Amending the Constitution Formally - Proposal = National Level (2/3 Congress or Nat'l Convention); Ratification = State Level (3/4 State Leg or State Convention)

19th amendment

Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (1920) extended the right to vote to women in federal or state elections.

24th amendment

Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (1964) eliminated the poll tax as a prerequisite to vote in national elections.

Social Security

An act passed in 1935 gave government-payed pensions to American citizens over the age 65 as well as provided help for the unemployed, the disabled, and the needy.

conservative coalition

An alliance of Republicans and southern Democrats that can form in the House or the Senate to oppose liberal legislation and support conservative legislation.

command/communism economy

An economic system in which the government controls a country's economy.

Safe seat

An elected office that is predictably won by one party or the other, so the success of that party's candidate is almost taken for granted.

safe seat

An elected office that is predictably won by one party or the other, so the success of that party's candidate is almost taken for granted.

proportional representation

An electoral system used throughout most of Europe that awards legislative seats to political parties in proportion to the number of votes won in an election.

free rider

An individual who does not join a group representing his or her interests yet receives the benefit of the group's influence.

nonproliferation treaty

An international agreement, drafted in 1968, not to aid nonnuclear nations in acquiring nuclear weapons; it was not signed by France, China, and other nations actively seeking to build these weapons.

National Security Council

An office created in 1947 to coordinate the president's foreign and military policy advisers. Its formal members are the president, vice president, secretary of state, and secretary of defense, and it is managed by the president's national security assistant.

Speaker of the House

An office mandated by the Constitution. The Speaker is chosen in practice by the majority party, has both formal and informal powers, and is second in line to succeed to the presidency should that office become vacant.

Federal Register

An official document, published every weekday, which lists the new and proposed regulations of executive departments and regulatory agencies.

open rule

An order from the House Rules Committee that permits a bill to be amended on the floor.

Search Warrants

An order issued by a judge, directing officers to conduct a search of specified premises for specified objects or persons and bring them before the court.

vesting clause

Article II, Section 1, of the Constitution, which states that "executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America," making the president both the head of government and the head of state.

full faith and credit clause

Clause in the Constitution (Article IV, Section 1) requiring each state to recognize the civil judgments rendered by the courts of the other states and to accept their public records and acts as valid

Commercial Speech

Communication in the form of advertising. It can be restricted more than many other types of speech but has been receiving increased protection from the Supreme Court.

political socialization

Complex process by which people get their sense of political identity, beliefs, and values (family, school, media, religion, national events-all help to socialize)

policy committee

Composed of party leaders; theoretically responsible for the party's overall legislative program.

connecticut compromise

Compromise agreement by states at the Constitutional Convention for a bicameral legislature with a lower house in which representation would be based on population and an upper house in which each state would have two senators

confirmation politics

Congress must confirm all judges and that has gotten interesting and political. Now even the lowliest judgeships can be hard fought battles

Methods used by congress to control the bureaucracy

Congress possesses the authority to create or abolish departments and to transfer agency functions. It can also expand or contract bureaucratic discretion and confirm or reject presidential appointments. Congress also has oversieght power. Congress is most effective, more effective than the president, in excersizing oversight as a control on the bureaucracy.

1st amendment

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

CBO

Congressional Budget Office. This assesses the economic implications and likely costs of proposed federal programs, such as the Bush administration rescue packages for the failing financial system in 2008 and Barack Obama's Stimulus package in 2009.

Appropriations Committees

Congressional Committee that deals with federal spending

Equal Rights Amendment

Constitutional amendment passed by Congress but never ratified that would have banned discrimination on the basis of gender

Brown v Board of Education

Court found that segregation was a violation of the Equal Protection clause "separate but equal" has no place

revenue and budget committee

Deal with raising the money that appropriating committees spend while setting the broad targets that shape the federal budget

New York Times v Sullivan

Decided in 1964, this case established the guidelines for determining whether public officials and public figures could win damage suits for libel. To do so, individuals must prove that the defamatory statements were made with "actual malice" and reckless disregard for the truth.

14th amendment

Declares that all persons born in the U.S. are citizens and are guaranteed equal protection of the laws. Helped over turn Dred Scott Decision.

DOMA

Defense Of Marriage Act ('96), states don't have to recognize same sex marriages, fed gov will only recognize heterosexual marriages for federal benefits

Article I

Defines power of legislative branch.

DHS

Department of Homeland Security (US Coast Guard, US Secret Service, Transportation Security Administration (TSA), US Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

DOT

Department of Transportation, Sets requirements for motor vehicle safety, maintenance, and fuel economy; tests vehicles and other auto products for compliance with laws

Presidential Succession act of 1947

Designated order of succession should a president die in office or resign; after Vice President, the order is: Speaker of the House; President Pro Tem of the Senate; Secretary of State; followed by all other cabinet secretaries in the order in which their departments were created.

electioneering

Direct group involvement in the electoral process. Groups can help fund campaigns, provide testimony, and get members to work for candidates, and some form political action committees (PAC)

cross-cutting cleavages

Divisions within society that cut across demographic categories to produce groups that are more heterogeneous or different.

petition of right

Document prepared by Parliament and signed by King Charles I of England in 1628; challenged the idea of the divine right of kings and declared that even the monarch was subject to the laws of the land

military-industrial complex

Eisenhower first coined this phrase when he warned American against it in his last State of the Union Address. He feared that the combined lobbying efforts of the armed services and industries that contracted with the military would lead to excessive Congressional spending.

trustees

Elected representatives whose obligation is to act in accordance with their own consciences as to what policies are in the best interests of the public.

john locke

English philosopher who advocated the idea of a "social contract" in which government powers are derived from the consent of the governed and in which the government serves the people; also said people have natural rights to life, liberty and property.

Mapp v Ohio

Established the exclusionary rule was applicable to the states (evidence seized illegally cannot be used in court)

8th amendment

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

enumerated presidential powers

Execute the Law, Power to Pardon, Submit treaties to senate, appointments (judges, ambassadors, cabinet), and acts as supreme commander of military

Roper v Simmons

Execution of offenders for crimes committed while under the age of 18 is unconstitutional

Article II

Executive Branch - president natural-born citizen, 35 years old, 14 years resident, commander-in-chief

Uncontrollable expenditures

Expenditures that are determined not by a fixed amount of money appropriated by Congress but by how many eligible beneficiaries there are for a program or by previous obligations of the government.

"Court Packing Plan"

FDR's New Deal legislation was being overturned by the supreme court and it didn't look like there were going to be justices to retire any time soon. So FDR tried to pack the court with around 9 new justices. it didn't work

FBI

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the primary investigative arm of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), serving as both a federal criminal investigative body and a domestic intelligence agency.

FTC

Federal Trade Commission. Protects consumers from misleading and fraudulent advertising. Reviews advertising claims. Can order a company to change their ad

GAO

General Accounting Office- performs primarily routine financial audits of the money spent by the executive branch departments and investigates agencies and policies and makes recommendations on almost every aspect of government

economic interest groups

Groups that organize to influence government policy for the economic benefit of their members. Example: AFL- CIO

trade associations

Groups that promote or further the interests of a certain industry or trade. Example: NRA

"Public Interest" Groups

Groups that seek a collective good, and the achievement of which will not selectively and materially benefit the membership or activists of the organization. Example Consumer product safety group

labor interest groups (unions)

Groups that work to promote the intersests of blue collar workers. Example: AFGE

Professional Associations

Groups that work to promote the intersetss of white collar workers. Example: American Medical Association

Ways and Means committees

House committee that handles tax bills

Special Sessions of Congress

If an emergency occurs when Congress is not in session, the Constitution empowers the President to call Congress back into special, or extraordinary, session. Prior to the passage of the 20th Amendment in 1933, Congress met for only a limited number of months each year. Up to that date Presidents called the Senate into special session on 46 occasions, usually to confirm nominations to the cabinet or to deal with important treaties. On 27 other occasions, Presidents called both the House and Senate into special session.

