Caucus
Split-ticket voting
a 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"
Mapp v. Ohio (1961)
Selectively incorporates 4th amendment. Later modified with "inevitable discovery" (good if would be found in a later, lawful search) and "good faith" (good if warrant was issued at all).
Discrimination
unfair treatment of a person based on race or group membership
Casework
services performed by an elected official for constituents
action by the government to prevent the publication of material; censorship
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
joint resolution
A formal expression of congressional opinion that must be approved by both houses of congress and by the president; constitutional amendments need not be signed by the president
Hamdi v. Rumsfield (2004)
US Gov needs to at least have a hearing to determine a war prisoner's charge
Procedural Due Process
method of government action, or how the law is carried out according to established rules and procedures
Earmark
a designation within a spending bill that provides for a specific expenditure
Substantive due process
the policies of government or the particular subject matter of the laws determining what the law is about and whether the law is fair or if it violates constitutional protections
a consistent set of beliefs about politics and public policy that sets the framework for evaluating government and public policy
Political efficacy
Due process
protection against the arbitrary loss of life, liberty, and property provided for under the 5th and 14th Amendments
Interest group
a group of private citizens whose goal is to influence and shape public policy
Roe v. Wade (1973)
The Right to Privacy extends to letting women make decisions about their bodies without government surveillance.
Elastic clause
the necessary and proper clause (Article I, Section 8, Clause 18) that allows Congress to pass laws to carry out its expressed powers
Affirmative action
a program intended to give a boost of preference to minority applicants over white applicants in contracting, employment, housing, and college or professional school admissions
Realignment
a shift of voting patterns to form new coalitions of party support
Prospective voting
a poll conducted in an unscientific manner, used to predict election outcomes
Legislative courts
courts courts created by Congress for a specialized purpose with a narrow range of authority; judges serve a fixed term
National debt
amount of money owed by the government
to social norms and values, tough on criminals
Retrospective
voting a method of evaluating candidates in which voters evaluate incumbent candidates and decide whether to vote for them based on their past performances
the elected leader of the party with the most seats in the House or Senate
Hate speech
offensive speech against racial or ethnic minorities, women, and homosexuals that creates a hostile environment
Direct democracy
democracy citizens meet and make decisions about public policy issues; there are no elected officials; also called participatory democracy
