Direct democracy
Political action committees (PAC$)
Line item veto
a committee of Congress made up of members of both houses that focuses on issues of general concern but does not propose legislation
Federalism
a division of governmental powers between the national government and the states
Oversight
Congress monitors policies of the executive branch; the process by which the legislative branch checks the executive branch to ensure that the laws Congress has passed are being administered in keeping with legislators' intent
Full faith and credit
clause says that states are required to recognize the laws and legal documents of other states - Article 4
Political culture
a temporary committee of Congress set up for a specific purpose that is outside the scope of the standing committees
Strict constitutionalist
the view that justices should base decisions on a narrow interpretation of the Constitution
Random sampling
a statistical technique that gives everyone in the target group the same opportunity to participate in a poll
Incorporation
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
Marble vs. layer cake federalism
Marble cake means 1930s fed expansion, layer cake means they are supreme in separate areas
justice or justices who agree with the majority's ruling but not the reason behind the decision
tests the public reaction to policy or appointments by releasing information to the media and gauging public reaction
Honeymoon period
money used by national, state, or local party organizations that is not regulated by the Federal Election Commission
Floor leaders
Brief
a written document submitted to a court that presents the facts and legal reasoning of a party to the lawsuit
Establishes that clothing is symbolic speech, and is protected unless its censorship is in the public interest.
Appellate jurisdiction
jurisdiction the power a court has to review the decision of a lower court; the Supreme Court exercises appellate jurisdiction in the overwhelming majority of the cases it hears
a consistent set of beliefs by groups or individuals
the percentage that a scientific poll is likely to be off; a margin of error of +/- 3 percent is common
a rule of evidence that says that if the authorities act "in good faith," evidence that otherwise might have been excluded may be admissible. Modifies Mapp v. Ohio
interest groups compete in the political arena with each promoting its own policy preferences through organized efforts
Bill
party officials in the Democratic Party who attend the national convention without having to run in primaries or caucuses
Open primary
belief that a person can influence politics and public policymaking
