AP Government duel

Civil rights

Midterm elections

Random sampling a statistical technique that gives everyone in the target group the same opportunity to participate in a poll

Bill a draft of a proposed law presented to parliament for discussion.

Line item veto the president can reject a portion of a bill while approving the rest; declared unconstitutional

Pardon

small changes in policy over long periods of time; usually in reference to budget making - that the best indicator of this year's budget is last year's budget plus a small increase

Margin of error the percentage that a scientific poll is likely to be off; a margin of error of +/- 3 percent is common

Supremacy clause

Standing committee a permanent committee of Congress that deals with legislation and oversight in a broad policy area

allows the government to take private property for public use, as long as just compensation is paid

Party realignment a shift in voter loyalty in response to critical events; 1932 election of FD Roosevelt

Agenda setting

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

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

Bench trial a trial in which the judge who presides over the trial decides on guilt or liability

Courts of Appeal federal courts with appellate jurisdiction that review decisions of federal district courts, regulatory commissions, and other federal courts

Due process protection against the arbitrary loss of life, liberty, and property provided for under the 5th and 14th Amendments

Critical elections

Runoff primary when no candidate receives a majority of votes, and election held between the two candidates who recorded the most votes in the primary

Cooperative federalism "marble-cake federalism" a model of the relationship between the federal government and the states that developed during the 1930s; the power of the federal government expands into areas that the states are usually responsible for

a set of basic values and beliefs about one's country or government that is shared by most citizens

Judicial review

writ of certiorari a formal document issued by the Supreme Court to a lower court indicating that it will hear a case

Procedural Due Process method of government action, or how the law is carried out according to established rules and procedures

basic rights that are guaranteed to all persons; basic rights a government cannot deny

Majority leader the elected leader of the party with the most seats in the House or Senate

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

Hyde Amendment (1976)

Independent executive agency

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

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

Off year election an election taking place in a year when no presidential elections are occurring; midterm election

Revolving

Establishment clause prohibits the establishment of a national religion

Federal budget amount of money the federal government expects to receive and authorizes government to spend for a fiscal year

a member of Congress who acts as a delegate on issues that constituents care about (such as immigration reform) and as a trustee on more complex or less salient issues (some foreign policy or regulatory matters)

a trial in which the judge who presides over the trial decides on guilt or liability

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

Independent executive agency an agency that is part of the executive branch but not included in any executive department; the head of the agency (NASA, CIA for example) is appointed by the president and serves at the pleasure of the president

a collection of shared attitudes of citizens about government, politics and the making of public policy

election commission a commission delegated to supervise an election

an unauthorized release of information to the press from someone in the government

Popular Socereignty basic principle of US government which holds that the people are the source of all governmental power

jurisdiction the authority to hear cases is shared by federal and state courts

SuperPAC political organizations that use contributions from individuals, corporations, and labor unions to spend unlimited sums independent from the campaigns, yet influencing the outcome of elections

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

all the voters of a state or county elect their representative

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

New York Times Co. v. Sullivan The Supreme Court concluded that "actual malice" must be proved to support a finding of libel against a public figure. Principle of "breathing space"

Articles of Confederation the first written constitution of the United States, which went into effect in 1781; it created a unicameral legislature, in which each state had one vote but no executive or judicial authority; the power of the central government was extremely limited

Pure speech

Miranda v. Arizona (1966) Before police interrogate, suspect must learn of rights like the Fifth Amendment

Political socialization complex process by which people get their sense of political identity, beliefs, and values

speech that is likely to bring about public disorder or chaos; may be banned in public places to ensure the preservation of public order

Apportionment distribution of congressional representatives among the states, based on the population of each state

the exercise of government power in doing those things necessary to maintain legitimate authority and control over society

Gatekeepers media executives, news editors, and prominent reporters who decide what news to present and how it will be presented

the president can reject a portion of a bill while approving the rest; declared unconstitutional

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

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