Majority opinion
Political efficacy
Deficit
government spending exceeds revenue
equality of opportunity
everyone should have the same chance; what individuals make of that chance depends their abilities and efforts
person whose views are between conservative and liberal and may include some of both ideologies
Miranda warning
the warning that an individual must be read at the time of arrest and questioning, letting him know his 5th and 6th amendment rights
Establishment clause
Delegate
an elected official who considers it an obligation to vote the way the majority of his or her constituents wants
Libertarianism
people who wish to maximize the personal liberty on both economic and social issues; prefer small,
Lemon test
test 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
election commission
Devolution
an effort to shift responsibility or domestic programs to the states in order to decrease the size and activities of the federal government
Executive order
action by the president that does not require the approval of Congress; subject to judicial review
the first court to hear and decide a case; US district courts and the US Supreme Court have original jurisdiction in cases involving foreign affairs, states or the national government
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
when no candidate receives a majority of votes, and election held between the two candidates who recorded the most votes in the primary
District courts
lowest level of federal courts, where most federal cases begin and trials are held
Caucus (congressional)
Natural rights
clause says that states are required to recognize the laws and legal documents of other states - Article 4
Pocket veto
when the president takes no action on a bill within ten days of Congress adjourning, the bill does not become law
Caucus
locally held meeting in a state to select delegates who, in turn, will nominate candidates to political office
Closed convention
a party national convention at which the party's presidential nominee has already been determined through the primaries
Markup
rewrite of a bill after hearings have been held on it
stare decisis
let the decision stand; court decisions are based on precedent from previous cases
Realigning election
when a minority party wins by building a new coalition of voters that continues over successive election
Closed rule
Marble vs. layer cake federalism
Marble cake means 1930s fed expansion, layer cake means they are supreme in separate areas
the process of redrawing congressional and state legislative districts to reflect population changes in the census; responsibility for redistricting usually falls to the state legislatures; follows reapportionment
Majority leader
the elected leader of the party with the most seats in the House or Senate