Veterans Affairs Department

If you have served your country in the military, the it is there to serve you. Best known for its healthcare system, it also provides social support services, administers pensions and other veterans' benefits, and promotes the hiring of veterans.

11th amendment

Immunity of states from suits from out-of-state citizens and foreigners not living within the state borders. Lays the foundation for sovereign immunity.

Judiciary Act of 1789

In 1789 Congress passed this Act which created the federal-court system. The act managed to quiet popular apprehensions by establishing in each state a federal district court that operated according to local procedures.

US Postal Service

Independent component of executive branch; quasi-governmental agency; founded as Post Office Department in 1775 by Benjamin Franklin

527 Groups

Independent groups that seek to influence the political process but are not subject to contribution restrictions because they do not directly seek the election of particular candidates. Their name comes from Section 527 of the federal tax code, under which they are governed. In 2004, 52 individuals gave over a million dollars to such groups, and all told they spent $424 million on political messages.

activist

Individuals, usually outside of the government, who actively promote a political party, philosophy, or issue they care about.

Factions

Interest groups arising from the unequal distribution of property or wealth that James Madison attacked in Federalist Paper No. 10. Today's parties or interest groups are what Madison had in mind when he warned of the instability in government caused by factions.

lobbying/lobbyists

Interests groups use part of the money they raise to pay lobbyists who represent the organizations before the government. Lobbyists are valued for their experience and their knowledge. 3 types of lobbying tactics 1. Direct Lobbying: Attempts to influence a legislator's vote through personal contact with the legislator 2. Grassroots Lobbying: Lobbying activities performed by rank-and-file interest groups members and would-be members 3. Information campaign: an organized effort to gain public backing by bringing a group's views to public attention. Coalition building: The banding together of several interest groups for the purpose of lobbying

Clear and Present Danger Test

Interpretation of the First Amendment that holds that the government cannot interfere with speech unless the speech presents a clear and present danger that it will lead to evil or illegal acts.

extradition between states

It is required. if a person is wanted for a crime in another state the state they are captured in must either charge said person with a crime and extradite them after they have served their sentence or extradite to the state where the warrant has been issued

muckraker

Journalist who exposed corruption and other problems of the late 1800s and early 1900s

Article III

Judicial Branch - establishes Supreme Court (Congress creates lower courts)

english bill of rights

King William and Queen Mary accepted this document in 1689. It guaranteed certain rights to English citizens and declared that elections for Parliament would happen frequently. By accepting this document, they supported a limited monarchy, a system in which they shared their power with Parliament and the people.

Sunshine Laws

Laws and regulations requiring that bureaucratic hearings and operations are held in public or w/ public disclosure

informal amendments

Laws, Executive Actions, Court Decisions, Party Practices, Custom & Tradition

Amicus Curiae Briefs(use by interest groups)

Legal briefs submitted by a "friend of the court" for the purpose of raising additional points of view and presenting information not contained in the briefs of the formal parties. These briefs attempt to influence a court's decision. Interest Groups often use these to help gain ground in big court battles

informal presidential powers

National figure-head, crisis manager (rally effect), agenda-setter (bully pulpit), diplomat-in-chief (executive agreements)

presidential checks

Needed to be checked the most some powers included commander in chief of the military, appoint cabinet officers, appoint federal judges, pick ambassadors, negotiate treaties with foreign countries. All appointments had to be ratified by the senate(2/3), treaties have to be ratified by the senate(2/3), cannot declare war (only congress can declare war, and can be impeached

3rd amendment

No Quartering of Troops

Title IX

No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

OSHA; a Governmental Agency with the responsibility for regulatory and enforcement of safety and health matters for most United States employees; an individual State OSHA agency may supercede the US Department of Labor OSHA regulations

balancing the ticket

Occurs when a presidential nominee chooses a vice presidential running mate who has different qualities in order to attract more votes for the ticket.

grass roots

Of or from the people, the average voters.

OPM

Office of Personnel Management; advertises for employees, examines those who apply, and keeps registers, lists of those applicants who pass its test and are qualified for employment

Wesbury v Sanders

One person, one vote. Members of the House are selected from equal populations

anti-federalist

Opposed to a strong central government; saw undemocratic tendencies in the Constitution and insisted on the inclusion of the Bill of Rights. Included Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, and Patrick Henry.

new jersey plan

Opposite of the Virginia Plan, it proposed a single-chamber congress in which each state had one vote. This created a conflict with representation between bigger states, who wanted control befitting their population, and smaller states, who didn't want to be bullied by larger states.

economic protest parties

Parties rooted in poor economic times, lacking a clear ideological base, dissatisfied with current conditions and demanding better times

splinter parties

Parties that have split away from one of the major parties

Checks on the executive and judicial branch

Passing laws, passing the budget, confirming appiontments, and impeachment

Reagan Administration... THE GREAT COMMUNITATOR

Probably his greatest accomplishment was to bring down the Soviet Union. He embarked the US on a massive military build-up, spending spree that the USSR simply could not keep up with. Coupled with his friendship with Premier Mikhail Gorbachev - the USSR broke into many individual countries. Advocated supply-side economics arguing that tax cuts reduced govnt. spending, would increase investment by the private sector, and lead to increased production, jobs and prosperity...

denaturalization

Process by which a naturalized citizen may involuntarily lose their citizenship.

Collective Bargaining

Process by which a union representing a group of workers negotiates with management for a contract

Vernonia School District v Acton

Random drug testing of athletes does not violate the search and seizure clause of the fourth amendment

15th amendment

Ratified 1870. One of the "Reconstruction Amendments". Provided that no government in the United States shall prevent a citizen from voting based on the citizen's race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

Reaganomics economics

Reagan's 1980 campaign idea, Reduce taxes, particularly corporations and wealthy individuals, in order to encourage new investments.

boycott

Refusal to buy or sell certain products or services

how religion plays into appointment and confirmation of judges

Religious views have a lot to do with political view, so their is some correlation

Symbolic Speech

SCOTUS has ruled to protect it in two cases, Texas v Johnson, and Tinker v Desmoines

Sierra Club

Save them trees. It's all about the trees. Key for the AP Exam: if you see the words interest group and trees.

SEC

Securities and Exchange Commision required companies to publish improtant facts about thier business. It also regulated the activities of stockbrokers and others in the investment business

Bush Administration

Serves 2 terms (2000-2009) wanted to focus on economy, was going to follow the conservative model of Reagan

Authorization bill

Sets up a federal program and specifies how much money may be spent for that program

sound bites

Short video clips of approximately 15 seconds; typically all that is shown from a politician's speech or activities on the nightly television news.

