Midterm electionscongressional elections held between presidential elections
Bill of Rightsthe first ten amendments to the Constitution, ratified in 1791, which protect basic civil liberties
The Right to Privacy extends to letting women make decisions about their bodies without government surveillance.
double jeopardy
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Frozen!
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"
Mapp v. Ohio (1961)
Floor leadersdirect majority or minority party strategy and decisions in the House and Senate
the exercise of government power in doing those things necessary to maintain legitimate authority and control over society
Coattaileffect the ability of a strong or popular candidate to get other candidates on the ticket elected; it is a term most
Keynesian economicsthe 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
under the 10th Amendment, powers not granted to the federal government or denied to the states reserved for the states or the people
Closed rulea rule issued by the House Committee on Rules, in which there is a strict time limit for debate and no amendments can be offered
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Frozen!
a lengthy speech designed to delay the vote on a bill in the Senate; can be ended by a cloture motion and vote
a division of governmental powers between the national government and the states
Free exercise clause
Marble vs. layer cake federalismMarble cake means 1930s fed expansion, layer cake means they are supreme in separate areas
De facto segregationsegregation that results from living patterns rather than law
Policy formulationthe development of an approach to solving a problem that is on the political agenda
On the record informationprovided in an interview that a reported can quote and attribute to the source, referring to the source by name
the person currently holding office
Opinion leadersthose individuals held in great respect because of their position, expertise, or personality, who may
Limited Government
Griswold v. Connecticut (1965)Found a "right to privacy" in the Constitution that would ban any state law against selling contraceptives
Markuprewrite of a bill after hearings have been held on it
Block grants
Briefa written document submitted to a court that presents the facts and legal reasoning of a party to the lawsuit
Voter turnout
Discriminationunfair treatment of a person based on race or group membership
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
a primary election in which an individual does not have to be a registered voter in a particular party to vote for candidates of that party
Boost!
Boost!
a speech or photo opportunity staged to give a politician's view on an issue; staged to present the candidate in a good light
Great compromise
a designation within a spending bill that provides for a specific expenditure
Free exercise clauseCongress may not make laws restricting or prohibiting a person's religious practices
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Liberala person whose views favor more government involvement in business, social welfare, minority rights, and increased government spending
North American Free Trade Agreement
Legislative courts
stare decisis
Elastic clausethe necessary and proper clause (Article I, Section 8, Clause 18) that allows Congress to pass laws to carry out its expressed powers
Issue networksthe numerous people who are involved in the formulation of policy, including the president, members of Congress, the cabinet, lobbyists, interest groups, government agencies, and scholars; a looser relationship than the iron triangles
services performed by an elected official for constituents
Incumbentthe person currently holding office
gives Congress the powers to pass all laws necessary and proper to carry out their constitutional duties, found in Article I, Section 8, Clause 18; also called the elastic clause
Dealigningelection party loyalty becomes less important to voters, and they vote for the other party candidate or
a poll conducted in an unscientific manner, used to predict election outcomes
how the government uses taxes and spending to impact the economy
Bicameral legislature
Cloturea method for cutting off a filibuster in the Senate; sixteen votes are needed to call for cloture and sixty are needed to end a filibuster
government corporationcorporation a corporation that may receive part of its funding from Congress and is managed by a board appointed by the president; the function it performs could be carried out by private enterprise; an example is the US Postal service
Senatorial courtesythe practice of allowing senators from the president's party who represent the state where a judicial district is located, to approve or disapprove potential nominees for the lower federal courts
Congressional oversightrefers to the review, monitoring, and supervision of federal agencies, programs, activities, and policy implementation
Amicus curiae brief
Maintaining electionstraditional majority power maintains power based on voters' party loyalty
allows members of Congress to mail letters and other materials to constituents free of charge
Discharge petition
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District courtslowest level of federal courts, where most federal cases begin and trials are held
Platforma statement of a political party on the issues facing the country, adopted at the national convention; each issue position is known as a plank
Plurality voteelectoral process in which the candidate who receives more votes than any other candidate is elected
Moderateperson whose views are between conservative and liberal and may include some of both ideologies