Conference committeea 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
Frozen!
Frozen!
Concurring opinion
using actions and symbols rather than words to convey an idea
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
all the voters of a state or county elect their representative
Boost!
Boost!
Direct democracy
Incrementalismsmall 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
Fighting wordsspeech that is likely to bring about public disorder or chaos; may be banned in public places to ensure the preservation of public order
a shift of voting patterns to form new coalitions of party support
Electorate
Frozen!
Frozen!
Boost!
Boost!
Federal systema political system in which power is divided between the national government and state government
a court order directing authorities to show cause for why a person under detention should not be released
Democracy
Religion does not override child labor laws. Wisconsin v. Yoder
Legislative courtscourts courts created by Congress for a specialized purpose with a narrow range of authority; judges serve a fixed term
distribution of congressional representatives among the states, based on the population of each state
Political efficacybelief that a person can influence politics and public policymaking
Dual Federalisma model of the relationship between the federal government and the states in which each is supreme in its own sphere; "layer cake federalism"
Policy formulationthe development of an approach to solving a problem that is on the political agenda
attempting to influence policymakers through a variety of methods
serves as president of the Senate in the absence of the vice president; chosen by the majority
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
"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
the approval of a policy by legislation
Marble vs. layer cake federalismMarble cake means 1930s fed expansion, layer cake means they are supreme in separate areas
Political partyVoluntary association of people who seek to control the government through common principles, based on peaceful and legal actions such as the winning of elections; an organization that recruits, nominated, and elects party members to control the government
Ex post facto lawa law that makes an action a crime even though it was legal when it was committed or increases the penalty for a crime after it has been committed
Closed conventiona party national convention at which the party's presidential nominee has already been determined through the primaries
Briefa written document submitted to a court that presents the facts and legal reasoning of a party to the lawsuit
Enumerated powerspowers that the Constitution specifically grants to the federal government
election commissiona commission delegated to supervise an election
Frozen!
Frozen!
legislation giving benefits to constituents through sometimes unnecessary or unwise projects within a state or district, to enhance a member's chance of reelection
a political system in which all power is derived from the central government
Realignment
Dual Federalisma model of the relationship between the federal government and the states in which each is supreme in its own sphere; "layer cake federalism"
Boost!
Boost!
The government cannot exert prior restraint.
Frozen!
Frozen!
Public policy
Articles of Confederationthe 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
a law that makes an action a crime even though it was legal when it was committed or increases the penalty for a crime after it has been committed
a committee of Congress made up of members of both houses that focuses on issues of general concern but does not propose legislation
Boost!
Boost!
Incumbencyeffect tendency of those already holding office to win reelection due to advantages because they already hold the office
a set of basic values and beliefs about one's country or government that is shared by most citizens
constitutional guarantee that everyone be treated equally
Margin of errorthe percentage that a scientific poll is likely to be off; a margin of error of +/- 3 percent is common
Caucus
Party dealignmentweakening of ties between the voters and the two major parties
Discriminationunfair treatment of a person based on race or group membership
the conduct of international relations, particularly involving the negotiation of treaties and other agreements between nations
Filibustera lengthy speech designed to delay the vote on a bill in the Senate; can be ended by a cloture motion and vote
Senatorial courtesy
Line item veto
a person whose political views favor more local, limited government, fewer government regulations,
a permanent committee of Congress that deals with legislation and oversight in a broad policy area
General election
after listening to constituents, elected representatives vote based on their own opinions
stare decisislet the decision stand; court decisions are based on precedent from previous cases
Judicial Review
Revolvingdoor the practice of government officials becoming lobbyists for the industries or companies they were responsible for regulating while they were public servants
interest groups compete in the political arena with each promoting its own policy preferences through organized efforts
Split-ticket votingvoting for candidates from more than one party in the same election