Political ideologya consistent set of beliefs about politics and public policy that sets the framework for evaluating government and public policy
Frozen!
Frozen!
Advice and consentthe Senate's authority to approve or neglect the president's top appointments and negotiated treaties
citizens choose officials who make decisions about public policy; a republic
Establishment clause
a trial in which the judge who presides over the trial decides on guilt or liability
General electionvoters choose office holder from among all the candidates nominated by political parties or running as independents
Slanderfalse verbal statements about others that harm their reputation
Categorical grants
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Policy evaluation
Political action committees (PAC$)
Margin of errorthe percentage that a scientific poll is likely to be off; a margin of error of +/- 3 percent is common
Libertarianism
the belief that inflation occurs when too much money is chasing too few goods; the government must manage the economy by spending more money when in a recession and cutting spending when there is inflation
Lemon testtest standard set by the Supreme Court in Lemon v. Kurtzman to measure the constitutionality of state laws. Separate, Secular, and Neutral in effect and intent
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
De jure segregation
original jurisdiction
Conference committeea committee made up of members of the House and Senate that is responsible for reconciling the differences when two versions of the same bill pass both houses of Congress
Free exercise clauseCongress may not make laws restricting or prohibiting a person's religious practices
Soft money
Diplomacythe conduct of international relations, particularly involving the negotiation of treaties and other agreements between nations
the formal and informal institutions, people, and processes used to create and conduct public policy
Nonpartisan electionan election in which candidates run as independents without party affiliation
Single-member districts
Political culture
standards or guides based on prior decisions that serve as a rule for settling similar disputes
Libelfalse written statements about others that harm their reputation
Constituencyservice casework; assistance to constituents by congressional members
drafted in 1776 by Thomas Jefferson declaring America's separation from Great Britain
Hard moneymoney used directly by a candidate running for office; it is subject to campaign finance laws and Federal
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Boost!
powers specifically granted to the national government in the Constitution
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Representative democracycitizens choose officials who make decisions about public policy; a republic
Progressive
Individualismthe belief that individuals should be left on their own by the government
Straw Polla poll conducted in an unscientific manner, used to predict election outcomes
Dual Federalisma model of the relationship between the federal government and the states in which each is supreme in its own sphere; "layer cake federalism"
Connecticut (Great) Compromisesettled 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
joint resolutionA 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
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Constitution
Regressive tax
Realignmenta shift of voting patterns to form new coalitions of party support
Congressional reviewCongress's authority to review a new federal regulation enacted by a regulatory agency and overrule it through a joint resolution
Political ideologya consistent set of beliefs about politics and public policy that sets the framework for evaluating government and public policy
Ex post facto law
Congressional oversightrefers to the review, monitoring, and supervision of federal agencies, programs, activities, and policy implementation
a poll conducted on election day to determine how people voted
Conservativea person whose political views favor more local, limited government, fewer government regulations,
Off year electionan election taking place in a year when no presidential elections are occurring; midterm election
Off the record informationinformation provided in an interview that a reporter cannot directly use
Floor leadersdirect majority or minority party strategy and decisions in the House and Senate
Unitary systema political system in which all power is derived from the central government
Conference committeea committee made up of members of the House and Senate that is responsible for reconciling the differences when two versions of the same bill pass both houses of Congress
Earmarka designation within a spending bill that provides for a specific expenditure
Majority opinionthe majority of justices agree on the decision and the reasons for the decision
Electoratepeople qualified to vote
allows citizens to register to vote at welfare and motor vehicle offices
Oversight
allows the government to take private property for public use, as long as just compensation is paid
a formal document issued by the Supreme Court to a lower court indicating that it will hear a case