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
powers powers, usually claimed by the president, that are implied but not specifically stated in the Constitution or are derived from the office
speech plus
Legislative veto
when Congress rejects an action of the president by a majority vote of both houses; declared
a rule that says that four of the nine Supreme Court justices must agree in conference to hear a case
weak government
government that has limited control over economy or personal lives
Bill
a draft of a proposed law presented to parliament for discussion.
On the record information
provided in an interview that a reported can quote and attribute to the source, referring to the source by name
Administrative Discretion
the flexibility a federal agency can exercise in implementing legislation through its rules and regulations. the authority delegated to bureaucrats to use their expertise and judgment when determining how to implement public policy.
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
Incumbency
effect tendency of those already holding office to win reelection due to advantages because they already hold the office
Pocket veto
nominating election held to choose party candidates who will run in the general election
Random sampling
a statistical technique that gives everyone in the target group the same opportunity to participate in a poll
At-large
all the voters of a state or county elect their representative
basic principle of US government which holds that the people are the source of all governmental power
Mandatory spending
election party loyalty becomes less important to voters, and they vote for the other party candidate or
Political efficacy
belief that a person can influence politics and public policymaking
Realigning election
a consistent set of beliefs about politics and public policy that sets the framework for evaluating government and public policy
Pure speech
original jurisdiction
Hamdi v. Rumsfield (2004)
Participatory democracy
citizens meet and make decisions about public policy issues; there are no elected officials;
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 poll conducted in an unscientific manner, used to predict election outcomes
national laws supersedes all other laws passed by states
Soft money
money used by national, state, or local party organizations that is not regulated by the Federal Election Commission
writ of certiorari
a formal document issued by the Supreme Court to a lower court indicating that it will hear a case