Article IV

States - full faith & credit clause, privileges immunities clause, admitting new states

Tinker v Des Moines

The case that ruled that students do not lose Constitutional rights when they entered the building but they can be limited if they cause a disruption

Commerce Clause

The clause in the Constitution (Article I, Section 8, Clause 1) that gives Congress the power to regulate all business activities that cross state lines or affect more than one state or other nations. It also was the key reasoning the Supreme Court used in it's civil rights decisions

executive office of the president

The cluster of presidential staff agencies that help the president carry out his responsibilities. Currently the office includes the Office of Management and Budget, the Council of Economic Advisers, and several other units.

popular sovereignty

The concept that political power rests with the people who can create, alter, and abolish government. People express themselves through voting and free participation in government

equal pay for equal work

The concept, frequently written into contract language, that like work shall command like pay, regardless of sex, race, or other individual characteristics. This usually refers to sex differentials, now covered by federal law.

Interstate Commerce Clause

The constitutional clause that gives Congress the right to regulate interstate commerce. This clause has been broadly interpreted to give Congress a number of implied powers.

power of the purse

The constitutional power of Congress to raise and spend money. Congress can use this as a negative or checking power over the other branches by freezing or cutting their funding.

McCulloch v. Maryland

The court case stating that federal law trumps state law

Redistricting

The drawing of a new electoral district boundary lines in response to population changes.

9th amendment

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

equal time doctrine

The federal communications commission requirement that equal radio or television airtime be given to the candidates running for opposing office

Kennedy-Nixon Debate

The first ever televised debate. Nixon showed up knowing more and was a front runner before the debate. Kennedy won because he looked more cleaned up, and calm. First time to show how appearances matter in public perception.

bill of rights

The first ten amendments of the U.S. Constitution, containing a list of individual rights and liberties, such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press.

Independent Agency

The government not accounted for by cabinet departments, independent regulatory agencies, and government corporations. Its administrators are typically appointed by the president and serve at the president's pleasure. NASA is an example.

hyper-pluralist theory

The idea that interest groups are so easy to form and fund that they create confusion in the political system due to the pure number of groups in existence.

gridlock

The inability of the government to act because rival parties control different parts of the government.

Fireside Chats

The informal radio conversations Roosevelt had with the people to keep spirits up. It was a means of communicating with the people on how he would take on the depression.

suffrage

The legal right to vote, extended to African Americans by the Fifteenth Amendment, to women by the Nineteenth Amendment, and to people over the age of 18 by the Twenty-sixth Amendment.

majority leader

The legislative leader selected by the majority party who helps plan party strategy, confers with other party leaders, and tries to keep members of the party in line.

Informal power structures

The most powerful person in your department is not necessarily your manager. Instead, the person with the most influence, who can lead others to achieve a goal or accomplish a certain task, may enjoy that position of power. Informal power in an organization refers to the ability to lead, direct or achieve without an official leadership title. It is derived from the relationships that employees build with each other. Individuals with informal power may be the most experienced or knowledgeable in a certain area or the most respected because of perceived notions displayed through personality traits.

Presidential succession

The order in which officials fill the office of president in case of a vacancy, 1. Vice President 2. Speaker of the House 3. President Pro-Tempore of the Senate 4. Secretary of State 5. Secretary of Treasury

Executive Privilege

The power to keep executive communications confidential, especially if they relate to national security.

inherent powers

The powers of the national government in foreign affairs that the Supreme Court has declared do not depend on constitutional grants but rather grow out of the very existence of the national government

Spoils System

The practice of rewarding supporters with government jobs. Jackson made this practice famous for the way he did it on a wide scale.

war powers act (resolution)

The president must notify Congress within 48 hours after deploying troops. He is limited in the deployment of troops overseas to a sixty-day period (which can be extended for an extra thirty days to permit withdrawal) unless Congress grants authorization to stay or declares war.

Front-runner

The presidential candidate who appears to be ahead at a given time in the primary season

Press Secretary

The presidential staff member responsible for handling White House media relations and communications

Jus soli

The principle that a person's nationality at birth is determined by the place of birth

"One person, one vote"

The principle that each legislative district within a state should have the same number of eligible voters so that representation is equitably based on population

selective incorporation

The process by which provisions of the Bill of Rights are brought within the scope of the Fourteenth Amendment and so applied to state and local governments.

front loading

The recent tendency of states to hold primaries early in the calendar in order to capitalize on media attention.

Eminent Domain

The right of government to take private property for public use, as long as they provide just compensation

equity of redemption

The right to redeem property during the foreclosure period, such as a mortgagor's right to redeem within either 3 months or 1 year as may be permitted after foreclosure sale.

stare decisis

The rule of precedent, whereby a rule or law contained in a judicial decision is commonly viewed as binding on judges whenever the same question is presented.

McCarthyism

The term associated with Senator Joseph McCarthy who led the search for communists in America during the early 1950s through his leadership in the House Un-American Activities Committee.

Globalization

The trend toward increased cultural and economic connectedness between people, businesses, and organizations throughout the world.

media's effect on elections

The way that voters get their socialization is increasingly from media. Also this is where voters get a lot of information implanted in them about the state of everything outside their realm

Keynesian economics

Theory based on the principles of John Maynard Keynes, stating that government spending should increase during business slumps and be curbed during booms.

appellate courts

These courts do not determine guilt or innocence, but if the accused has had a fair trial. These courts can be either state or federal.

Advantages the "Bureaucrats" have over the executive in policy making

They have the power to decide exactly where spending goes, and they make the millions of small decisions that are made in government that the president can't always have his nose in.

Roth v US

This 1957 judgement prohibited pornography material as utterly without redeeming social significance, later reversed in Miller v. California

Americans with Disablities Act

This 1990 Act, makes it unlawful to discriminate against people with disabilities in regard to hiring, firing, compensaton, training and advancement.

13th amendment

This amendment freed all slaves without compensation to the slaveowners. It legally forbade slavery in the United States.

Gibbons v Ogden

This case involved New York trying to grant a monopoly on waterborne trade between New York and New Jersey. Judge Marshal, of the Supreme Court, sternly reminded the state of New York that the Constitution gives Congress alone the control of interstate commerce. Marshal's decision, in 1824, was a major blow on states' rights. set up commerce clause

patriot act

This contraversial 2001 law allows anti-terrorism authorities to monitor e-mail and Internet traffic in order to prevent terrorist attacks. The government argues that cyberspace is public domain and that no warrants should be needed to access information.

mayflower compact

This document was drafted in 1620 prior to settlement by the Pilgrims at Plymouth Bay in Massachusetts. It declared that the 41 males who signed it agreed to accept majority rule and participate in a government in the best interest of all members of the colony. This agreement set the precedent for later documents outlining commonwealth rule.

magna carta

This document, signed by King John of Endland in 1215, is the cornerstone of English justice and law. It declared that the king and government were bound by the same laws as other citizens of England. It contained the antecedents of the ideas of due process and the right to a fair and speedy trial that are included in the protection offered by the U.S. Bill of Rights

Gulf of Tonkin resolution

U.S. Congress passed on August 7, 1964, allowed the president to take all necassay measures to repel armed attack or prevent further aggression

Issue Advocacy (Ads)

Unlimited and undisclosed spending by an individual or group on communications that do not use words like "vote for" or "vote against," although much of this activity is actually about electing or defeating candidates.

seniority rule

Unwritten rule in both houses of Congress reserving the top posts in each chamber, particularly committee chairmanships, for members with the longest records of service

Reverse Discrimination

Using race or sex to give preferential treatment to some people. Critics of Afirmative action claim it does this.

virginia plan

Virginia delegate James Madison's plan of government, in which states got a number of representatives in Congress based on their population

straight-ticket voting

Voting for candidates all of the same party on the same ballot-creates the coattail effect

23rd amendment

Washington D.C. receives 3 electoral votes and the residents are allowed to vote in the Presidential election

presidential scandals

Watergate, Monica Lewinsky, teapot dome, Iran-contra top four. They really don't help presidents all that much

executive mandates

When Congress mandates that all allocated funds must be spent, the president has no authority to disregard that mandate. If the president were to disregard the express mandate of Congress, the court would likely find that the president had violated the separation of powers inherent in the Constitution. The president does have some discretion in the decision to spend funds allocated by Congress, but not when the legislation authorizing the funding expressly mandates that the funds shall be spent.

