Conference committee
a 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
Concurring opinion
using actions and symbols rather than words to convey an idea
a political organization, typically at the local level, that wielded considerable power through its ability to get out the vote; relied heavily on patronage and providing services to constituents and was often corrupt
all the voters of a state or county elect their representative
Direct democracy
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
Fighting words
speech that is likely to bring about public disorder or chaos; may be banned in public places to ensure the preservation of public order
a shift of voting patterns to form new coalitions of party support
Electorate
Federal system
a political system in which power is divided between the national government and state government
a court order directing authorities to show cause for why a person under detention should not be released
Democracy
Religion does not override child labor laws. Wisconsin v. Yoder
Legislative courts
courts courts created by Congress for a specialized purpose with a narrow range of authority; judges serve a fixed term
distribution of congressional representatives among the states, based on the population of each state
Political efficacy
belief that a person can influence politics and public policymaking
Dual Federalism
a model of the relationship between the federal government and the states in which each is supreme in its own sphere; "layer cake federalism"
Policy formulation
the development of an approach to solving a problem that is on the political agenda
attempting to influence policymakers through a variety of methods
serves as president of the Senate in the absence of the vice president; chosen by the majority
corporation 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
"marble-cake federalism" a model of the relationship between the federal government and the states that developed during the 1930s; the power of the federal government expands into areas that the states are usually responsible for
the approval of a policy by legislation
Marble vs. layer cake federalism
Marble cake means 1930s fed expansion, layer cake means they are supreme in separate areas
Political party
Voluntary association of people who seek to control the government through common principles, based on peaceful and legal actions such as the winning of elections; an organization that recruits, nominated, and elects party members to control the government
Ex post facto law
a law that makes an action a crime even though it was legal when it was committed or increases the penalty for a crime after it has been committed
Closed convention
a party national convention at which the party's presidential nominee has already been determined through the primaries
Brief
a written document submitted to a court that presents the facts and legal reasoning of a party to the lawsuit
Enumerated powers
powers that the Constitution specifically grants to the federal government
