AP Government duel

District courts lowest level of federal courts, where most federal cases begin and trials are held

Concurring opinion

Motor Voter Law

Majority-minority districts drawing district boundaries to give a minority group a majority

Incorporation

Pluralist theory of democracy interest groups compete in the political arena with each promoting its own policy preferences through organized efforts

At-large all the voters of a state or county elect their representative

Blanket primary

Political party

Closed convention a party national convention at which the party's presidential nominee has already been determined through the primaries

Lobbying attempting to influence policymakers through a variety of methods

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

Discharge petition a device by which any member of the House, after a committee has had a bill for thirty days, may petition to have it brought to the floor; requires 218 votes

Oversight Congress monitors policies of the executive branch; the process by which the legislative branch checks the executive branch to ensure that the laws Congress has passed are being administered in keeping with legislators' intent

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

Federal budget decicit the difference in any year between government spending and government revenue

Referendum a general vote by the electorate on a single political question that has been referred to them for a direct

writ of habeas corpus

when the president takes no action on a bill within ten days of Congress adjourning, the bill does not become law

Exit poll a poll conducted on election day to determine how people voted

Creates the "Lemon Test", which has requires separate, secular, and neutral effect and intention in government action.

Caucus (congressional) a group of members of Congress who may or may not be from the same party but who share

President Pro Tempore

Strict constitutionalist

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

On background information provided in an interview that a reporter can quote but can't attribute specifically to the interviewee

Bench trial

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

Constituent all residents of the state for senators, all residents of a district for House members

Marble cake means 1930s fed expansion, layer cake means they are supreme in separate areas

Good-faith exception a rule of evidence that says that if the authorities act "in good faith," evidence that otherwise might have been excluded may be admissible. Modifies Mapp v. Ohio

Off year election

Trial balloon tests the public reaction to policy or appointments by releasing information to the media and gauging public reaction

under Article I of the Constitution, the legislative branch consists of the House and Senate, which together form the US Congress; the prime responsibility is to make laws

Revolving door the practice of government officials becoming lobbyists for the industries or companies they were responsible for regulating while they were public servants

Political action committees (PAC$)

powers not expressed, but may be considered through the use of the necessary and proper (elastic) clause

On deep background information provided in an interview that a reported can use but cannot make even an indirect reference to the source

conformity to social norms and values, tough on criminals

in the House, a rule that allows any amendments to a bill, regardless of whether they're relevant to the legislation

Establishes that clothing is symbolic speech, and is protected unless its censorship is in the public interest.

Select committee a temporary committee of Congress set up for a specific purpose that is outside the scope of the standing committees

a written document submitted to a court that presents the facts and legal reasoning of a party to the lawsuit

Necessary and Proper Clause (Elastic Clause) gives Congress the powers to pass all laws necessary and proper to carry out their constitutional duties, found in Article I, Section 8, Clause 18; also called the elastic clause

Voter turnout

Dual Federalism

Divided government one party controls the executive (president) and the other party controls one or both houses of Congress

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

Deregulation the process of reducing or completely eliminating federal government oversight of an industry so as to allow it to operate more freely; used to encourage competition and reduce costs to consumers

electoral process in which the candidate who receives more votes than any other candidate is elected

Elite Theory of Democracy the idea that societies are divided along class lines and that an upper-class elite will rule, regardless of the formal niceties of governmental organization

Limited Government a governing or controlling body whose power exists only within predefined limits that are established by a Constitution or other source of authority

the 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

after listening to constituents, elected representatives vote based on their own opinions

Anti-Federalists those opposed to the ratification of the Constitution because it gave too much power to the central government at the expense of the states and the lack of a bill of rights

special election initiated by petition to allow citizens to remove an official from office before his or her term

Conference committee 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

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

Reapportionment

Lemon v. Kurtzman

End this game?