AP Government duel

Open convention a party national convention at which no candidate has won a majority of the delegates in the primaries; the candidate is chosen by the convention

Civil liberties constitutional freedoms guaranteed to all citizens. What the government can't do.

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

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

Politics

Limited Government

Entitlement government benefits provided to Americans who qualify because of their age, income, and/or status

information provided in an interview that a reported can use but cannot make even an indirect reference to the source

Court ruled that a DC law banning hand guns was unconstitutional. McDonald v. Chicago

Eminent domain

Hyde Amendment (1976) Passed by Congress in 1976; excludes abortion from the comprehensive health care services provided to low-income people by the federal government through Medicaid.

Elite Theory of Democracy

Enumerated powers powers that the Constitution specifically grants to the federal government

only one representative is chosen from each legislative district

Honeymoon period the time early in a new president's administration characterized by optimistic approval by the public

Extradition states may return fugitives to a state from which they have fled to avoid criminal prosecution at the request of the state's governor

Privileges and Immunities Clause states are prohibited from unreasonably discriminating against residents of other states

Progressive tax

Dealigning

Powell v. Alabama (1932)

federal funds given to state and local governments for specific programs that usually require the recipient to match the money provided and have other strings attached

a general vote by the electorate on a single political question that has been referred to them for a direct

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

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

Divided government one party controls the executive (president) and the other party controls one or both houses of Congress

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

Government the formal and informal institutions, people, and processes used to create and conduct public policy

Due process protection against the arbitrary loss of life, liberty, and property provided for under the 5th and 14th Amendments

Bill a draft of a proposed law presented to parliament for discussion.

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

Retrospective voting a method of evaluating candidates in which voters evaluate incumbent candidates and decide whether to vote for them based on their past performances

serves as president of the Senate in the absence of the vice president; chosen by the majority

the document setting forth the laws and principles of the government; a plan for government

Logrolling the exchange of political favors for support of a bill; an agreement between two or more members of Congress to vote for each other's bills

Johnson v. Zerbst (1938)

Caucus (congressional) a group of members of Congress who may or may not be from the same party but who share

Politico a member of Congress who acts as a delegate on issues that constituents care about (such as immigration reform) and as a trustee on more complex or less salient issues (some foreign policy or regulatory matters)

Federal system

Pure speech verbal communication of ideas and opinions

Whip

governmental powers shared by the federal and state governments

Representative democracy citizens choose officials who make decisions about public policy; a republic

Gatekeepers media executives, news editors, and prominent reporters who decide what news to present and how it will be presented

Government

Fighting words

Closed primary a primary election that is limited to registered voters of a particular political party

an agency that is part of the executive branch but not included in any executive department; the head of the agency (NASA, CIA for example) is appointed by the president and serves at the pleasure of the president

Articles of Confederation the first written constitution of the United States, which went into effect in 1781; it created a unicameral legislature, in which each state had one vote but no executive or judicial authority; the power of the central government was extremely limited

Majority-minority districts

Straw Poll a poll conducted in an unscientific manner, used to predict election outcomes

Opinion leaders those individuals held in great respect because of their position, expertise, or personality, who may

General election voters choose office holder from among all the candidates nominated by political parties or running as independents

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

Libertarianism

Hate speech offensive speech against racial or ethnic minorities, women, and homosexuals that creates a hostile environment

Cloture a 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

De facto segregation segregation that results from living patterns rather than 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

Candidate

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 is determined by population, while each state would have equal representation in the Senate (two senators per state)

End this game?