Courts of Appealfederal courts with appellate jurisdiction that review decisions of federal district courts, regulatory commissions, and other federal courts
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Closed primarya primary election that is limited to registered voters of a particular political party
Symbolic speechusing actions and symbols rather than words to convey an idea
a committee made up of members of the House and Senate that is responsible for reconciling the differences when two versions of the same bill pass both houses of Congress
Political socializationcomplex process by which people get their sense of political identity, beliefs, and values
Caseworkservices performed by an elected official for constituents
Federalist
the time early in a new president's administration characterized by optimistic approval by the public
Party machine
Nonpartisan electionan election in which candidates run as independents without party affiliation
Superdelegates
allows members of Congress to mail letters and other materials to constituents free of charge
Griswold v. Connecticut (1965)Found a "right to privacy" in the Constitution that would ban any state law against selling contraceptives
Democracya system whereby the people rule either directly or by elected representation
Separation of powerspractice 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
Entitlement
Incorporationapplication of portions of the Bill of Rights to the states under the 14th Amendment
prior restraintaction by the government to prevent the publication of material; censorship
Earmarka designation within a spending bill that provides for a specific expenditure
Cloture
Issue networksthe 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
Constitutional requirement that governments proceed by proper methods; limits how government may exercise power.
Off year election
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
Straw Polla poll conducted in an unscientific manner, used to predict election outcomes
Administrative Discretionthe 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.
Amicus curiae briefa brief submitted to the court by an interested third party that outlines issues it thinks are important in the case. amicus curiae literally means "friend of the court"
Deficitgovernment spending exceeds revenue
Federal question
Hard money
equality of opportunityeveryone should have the same chance; what individuals make of that chance depends their abilities and efforts
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Political culture
North American Free Trade Agreementcreated to allow the free movement of goods between Canada, Mexico, and the US by lowering and eliminating tariffs
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
Amicus curiae briefa brief submitted to the court by an interested third party that outlines issues it thinks are important in the case. amicus curiae literally means "friend of the court"
Elastic clause
Joint committeea committee of Congress made up of members of both houses that focuses on issues of general concern but does not propose legislation
Concurrent powersgovernmental powers shared by the federal and state governments
a group of members of Congress who may or may not be from the same party but who share
Pierce v. Society of Sisters (1925)
Midterm electionscongressional elections held between presidential elections
Democracya system whereby the people rule either directly or by elected representation
Devolutionan effort to shift responsibility or domestic programs to the states in order to decrease the size and activities of the federal government
Off year electionan election taking place in a year when no presidential elections are occurring; midterm election
Participatory democracycitizens meet and make decisions about public policy issues; there are no elected officials;
Majority leaderthe elected leader of the party with the most seats in the House or Senate
Realignmenta shift of voting patterns to form new coalitions of party support
Soft money
voting for candidates from more than one party in the same election
Party machinea political organization, typically at the local level, that wielded considerable power through its ability to get out the vote; relied heavily on patronage and providing services to constituents and was often corrupt
Incorporationapplication of portions of the Bill of Rights to the states under the 14th Amendment
special election initiated by petition to allow citizens to remove an official from office before his or her term
Filibustera lengthy speech designed to delay the vote on a bill in the Senate; can be ended by a cloture motion and vote
a revision or change to a bill, law, or constitution
determines is a policy is achieving its goals; usually carried out with congressional oversight
Bill of Rightsthe first ten amendments to the Constitution, ratified in 1791, which protect basic civil liberties
Incumbencyeffect tendency of those already holding office to win reelection due to advantages because they already hold the office
Concurrent jurisdictionjurisdiction the authority to hear cases is shared by federal and state courts
Great compromisea 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)