President Pro Tempore
Barnettte v. McColumm
Upholds establishment clause and free exercise clause. Engel v. Vitale
Delegate
an elected official who considers it an obligation to vote the way the majority of his or her constituents wants
Sound bite
a very brief excerpt from a political speech aired on television or radio
Roe v. Wade (1973)
The Right to Privacy extends to letting women make decisions about their bodies without government surveillance.
Strict constitutionalist
Realignment
a shift of voting patterns to form new coalitions of party support
Midterm elections
the idea that societies are divided along class lines and that an upper-class elite will rule, regardless of the formal niceties of governmental organization
Appellate courts
courts with authority to review cases heard by other courts to correct errors in the interpretation or application of law
under the 10th Amendment, powers not granted to the federal government or denied to the states reserved for the states or the people
Subsidy
a sum of money granted by the government or a public body to assist an industry or business so that the price of a commodity or service may remain low or competitive
Interest group
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
weak government
government that has limited control over economy or personal lives
Unanimous consent
an agreement by every senator to the terms of debate on a given piece of legislation
Primary election
Nonpartisan election
special election initiated by petition to allow citizens to remove an official from office before his or her term
executive privilege
a claim by the president or a member of the executive branch that information or documents requested by Congress or the courts do not have to be turned over because of the separation of powers
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
double jeopardy
Keynesian economics
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
Privileges and Immunities Clause
states are prohibited from unreasonably discriminating against residents of other states
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)
election party loyalty becomes less important to voters, and they vote for the other party candidate or
Miranda warning
the warning that an individual must be read at the time of arrest and questioning, letting him know his 5th and 6th amendment rights
rewrite of a bill after hearings have been held on it
government departments headed by presidential appointees to help establish public policy and operate a specific policy area of governmental activity
Dual Federalism