Diane Wood

Wood was nominated to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit by President Bill Clinton on March 31, 1995. She was confirmed unanimously by the United States Senate and received her commission on June 30, 1995. Wood became the second woman ever to sit on the Seventh Circuit. On the bench, Wood is known for building consensus on the court and rallying other judges around her positions.

Fighting words

Words that by their very nature inflict injury on those to whom they are addressed or incite them to acts of violence

Planned Parenthood v Casey

a 1992 case in which the Supreme Court loosened its standard for evaluating restrictions on abortion from one of "strict scrutiny" of any restraints on a "fundamental right" to one of "undue burden" that permits considerably more regulation.

G.A.T.T.

a United Nations agency created by a multinational treaty to promote trade by the reduction of tariffs and import quotas

International Monetary Fund

a United Nations agency to promote trade by increasing the exchange stability of the major currencies

political efficacy

a belief that you can take part in politics (internal efficacy) or that the government will respond to the citizenry (external efficacy)

Balanced budget

a budget is balanced when current expenditures are equal to receipts

NRA

a bunch of red neck gun nuts who don't want their second amendment rights taken away

criteria for hearing a case

a case needs to have merit, which means a case must have caused harm or threatened to cause harm for a civil case. for criminal cases someone has to have commited a crime...

procedural due process

a category of due process that req. that the gov't give a person proper notice and hearing of the legal action before that person is deprived of his or her life, liberty or property

GSA

a central management agency thata sets Federal policy for Federal procurement and real property management and information resources management

Unitarian government

a centralized government in which all powers held by the government belongs to a single, central agency. This central government creates local units of government for its convenience

informal amendment

a change in the meaning, but not the wording, of the Constitution, e.g., through a court decisions such as Brown v. Board.

Suspect Classifications

a class of people deliberately subjected to such unequal treatment in the past of that society has made so politically powerless as to require extraordinary judicial protection (i.e. blacks)

Iron Triangle

a close relationship between an agency, a congressional committee, and an interest group

injunction

a command or order, especially a court order

Closed shop

a company that hires only union members

Amtrak

a company that operates a railroad system with combined passenger and rail service throughout the continental United States.

Open shop

a company whose workers are hired without regard to their membership in a labor union

enabling act

a congressional act directing the people of a United States territory to frame a proposed State constitution as a step towards admission to the Union

misdemeanor

a crime or offense that is less serious than a felony; any minor misbehavior or misconduct

********stay

a delay of an execution in a capital punishment case

Clientele Agency/Organization

a department or bureau of government whose mission is to promote, serve, or represent a particular interest. INTERIOR - LABOR - COMMERCE - AGRICULTURE - TRANSPORTATION - HUD - ENERGY - HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

committee of the whole

a device in which a legislative body is considered one large committee. All members of the legislative body are members of such a committee.

spin

a distinctive interpretation (especially as used by politicians to sway public opinion)

ward

a district into which a city or town is divided for the purpose of administration and elections

treaty

a formal agreement between two or more nations

indictment

a formal charge by a grand jury

joint resolution

a formal expression of congressional opinion that must be approved by both houses of Congress and by the president; constitutional amendments need not be signed by the president

Inflation

a general and progressive increase in prices

amnesty

a general pardon for an offense against a government; in general, any act of forgiveness or absolution

Fiscal Policy

a government policy for dealing with the budget (especially with taxation and borrowing)

unitary system

a government that gives all key powers to the national or central government

prior restraint

a government wants to censor material before it is published

Safety net

a guarantee of professional or financial security

Open seat

a house or senate race with no incumbent (because of death or retirement)

Impeachment of judges

a judge may be impeached only if they commit the same kind of impeachable offenses as the president

Grand Jury

a jury that is selected to indite a person

demagogue

a leader who exploits popular prejudices and false claims and promises in order to gain power

ombudsman

a legal advocate for residents who visits the facility, listens to residents, and decides what course of action to take if there is a problem.

bill of attainder

a legislative act finding a person guilty of treason or felony without a trial

Poverty line

a level of personal income defining the state of poverty

Depression

a long-term economic state characterized by unemployment and low prices and low levels of trade and investment

party caucus

a meeting of the members of a party in a legislative chamber to select party leaders and to develop party policy. Called a conference by the republicans.

tea party

a party at which tea is served. or the extreme side of the republican party

Stagflation

a period of slow economic growth and high unemployment (stagnation) while prices rise (inflation)

census

a periodic and official count of a country's population. done every 10 years as required by the constitution

standing committee

a permanent committee in Congress that oversees bills that deal with certain kinds of issues

Litigant

a person engaged in a lawsuit

Standing in court cases

a person must have standing to sue in a civil case, so they must have had harm done or threatened to them...

civil servant

a person who works for the government

oligarchy

a political system governed by a few people

republic

a political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them

blanket primary

a primary election in which each voter may vote for candidates from both parties

diplomatic immunity

a privilege under which diplomats' activities fall outside the jurisdiction of the host country's national courts

ambassador

a representative sent by one government to another

reprieve

a respite; postponement of a sentence

Rally points

a rise in public approval of the president that follows a crisis as Americans "rally 'round the flag" and the chief executive.

Executive Order

a rule issued by the president that has the force of law

Exclusionary Rule

a rule that provides that otherwise admissible evidence cannot be used in a criminal trial if it was the result of illegal police conduct

precedent

a ruling that is used as the basis for a judicial decision in a later, similar case

runoff primary

a second primary election between the two candidates receiving the greatest number of votes in the first primary

federalist papers

a series of 85 essays written by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay (using the name "publius") published in NY newspapers and used to convice readers to adopt the new constitution

focus groups

a small group of voters chosen by a political campaign for their demographic similarities who are brought together to gauge how the group they represent feels about the candidate.

Petit Jury

a smaller jury created to find the innocence or guilt of a person

Key note Address

a speech given at the beginning of a National Convention to whip up excitement for the Delegates and the the public about the Party nominee and the platform

senatorial courtesy

a system in which the president submits the name of a candidate for judicial appointment to the senators from the candidate's state before formally submitting it for full senate approval

filibuster

a tactic for delaying or obstructing legislation by making long speeches.

Regressive taxes

a tax for which the percentage of income paid in taxes decreases as income increases

tariff

a tax on goods produced abroad and sold domestically

Civil Service Exam

a test given to qualify candidates for positions in the government

Libel

a tort consisting of false and malicious publication printed for the purpose of defaming a living person

WMD

a weapon that kills or injures civilian as well as military personnel (nuclear and chemical and biological weapons)

second treatise on government

a work written by John Locke before the Glorious Revolution that was read as justification for it. Locke described the relationship of a king and his people as a bilateral contract. If the king broke the contract, the people, by whom Locke meant the privileged and the powerful, had the right to depose him. The Glorious Revolution established a framework of government by and for the governemed that seemed to bear ou the arguments of this book

Writ of Certiorari

a writ saying that the supreme court will review a cases...

