AP Government duel

President Pro Tempore

Voter turnout

Devolution

Politics

Gridlock

the percentage that a scientific poll is likely to be off; a margin of error of +/- 3 percent is common

Impoundment refusal of the president to spend money Congress has appropriated; was eliminated by the congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974

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

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

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

Unitary system a political system in which all power is derived from the central government

equality of opportunity everyone should have the same chance; what individuals make of that chance depends their abilities and efforts

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

Majority opinion the majority of justices agree on the decision and the reasons for the decision

money used by national, state, or local party organizations that is not regulated by the Federal Election Commission

Incrementalism small changes in policy over long periods of time; usually in reference to budget making - that the best indicator of this year's budget is last year's budget plus a small increase

Popular Socereignty

joint resolution

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

Policy formulation the development of an approach to solving a problem that is on the political agenda

an agreement by every senator to the terms of debate on a given piece of legislation

US Gov needs to at least have a hearing to determine a war prisoner's charge

when a significant number of voters choose to no longer support a particular political party

Realignment a shift of voting patterns to form new coalitions of party support

Regressive tax a tax that is assessed on everyone at the same rate and, therefore, impacts the poor more than it impacted wealthy; sales tax is regressive

Sound bite a very brief excerpt from a political speech aired on television or radio

Iron triangle

Majority-minority districts

Legislative Branch

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

Closed rule a rule issued by the House Committee on Rules, in which there is a strict time limit for debate and no amendments can be offered

Coattail effect the ability of a strong or popular candidate to get other candidates on the ticket elected; it is a term most

constitutional guarantee that everyone be treated equally

a statement of a political party on the issues facing the country, adopted at the national convention; each issue position is known as a plank

when a minority party wins by building a new coalition of voters that continues over successive election

a consistent set of beliefs by groups or individuals

Johnson v. Zerbst (1938) Sixth amendment applies to federal criminal cases with possible imprisonment and too poor defendant. Gideon v. Wainwright

Apportionment distribution of congressional representatives among the states, based on the population of each state

Single-member districts only one representative is chosen from each legislative district

Fiscal policy how the government uses taxes and spending to impact the economy

Exit poll

special election initiated by petition to allow citizens to remove an official from office before his or her term

Reserved powers under the 10th Amendment, powers not granted to the federal government or denied to the states reserved for the states or the people

Incorporation

Caucus

governmental powers shared by the federal and state governments

Federal system a political system in which power is divided between the national government and state government

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

Recess appointment a presidential appointment made when Congress is not in session; doesn't require immediate confirmation

method of maintaining, managing, and gaining control of government

Reapportionment redistribution of the 435 congressional seats among the states after the census determines changes in population distribution

lowest level of federal courts, where most federal cases begin and trials are held

identification of the problems and/or issues that require the attention of the government to resolve

Gridlock when opposing parties and interests often block each other's proposals, creating a political stalemate or inaction between the executive and legislative branches of government

the elected leader of the party with the most seats in the House or Senate

Federalist Papers written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay to support ratification of the Construction

service casework; assistance to constituents by congressional members

Legislative veto when Congress rejects an action of the president by a majority vote of both houses; declared

Candidate centered politics politics that focuses on candidates, their particular issues, and character rather than party affiliation

verbal and symbolic speech used together

End this game?