AP Government duel

representatives from each state who formally cast ballots for the president and vice president

Marble cake means 1930s fed expansion, layer cake means they are supreme in separate areas

Free exercise clause

Open rule in the House, a rule that allows any amendments to a bill, regardless of whether they're relevant to the legislation

common policy concerns an association of congressional members who advocate a political ideology, regional, ethnic, or economic interest

the view that justices should base decisions on a narrow interpretation of the Constitution

District courts

method of enacting a constitution or amendment into law

Off the record information information provided in an interview that a reporter cannot directly use

writ of certiorari a formal document issued by the Supreme Court to a lower court indicating that it will hear a case

Judicial activism

Select committee a temporary committee of Congress set up for a specific purpose that is outside the scope of the standing committees

Articles of Confederation the first written constitution of the United States, which went into effect in 1781; it created a unicameral legislature, in which each state had one vote but no executive or judicial authority; the power of the central government was extremely limited

Bicameral legislature a two-house legislature

serves as president of the Senate in the absence of the vice president; chosen by the majority

the document setting forth the laws and principles of the government; a plan for government

Griswold v. Connecticut (1965) Found a "right to privacy" in the Constitution that would ban any state law against selling contraceptives

Loose Constructionist the belief that judges should have freedom in interpreting the Constitution

Mapp v. Ohio (1961)

a speech or photo opportunity staged to give a politician's view on an issue; staged to present the candidate in a good light

Lobbying

Constituency service casework; assistance to constituents by congressional members

Diplomacy

Concurrent powers governmental powers shared by the federal and state governments

Public policy the exercise of government power in doing those things necessary to maintain legitimate authority and control over society

Political culture a set of basic values and beliefs about one's country or government that is shared by most citizens

Deficit government spending exceeds revenue

Federal question a question of law based on interpretation of the US Constitution, federal laws, or treaties

Policy implementation carrying out a policy through government agencies and courts

a government that derives its authority from the people and in which citizens elect government officials to represent them in the processes by which laws are made; a representative democracy

Concurrent jurisdiction jurisdiction the authority to hear cases is shared by federal and state courts

Bench trial

Executive agreement

Eminent domain allows the government to take private property for public use, as long as just compensation is paid

Honeymoon period

Republic a government that derives its authority from the people and in which citizens elect government officials to represent them in the processes by which laws are made; a representative democracy

Precedent standards or guides based on prior decisions that serve as a rule for settling similar disputes

weak government government that has limited control over economy or personal lives

Get-out-the-vote a campaign near the end of an election to get voters out to the polls

Anti-Federalists those opposed to the ratification of the Constitution because it gave too much power to the central government at the expense of the states and the lack of a bill of rights

Block grants

Supremacy clause national laws supersedes all other laws passed by states

Lemon v. Kurtzman Creates the "Lemon Test", which has requires separate, secular, and neutral effect and intention in government action.

States cannot ban private schools to prevent religious courses. Wisconsin v. Yoder

Connecticut (Great) Compromise settled disputes between the states over the structure of the legislative branch; a solution to the problem of representation at the Constitutional Convention, in which the number of members that each state would have in the House of Representatives is determined by population, while each state would have equal representation in the Senate

Constituency

voting for candidates all of the same party

powers powers, usually claimed by the president, that are implied but not specifically stated in the Constitution or are derived from the office

Three-fifths compromise agreement at the constitutional convention that each slave counted as three-fifths of a person in determining representation in the House of Representatives and for taxation

Candidate

a rule that says a person can't be tried twice by the same court under the same charges twice; from the 5th amendment

Affirmative action a program intended to give a boost of preference to minority applicants over white applicants in contracting, employment, housing, and college or professional school admissions

On background

Administrative Discretion

Separation of powers practice by which power is divided among three branches of government; each branch has its own powers and duties and is independent of and equal to the other branches

Caucus (congressional) a group of members of Congress who may or may not be from the same party but who share

Earmark a designation within a spending bill that provides for a specific expenditure

Gridlock

Incumbency

a type of federalism that deals with the flow of funds through grants and other means from the federal government to the states

End this game?