AP Government duel

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

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

Exclusionary rule that evidence acquired as a result of an illegal act by police cannot be used against the person from whom it was seized

direct majority or minority party strategy and decisions in the House and Senate

On the record information

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

Realignment a shift of voting patterns to form new coalitions of party support

a group of private citizens whose goal is to influence and shape public policy

Recess appointment

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

Great compromise 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)

Slander false verbal statements about others that harm their reputation

Caucus locally held meeting in a state to select delegates who, in turn, will nominate candidates to political office

Electorate

Bicameral legislature

Socialism

Federal system a political system in which power is divided between the national government and state government

Direct primary

a commission delegated to supervise an election

the difference in any year between government spending and government revenue

Discrimination unfair treatment of a person based on race or group membership

an addition or amendment added to a bill that often has no relation to the bill but that may not pass on its own

Coattail

Iron triangle

Appellate jurisdiction

sharp changes in the existing patterns of party loyalty due to changing social and economic conditions

Strict constitutionalist the view that justices should base decisions on a narrow interpretation of the Constitution

Random sampling

Casework services performed by an elected official for constituents

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

Executive agreement agreement with another head of state not requiring approval from the Senate

Johnson v. Zerbst (1938) Sixth amendment applies to federal criminal cases with possible imprisonment and too poor defendant. Gideon v. Wainwright

democracy citizens meet and make decisions about public policy issues; there are no elected officials; also called participatory democracy

Select committee a temporary committee of Congress set up for a specific purpose that is outside the scope of the standing committees

War Powers Act of 1973 a law that limits presidential use of military forces to sixty days, with an automatic extension of thirty additional days if the president requests such an extension

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

service casework; assistance to constituents by congressional members

holds that the Court should avoid taking the initiative on social and political questions, operating strictly within the limits of the Constitution

a very brief excerpt from a political speech aired on television or radio

Inherent powers powers powers, usually claimed by the president, that are implied but not specifically stated in the Constitution or are derived from the office

Judicial Review Authority given the courts to review constitutionality of acts by the executive/state/legislature; est. in Marbury v. Madison

Ideology

Supremacy clause national laws supersedes all other laws passed by states

Majority opinion

Legislative courts courts courts created by Congress for a specialized purpose with a narrow range of authority; judges serve a fixed term

Initiative allows voters to petition to propose legislation and then submit it for a vote by qualified voters; not available at the national level

Establishment clause

when the president takes no action on a bill within ten days of Congress adjourning, the bill does not become law

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

information provided in an interview that a reporter cannot directly use

Symbolic speech using actions and symbols rather than words to convey an idea

SuperPAC

Sixth amendment does not selectively incorporate to providing poor people in not-capital state cases a lawyer

Democracy

weak government government that has limited control over economy or personal lives

Separation of powers practice by which power is divided among three branches of government; each branch has its own powers and duties and is independent of and equal to the other branches

Judicial activism

Superdelegates party officials in the Democratic Party who attend the national convention without having to run in primaries or caucuses

an elected official who considers it an obligation to vote the way the majority of his or her constituents wants

Discrimination

End this game?