states are prohibited from unreasonably discriminating against residents of other states
how the government uses taxes and spending to impact the economy
National debt
amount of money owed by the government
Rule of four
a rule that says that four of the nine Supreme Court justices must agree in conference to hear a case
Unfunded mandates
mandates require states to enforce legislation without the funding necessary
Closed rule
a rule issued by the House Committee on Rules, in which there is a strict time limit for debate and no amendments can be offered
Cabinet
government departments headed by presidential appointees to help establish public policy and operate a specific policy area of governmental activity
the Senate's authority to approve or neglect the president's top appointments and negotiated treaties
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
Redistricting
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
Appellate courts
courts with authority to review cases heard by other courts to correct errors in the interpretation or application of law
a group of members of Congress who may or may not be from the same party but who share
Dissenting opinion
opinion justice or justices who voted in the minority, explaining the reasons for opposing the majority opinion
a consistent set of beliefs by groups or individuals
Courts of Appeal
federal courts with appellate jurisdiction that review decisions of federal district courts, regulatory commissions, and other federal courts
services performed by an elected official for constituents
Realigning election
when a minority party wins by building a new coalition of voters that continues over successive election
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
Nonpartisan election
Congressional oversight
refers to the review, monitoring, and supervision of federal agencies, programs, activities, and policy implementation
Line item veto
a statistical technique that gives everyone in the target group the same opportunity to participate in a poll
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"
the 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
Public opinion
party officials in the Democratic Party who attend the national convention without having to run in primaries or caucuses
the formal and informal institutions, people, and processes used to create and conduct public policy
Grassroots lobbying
organizing a letter-writing campaign or taking out ads to influence public opinion and persuade public officials to support a particular policy
Apportionment
Mandatory spending
spending required government spending by permanent laws; entitlements, for example social security or bond payments