Writ of Habeas Corpus

a written request by a judge asking for the reason someone is being held, or their freedoms restricted...

State of the Union Address

a yearly report by the president to Congress describing the nation's condition and recommending programs and policies

sovereignty

ability of a state to govern its territory free from control of its internal affairs by other states

home rule

ability to run state governments without the interference of the federal government

role of senate in impeachment process

acts as a trial court and jury after impeachment

12th amendment

added the seperation of the president and vice president onto two different ballots

collective security

agreement by a group of nations to defend the other in case of an attack on any member

TV coverage of house/senate proceedings

almost non-existent except for really big stuff like impeachments and historic legislation. CSPAN provides full time coverage

rider

amendment or clause added to a legislative bill

legislative hold

an anonymous objection that is made before a bill hits the floor.

AARP

an association of people to promote the welfare of senior citizens. Basically a way for old people to feel like the have a voice. They are really big player in medicare legislation.

Capitalism

an economic system based on private property and free enterprise

mixed economy

an economic system that combines private and state enterprises

market economy

an economy that relies chiefly on market forces to allocate goods and resources and to determine prices

critical election

an electoral "earthquake" whereby new issues emerge, new coalitions replace old ones, and the majority party is often displaced by the minority party. These are sometimes marked by a national crisis and may require more than one election to bring about a new party era

single member districts

an electoral district in which voters choose one representative or official (not voting for more than one person for any position)

Senior Executive Service (SES)

an elite cadre of about 9,000 federal government managers, established by the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, who are mostly career officials but include some political appointees who do not require Senate confirmation.

Independent Regulatory Commission

an entity in the executive branch that is outside the immediate control of the president and congress that issues rules and regulations to protect the public

Writ of Mandamus

an extraordinary writ commanding an official to perform a ministerial act that the law recognizes as an absolute duty and not a matter for the official's discretion

sedition

an illegal action inciting resistance to lawful authority and tending to cause the disruption or overthrow of the government

Consumer Price Index

an index of the cost of all goods and services to a typical consumer

W.T.O.

an international organization based in Geneva that monitors and enforces rules governing global trade

political question

an issue the Supreme Court will allow the executive and legislative branches decide

Obscenity

an offensive or indecent word or phrase

concurring opinion

an opinion that agrees with the majority, but has different reasoning

Majority Opinion

an opinion written by the majority side of a decision

closed rule

an order from the House Rules Committee that sets a time limit on debate; forbids a bill from being amended on the floor.

labor unions

an organization of employees formed to bargain with the employer

lame duck

an outgoing official serving out the remainder of a term, after retiring or being defeated for reelection. Nothing every happens, or people don't care about the political impact of legislation they support

Lemon Test

any time the establishment clause is questioned this three pronged test is used

checks of the courts on the legislative branch

approve, ban or strike down executive actions

case load of the supreme court

around 75-125 cases per year, they choose which ones they hear

court packing

attempt by Roosevelt to appoint one new Supreme Court justice for every sitting justice over the age of 70 who had been there for at least 10 years. Wanted to prevent justices from dismantling the new deal. Plan died in congress and made opponents of New Deal inflamed.

mudslinging

attempt to ruin an opponent's reputation with insults

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002

banned soft money contributions to national political parties from corporations and unions; independent expenditures by corporations, labor unions, trade associations, and nonprofit organizations are sharply restricted

limited government

basic principle of American government which states that government is restricted in what it may do, and each individual has rights that government cannot take away

US Attorney

basically federal prosecutors, there are 13 districts that they represent one per. around 300 asst. US attorneys and 300 support staff work for each. Under DOJ supervision. US Attorney General in charge of them, they do need senate approval.

crisis of confidence

because of the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr.; the Vietnam War; and Watergate.On July 15, 1979, Carter gave a nationally-televised address in which he identified what he believed to be a "crisis of confidence" among the American people. Not a good move

loose construction

belief that the government can do anything that the constitution does not prohibit

denied powers

bills of attainder, ex post facto laws, you cant do these

Federalist #10

by James Madison, says how to guard against factions, special interest groups, by extending the sphere and making sure nobody gets too much power

president's role in legislative process

can pass or veto bills which can be overriden, can make executive orders

Baker v Carr

case that est. one man one vote. this decision created guidelines for drawing up congresional districts and guaranteed a more equitable system of representation to the citizens of each state

authoritarian

characteristic of an absolute ruler or absolute rule

elastic clause

clause in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution that gives Congress the right to make all laws "necessary and proper" to carry out the powers expressed in the other clauses of Article I

PAC

committee formed by a special-interest group to raise money for their favorite political candidates

Red Tape

complex bureaucratic rules and procedures that must be followed to get something done.

Issue networks

complex systems of relationships among groups that influence policy, including elected leaders, interest groups, specialists, consultants, and research institutes

constitutional body of law

comprised of the four components (formally written US constitution, informal amendments, the most important acts of Congress, current Supreme Court case precedents)

solutions for overcoming divided government

compromise

relationship between the courts and congress

congress must approve the judges

Congressional Elections

congress sets date - first tuesday after first monday in november every even year

electoral mandates

consist of the perception that the voters strongly support the winners positions. Usually has a positive effect on the president's level of support in Congress

supremacy clause

constitutional declaration (Article VI) that the Constitution and laws made under its provisions are the greatest law of the land

Department of the Interior

controls public lands, maintains public parks, supervises American Indian Reservations, controls water resources

US v Lopez

court ruled that gun-free school zone act exceeded Congress' authority to regulate interstate commerce; Congress must defer to states; Rehnquist judicial restraint, judicial supremacy

Civil service commission

created by Pendleton Act to oversee examinations for potential government employees. Ended in 1971.

Interstate Commerce Commission

created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887, which was signed into law by President Grover Cleveland;regulate railroads (and later trucking) to ensure fair rates, to eliminate rate discrimination, and to regulate other aspects of common carriers.

Reforming the bureaucracy

cutting down, reinventing government, protecting against bureaucratic abuses of power, increasing presidential control

rules and administration committee

determine the basic operations of each chamber.

Agenda Setting

determining which public-policy questions will be debated or considered

sectional differences (demographics)

different sections of the populous (it can be by race, gender, economic status, social status, sexual orientation, geography, etc.) votes in a certain way (could be for a certain ideology or certain amount of time)

Lobbying

direct contact made by an interest group representative in order to persuade government officials to support the policies their interest group favors

direct vs representative democracy

direct-all citizens meet to debate and vote first hand; representative-citizens choose small groups to make decisions on their behalf

Types of Federal Appellate courts

district courts, and circuit courts(appellate)...

disadvantages third parties have

don't get as much TV time don't get to participate in the debates don't get 5% of popular vote so they don't get federal funding support (most democrats and republicans don't take this $$$ though)

congressional staff

draft bills, gather information, organize committee hearings, negotiate with lobbyists

malapportionment

drawing the boundaries of legislative districts so that they are unequal in population

Free enterprise

economic system in which individuals and businesses are allowed to compete for profit with a minimum of government interference

House elections

elections are held every two years on the even years. Candidates are voted on by a specific district in the state they represent.

