Redistricting
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
Devolution
Leak
an unauthorized release of information to the press from someone in the government
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
Media event
a speech or photo opportunity staged to give a politician's view on an issue; staged to present the candidate in a good light
refers to the review, monitoring, and supervision of federal agencies, programs, activities, and policy implementation
the difference in any year between government spending and government revenue
a 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
Open primary
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
Recall
special election initiated by petition to allow citizens to remove an official from office before his or her term
Margin of error
the percentage that a scientific poll is likely to be off; a margin of error of +/- 3 percent is common
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
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
President Pro Tempore
serves as president of the Senate in the absence of the vice president; chosen by the majority
all residents of the state for senators, all residents of a district for House members
Sixth amendment does not selectively incorporate to providing poor people in not-capital state cases a lawyer
Apportionment
distribution of congressional representatives among the states, based on the population of each state
Trustee
after listening to constituents, elected representatives vote based on their own opinions
an agency that is part of the executive branch and responsible for regulating and oversight of a segment of the economy; it is managed by a board or commission appointed by the president for a fixed term
segregation that results from living patterns rather than law
settled disputes between the states over the structure of the legislative branch; 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 of Representatives is determined by population, while each state would have equal representation in the Senate
Judicial restraint
holds that the Court should avoid taking the initiative on social and political questions, operating strictly within the limits of the Constitution
Judicial Review
Authority given the courts to review constitutionality of acts by the executive/state/legislature; est. in Marbury v. Madison
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
Unitary system
Lobbying
attempting to influence policymakers through a variety of methods
Federal budget
a rule that says a person can't be tried twice by the same court under the same charges twice; from the 5th amendment
Procedural Due Process
a type of federalism that deals with the flow of funds through grants and other means from the federal government to the states
