AP Government duel

equality of opportunity

Midterm elections congressional elections held between presidential elections

Bill of Rights the 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

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"

Mapp v. Ohio (1961)

Floor leaders direct 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

Coattail effect the ability of a strong or popular candidate to get other candidates on the ticket elected; it is a term most

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

under the 10th Amendment, powers not granted to the federal government or denied to the states reserved for the states or the people

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

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 federalism Marble cake means 1930s fed expansion, layer cake means they are supreme in separate areas

De facto segregation segregation that results from living patterns rather than law

Policy formulation the development of an approach to solving a problem that is on the political agenda

On the record information provided 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 leaders those 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

Markup rewrite of a bill after hearings have been held on it

Block grants

Brief a written document submitted to a court that presents the facts and legal reasoning of a party to the lawsuit

Voter turnout

Discrimination unfair 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

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 clause Congress may not make laws restricting or prohibiting a person's religious practices

Liberal a 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 clause the necessary and proper clause (Article I, Section 8, Clause 18) that allows Congress to pass laws to carry out its expressed powers

Issue networks the 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

Incumbent the 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

Dealigning election 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

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

government corporation 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

Senatorial courtesy the 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 oversight refers to the review, monitoring, and supervision of federal agencies, programs, activities, and policy implementation

Amicus curiae brief

Maintaining elections traditional 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

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

Platform a 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 vote electoral process in which the candidate who receives more votes than any other candidate is elected

Moderate person whose views are between conservative and liberal and may include some of both ideologies

End this game?