Quotas

established limits by governments on the number of immigrants who can enter a country each year

Gitlow v New York

established selective incorporation of the Bill of rights; states cannot deny freedom of speech; protected through the 14th amendment

media event

events purposely staged for the media that nonetheless look spontaneous. In keeping with politics as theater, media events can be staged by individuals, groups, and government officials, especially presidents.

investigation power

evolutionary power of the legislative branch to examine both issues that warrant study and wrong doings by public officials

Dual court system

federal and state courts

national supremacy

federal rules over state

Discretionary spending

federal spending on programs that are controlled through the regular budget process

Rehnquist Court

first nominated by Nixon in 1971, Rehnquist was confirmed as the 16th Chief justice of the supreme court after Warren Burger retired in 1986. He was known as a conservative jurist and his stewardship over the court reflected a court of judicial restraint and conservative tendencies

Incremental budgeting

form of budgeting in which the prior budget is the basis for allocation of funds

congressional-executive agreements

formal agreement between the US president and leaders of other nations but still requires approval by Congress

ratification

formal approval, final consent to the effectiveness of a constitution, constitutional amendment, or treaty

Schneck v US

free speech test, if it presents a "clear and present danger" it can be restricted

Civil Liberties

freedoms to think and act without government interference or fear of unfair legal treatment

Factors that influence president's selection of judges

geography ideology politics

Subsidies

government loans, grants, and tax deferments given to domestic companies to protect them from foreign competition

Deficit spending

government practice of spending more than it takes in from taxes

welfare

governmental provision of economic assistance to persons in need

party polarization

greater ideological (liberal versus conservative) differences between the parties and increased ideological consensus within the parties

cabinet

group of officials who head government departments and advise the President

Medicaid

health care for the needy/poor

Department of Energy

helps develop the nation's energy policies, promotes conservation of energy, regulates energy resources

Citizens United v. FEC

historic court case that said that PACs can donate an unlimited amounts of certain funds...

candidates image

how people perceive a candidate

how patronage plays into appointment and confirmation of judges

if a judge is from the home state of someone, then they may want to nominate or approve them.

How Party and Personal Loyalty plays into appointment and confirmation of judges

if a judge is openly known to be in the same party as some senators, they may vote for him or her

ABC Programs

implemented by FDR during the Great Depression to give relief to the unemployed

civil law vs criminal law

in civil law a defendant is being sued for money or property in criminal law a defendant is being tried as guilty or innocent of a crime and their freedoms are on the line

propaganda

information, ideas, or rumors deliberately spread widely to help or harm a person, group, movement, institution, nation, etc.

how interest groups plays into appointment and confirmation of judges

interest groups can lobby senators and the president

campaign contributions (use by interest groups)

interest groups can pile together campaign contributions together in order to get all the money they need to help a candidate. They can also go ahead and use media to promote a candidate or ideas with out permission of said candidate.

Single interest groups

interest groups who focus on a single issue. Ex: Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), Right To Life (anti-abortion), etc.

IRS

internal revenue service; the agency that collects federal income taxes

Special powers of the House

introduce revenue bills, elect a President among the top three candidates if no nominee receives a majority in the electoral college, Bring charges of impeachment.

legislating from the bench

judcial activism

terms for federal judges

judges have life terms...

how competence and qualifications plays into appointment and confirmation of judges

judges who are more competent and have better qualifications -> more likely to get approved.

Judicial Restraint

judicial restraint is an ideology that judges will have a strict view of the constitution in deciding decisions

intrastate commerce

keepin it local with your homies

lopez v texas

kid brought gun to school, got busted, expanded commerce clause, gun-free school zones act of 1990

Buisness interest groups

lobby for tax breals local/state officials, big buisness (tax breaks) labor union influence minomized , less governemnet regulations want pro buisness regulations. Example: Chambers of Congeress

26th amendment

lowered the voting age to 18

Gross Domestic Product

measure of the United States economy adopted in 1991

Advantages of incumbency

name recognition, experience, campaign funds from PAC's, fraking (free mail), claiming credit, free media coverage, case work.

privileges and immunities clause

no State can draw unreasonable distinctions between its own residents and those persons who happen to live in other States. Basically a state can't treat someone differently or have a law that treats someone differently because they are out of state.

Chamber(s) of Commerce

nonprofit organization of local businesses formed to promote their interests. there is a national one, and usually there is one in every town

President Pro tempore

officer of the senate selected by the majority party to act as chair in the absence of the vice president.

delegate model of representation

one model of a republic where representatives express the opinion of their constituents only.

Patronage

one of the key inducements used by party machines. A patronage job, promotion, or contract is one that is given for political reasons rather than for merit or competence alone.

Warren Court

one of the most progressively liberal courts in the 20th century. they were responsable for several key decisions, most famously brown v board

Bureaucrat

one who works for a department or agency of the federal government—civil servant

interest groups

organization of people who share political, social or other goals; and agree to try to influence public policy to achieve those goals.

Unions

organizations of workers who bargain with employers as a group

Industrial complex

part of Eisenhower's farewell, warning against becoming a military-industrial society, don't spend too much money on military

whips

party leaders who works with the majority leader or minority leader to count votes beforehand and lean on waverers whose votes are crucial to a bill favored by the party.

congressional session

period of time during which each year congress assembles and conducts business, typically 1 year.

civic

pertaining to a city or citizen

delegates

political activists selected to vote at a party's national convention

soft money

political contributions made in such a way as to avoid the United States regulations for federal election campaigns (as by contributions to a political action committee)

Ideological interest groups

political organizations that attract members by appealing to their political convictions or principles. example: NAACP

image building

politicans try to make themselves look better by having their images be good. They can work for along time to make them selves look squeaky clean, but you never know, one crazy person can screw stuff up for awhile.

leaking information

politicians leak info to the media to shine a negative light on othe politicians. can be particularly damaging and the public will never know it was you

attention getting: free coverage

politicians use their time in front of the camera for news coverage to spread their messages and gain attention. they don't have to pay for that time.

seeking contributions

politicians will try and seek contributions. Campaigns run on money

political questions related to the jurisdiction of the supreme court

politics keeps asking when does the court have original jurisdiction

constitutional principles

popular sovereignty, limited government, separation of powers, checks & balances, judicial review, federalism

Congressional oversight

power used by Congress to gather information useful for the formation of legislation, review the operations and budgets of executive departments and independent regulatory agencies, conduct investigations through committee hearings, and bring to the public's attention the need for public policy

implied powers

powers not specifically mentioned in the Constitution

concurrent powers

powers that are shared by both the federal and state governments

appeasement

practice of giving in to an aggressor nation's demands in order to keep peace

Powers of the Vice President

president of the Senate (but can only vote in case of a tie) and first in line to succeed the President but other than that, most VP's duties are ceremonial

presidential candidates ideology through election

presidential candidates start out more liberal or conservative (depending on their party) for the primary because they must appease the voters who vote in the primaries who are most often have views on issues that lean more towards the extreme side. In the general election the big group up for grabs is independents (they count for the biggest % of electorate now) candidates aim for this group in general election so they shift away from being as extreme.

25th amendment

presidential succession, vice presidential vacancy, and presidential disability

rule of law

principle that the law applies to everyone, even those who govern

initiative

procedure whereby a certain number of voters may, by petition, propose a law or constitutional amendment and have it submitted to the voters

Affirmative Action

programs intended to make up for past discrimination by helping minority groups and women gain access to jobs and opportunities

Establishment Clause

prohibits the government endorsing or fowarding any religion

Pet projects

projects or issues for a (senators) home state.

Foreign policy interest groups

promote or oppose foreign policy (free trade); Council on Foreign Relation, American Israel Pol't Action Committee (AIPAC), Arab American Institute; nonprofit, social, cultural, environ'l, nongov'l

Flat tax

proportional tax on individual income after a specified threshold has been reached

the World Bank

provides loans & economic assistance to nations

quasi-legislative and judicial agency

public administrative agency or body acts when it makes rules and regulations

rule-making process

public notice of rule making proceedings, interested parties may submit written statements and facts relevant to the new rule while they are notifying everyone, purpose o use must be stated, OMB reviews regulation (this helps president keep track), rules written. 60 days must elapse before it can take effect

Pork barrel

public works projects and grants for specific districts paid for by general revenues.

capital punishment

putting a condemned person to death

Probable Cause

reasonable cause for issuing a search warrant or making an arrest; more than mere suspicion

criticisms of the Bureaucracy

red tape, inflexible rules, cost of coordination, turf battles, contradictory policies, wasteful duplication

Pardon

release from the punishment or legal consequences of a crime, by the President (in a federal case) or a governor (in a state case)

pardon

release from the punishment or legal consequences of a crime, by the President (in a federal case) or a governor (in a state case). Is a check the president has on the judiciary. There are no checks on pardons

mandate

requirements federal government will set, can be funded or unfunded

unfunded mandates

requirements the federal government sets but does not provide funding for, the american disabilities act

super pacs

resulting from an important Supreme Court case (Citizens United v FEC). Like a traditional PAC but without many of the restrictions. Can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money for the purpose of supporting or opposing political candidates, but CANNOT directly coordinate with a candidate.

House Rules committee

reviews all bills (except revenue, budget, and appropriations bills) coming from a House committee before they go to the full House.

freedom of expression

right of people to speak, publish, and assemble

Civil Rights

right or rights belonging to a person by reason of citizenship including especially the fundamental freedoms and privileges guaranteed by the 13th and 14th amendments and subsequent acts of Congress including the right to legal and social and economic equality

6th amendment

right to a speedy and public trial. right to a fair jury. right to know what you are being accused of. right to see/hear witnesses against you. right to have a witness to help defend you. right to a lawyer.

5th amendment

right to grand jury, indictment, no double jeopardy, freedom from self-incrimination, due process of law

natural rights

rights not contingent upon the laws, customs, or beliefs of any particular culture or government, and therefore universal and inalienable

gideon v wainwright

rights of the accused, incorporated the right to an attorney to the states

Miller Test

rule used by the courts in which the definition of obscenity must be based on local standards

De Facto Segregation

segregation that happens in fact although not required by law

De Jure Segregation

segregation that is imposed by law

filibuster (how it relates to the judiciary)

senators will filibuster judges they don't want...

montesquieu

separation of powers

Article I

sets standards for the Legislative branch House=25 & 7 yrs citizen; Senate=30 & 9 yrs citizen; elastic (necessary & proper) clause; powers (tax, coin, army, declare war, commerce clause), powers denied (suspending habeas corpus, bills of attainder, ex post facto laws)

Racial Profiling

singling out an individual as a suspect due to appearance of ethnicity

quid pro quo

something given in exchange or return for something else

Congressional Budget Office

staff agency that advises Congress on the likely economic effects of different spending programs and provides information on the costs of the proposed policies.

FDR Administration

started the New Deal & neutrality acts that prevented the USA from taking sides in any European wars

amendment process

step 1: amendment proposed by 2/3 vote of both houses of congress OR a constitutional convention called by congress on petition of 2/3 out of 50 states. THEN amendment ratified by 3/4 of the 50 state legislatures OR 3/4 of special constitutional conventions called by 50 states THEN the new amendment!

reactionary

strongly opposed to social or political change; opposing progress; politically ultraconservative

federalists

supporters of the stronger central govt. who advocated the ratification of the new constitution

Clarence Thomas

supreme court justice appointed by clinton, hasn't talked in forever...

Sandra Sotomayor

supreme court justice appointed by obama...

Bureaucracy

system of managing government through departments run by appointed officials

Payroll taxes

taxes based on the payroll of a business

glass ceiling

term used to refer to the invisible barries hindering the promotion of women and members of other groups traditionally underrepresented into high leadership positions

Advice and Consent

terms in the constitution describing the U.S. senate's power to review and approve treaties and presidential appointments.

Reconstruction amendments

the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments, designed to ensure the rights of freed slaves, are known as this

Barron v Baltimore

the 1833 Supreme Court decision holding that the bill of rights restrained only the national government, not the states and cities.

Free exercise clause

the First Amendment guarantee that citizens may freely engage in the religious activities of their choice

Department of Commerce

the United States federal department that promotes and administers domestic and foreign trade (including management of the census and the patent office)

expatriation

the act of abandoning one's country and giving up citizenship

Deregulation

the act of freeing from regulation (especially from governmental regulations)

Budget reconciliation

the annual process of rewriting authorization legislation to comply with the expenditure ceiling and revenue floor of the concurrent budget resolution for the upcoming fiscal year

party whip

the assistant to the floor leader in each house of congress who tries to persuade party members to vote for bills the party supports

police power

the authority of each state to act to protect and promote the public health, safety, morals and general welfare of its people

Judicial Branch

the branch of government that interprets the law and responsable for trials

Warren Court

the chief justice that overturned Plessy v. Ferguson in Brown v. Board of Education (1954); he was the first justice to help the civil rights movement, judicial activism

Senate Judiciary Committee

the committe in the senate that is responable for the preliminary approval of judges before they go to the senate floor for a vote...

national supremacy clause

the constitutional provision that declares that the Constitution and laws of the United States take precedence over the constitutions and laws of the states

insulation (in terms of the courts)

the courts don't have to carry about the insulation of walls roofs and such

supreme courts structure

the courts have 9 justices, each has 4 clerks, one is the cheif justice (first among equals) and they have a rule of four to decide on cases, then they have to have a majority to decide on a case...

relationship between the courts and public opinion

the courts try to be insulated, but the courts really want to keep their prestige

unanimous decisions and their effects

the display a sense of formality and a sense of sureness

public opinion

the distribution of the population's beliefs about politics and policy issues

Federalist 78

the document by alexander hamilton outlining his opinion of what the courts should be set up as

Office of Management and Budget/OMB

the executive agency that advises the President on the federal budget

department of state

the federal department in the United States that sets and maintains foreign policies

Department of agriculture

the federal department that administers programs that provide services to farmers (including research and soil conservation and efforts to stabilize the farming economy)

department of treasury

the federal department that collects revenue and administers federal finances

John Marshall

the first supreme court justice, was responsable for establishing the court's power of judicial review

inner cabinet

the four original departments (State, Defense, Treasury, and Justice) whose secretaries typically have the closest ties to the president

New Deal

the historic period (1933-1940) in the U.S. during which President Franklin Roosevelt's economic policies were implemented

federalism

the idea of a federal organization of more or less self-governing units (with strong national government and state level governments)

Equality of oppurtunity

the idea that each person is guaranteed the same chance to succeed in life

statism

the idea that the rights of the nation are supreme over the rights of the individuals who make up the nation

how ideology plays into appointment and confirmation of judges

the ideology of the judge is critical in making sure that they live up to the standards of the senate at the time of their attempted approval

Judicial Activism

the ideology that the judiciary should do what they need to on the bench. also known as legislating from the bench

appellate jurisdiction

the jurisdiction of a court to hear cases to review decisions by a lower court on appeal

civil rights act of 1964

the law that made racial discrimination against any group in hotels, motels, and restaurants illegal and forbade many forms of job discrimination

parliament

the lawmaking body of British government (representative but president is part of legislative body, as opposed to separate like america)

quorum

the minimum number of members who must be present to permit a legislative body to take official action

Burger Court

the more conservative court directly after the Warren Court...

social contract

the notion that society is based on an agreement between government and the governed in which people agree to give up some rights in exchange for the protection of others

dissenting opinion

the opinion that disagree with the majority opinion

Marbury v. Madison

the original court case establishing judicial review

Plaintiff

the party that is complaining

Defendant

the party that is defending itelf

fiscal federalism

the pattern of spending, taxing, and providing grants in the federal system; it is the cornerstone of the national government's relations with state and local governments.

chief of staff

the person who oversees the operations of all White House staff and controls access to the president

Protectionism

the policy of imposing duties or quotas on imports in order to protect home industries from overseas competition

deterrence

the policy of making the military power of the US and its allies so strong that no enemy would attack for fear of retaliation

judicial review

the power of the Supreme Court to declare laws and actions of local, state, or national governments unconstitutional

Appointment power

the power of the president to appoint judges according to the constitution

Original Jurisdiction

the power of the supreme court and others to review cases for the first time

prohibited powers

the powers that are denied to the federal government, the state government, or both; also called restricted powers

recognition of other nations (president)

the president can take a huge step to recognize a new country. it can make other countries also be really made at us.

receiving ambassadors (president)

the president is tasked with receiving foreign ambassadors

make treaties (president)

the president is the lead negotiator for the government

relationship between the courts and the president

the president must nominate the judges...

Bully Pulpit

the president's use of his prestige and visibility to guide or enthuse the American public

reapportionment

the process of reallocating seats in the House of Representatives every 10 years on the basis of the results of the census.

Reapportionment

the process of resignning seats in the House of Representatives every 10 years on the basis of the results of the census.

Opinions

the reasons of the court

supreme court's function

the review the laws and act as the highest court in the land...

Recession

the state of the economy declines

coopertive federalism

the states and the national government cooperate in solving complex common problems (marble cake)

nullification

the states'-rights doctrine that a state can refuse to recognize or to enforce a federal law passed by the United States Congress

administration

the tenure of a president

Honeymoon Period

the time following an election when a president's popularity is high and congressional relations are likely to be productive

devolution

the transfer of powers and responsibilities from the federal government to the states

rule of four

the unwritten requirement that four Supreme Court justices must agree to grant a case certiorari in order for the case to be heard

predictors for the agencies annual budget

the years past budget, and current events

crossover vote

theory that a primary in one party can be affected substantially by votes of members of an opposition party. holds that crossover voter is fickle, mischievous, or only interested in voting in the more hotly contested primary and intends to come home to the party in which he registered later in the general election

TV coverage of the conventions

there is usually a short little blurb about each night they are taking place on the news, but CSPAN is the major coverage provider

presidential coattails

these occur when voters cast their ballots for congressional candidates of the president's party because they support the president. recent studies show that few races are won this way.

roles of house in impeachment process

they act like a grand jury and write an impeachment legislature.

supreme courts jurisdiction

they have appellate jurisdiction in all scenarios except cases betweeen states, involving ambassadors, or where maritime law is involved...

selection of committee members

they ussual have the same party as the majority in that committee, they should know what they are studying.

Shay's Rebellion

this conflict in Massachusetts caused many to criticize the Articles of Confederation and admit the weak central government was not working; uprising led by Daniel Shays in an effort to prevent courts from foreclosing on the farms of those who could not pay the taxes... *(showed weaknesses of articles of confederation)

articles of confederation

this document, the nations first constitution, was adopted by the second continental congress in 1781 during the revolution. the document was limited because states held most of the power, and congress lacked the power to tax, regulate trade, or control coinage

civil rights act of 1968

this law banned discrimination in housing, the segregation of education, transprotation, and employment, it helped African Americans gain their full votin rights.

exoneration

to clear, as of an accusation; free from guilt or blame;

Functions of the Supreme Court

to decide on cases as the highest court in the land

remand

to send or order back; in law, to send back to jail or to a lower court

Roosevelt Administration

took over when great depression started. Hoover admin before did nothing, econmy tanked further FDR used fireside chats to build morale, guided US through WWII and out of great depression

interstate commerce

trade over state lines (commerce clause covers this)

pigeonhole

treat or classify according to a mental stereotype

Special powers of the Senate

trials of impeachment are held in the senate(must be a 2/3 vote) they must approve all judicial appointments they approve all treaties made by the president.

negative campaigns

trying to win by emphasizing negative aspects of an opponent or policy and is sometimes also referred to as mudslinging

partisan voting

vote to please fellow party members, logrolling

selective exposure / perception

voters notices certain stimuli and ignore others

Hamdi v Rumsfeld

was a U.S. Supreme Court decision reversing the dismissal of a habeas corpus petition brought on behalf of Yaser Esam Hamdi, a U.S. citizen being detained indefinitely as an "illegal enemy combatant". The Court recognized the power of the government to detain unlawful combatants, but ruled that detainees who are U.S. citizens must have the ability to challenge their detention before an impartial judge

strict construction

way of interpreting the Constitution that allows the federal government to take only those actions the Constitution specifically says it can take

declaration of independence

we want freedom yo

how judicial philosophy plays into appointment and confirmation of judges

what a judge believes the court has the power to review is critical whether or not the senate will confirm them

Trade deficit

when a country imports more than it exports

class action suits

when a group of people file a law suit as one collective group it is called a class action law suit, the individual members of it get paid less, but it is easier to have a judge or jury rule on your side in that case

pocket veto

when a president kills a bill passed during the last 10 days Congress is in session by simply refusing to act on it

conference (SCOTUS)

when all the justices meet up by themselves. where they work out which cases they will take, and their opinions on cases

adversarial system

where two parties with conflicting interests "compete" against each other in front on an independent and impartial third party or parties

Judicial Dispute (justicable dispute)

wheter not case has enough of a dispute in it that can defintivley be solved by the court.

how presidential power has increased since 1932

with the new deal the president exponentially gained power and the presidency went mostly unchecked for the rest of the 20th century with very few exceptions.

medica consultants

work with media, make themselves seem like experts. They can often help shape political views

writ of appeal

writ that may be issued to accept appeals, mainly from the decisions of a 3 judge district

Veto

z, The constitutional power of the president to send a bill back to Congress with reasons for rejecting it. A two-thirds vote in each house can override a veto.

zzz

zz

Carter Administration

• Economy in recession; foreign affairs—very low ebb as a result of the failure in Vietnam • Success: pardoned thousands of draft dodgers; created a super-fund to clean up industrial pollution) • • Problems: energy crisis—he increased domestic oil production by 1 million barrels a day; he gave the malaise speech—his popularity declined • Achievement: Camp David Accord—peace between Egypt & Israel

money in politics can be seen as a problem

• Quid pro quo -donating to a campaign with the expectation of getting something in return from the elected officials (help on favorable legislation, government contracts, etc.) • Gives access to the rich and not the poor • Can lead to corruption (elections can be bought)/weakens democracy • More difficult for independent candidates who aren't tied to 'big money' to run successfully • Donors favor incumbents-difficult for challengers to be successful