AP Government duel

Political party

Amendment

Federal question a question of law based on interpretation of the US Constitution, federal laws, or treaties

a speech or photo opportunity staged to give a politician's view on an issue; staged to present the candidate in a good light

Bill of Rights the first ten amendments to the Constitution, ratified in 1791, which protect basic civil liberties

Incrementalism

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

Republic

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

Federalist Papers written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay to support ratification of the Construction

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

Judicial activism a judicial philosophy that holds that courts have a more expansive role to play in shaping public policy

Ideology a consistent set of beliefs by groups or individuals

federal spending set by the government through appropriations bills, including operating expenses and salaries of government employees

National debt amount of money owed by the government

carrying out a policy through government agencies and courts

Procedural Due Process

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

New York Times Co. v. United States (1971) establishes? The government cannot exert prior restraint.

Majority leader

Voter turnout the total number of votes cast for the highest office on the ballot

Soft money

Religion does not override child labor laws. Wisconsin v. Yoder

Bench trial

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

Random sampling

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

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

Iron triangle

Majority-minority districts

Conservative a person whose political views favor more local, limited government, fewer government regulations,

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

a consistent set of beliefs about politics and public policy that sets the framework for evaluating government and public policy

generally refers to the belief that government or people acting on its behalf can be used to address social problems or inequities facing the nation

Free exercise clause Congress may not make laws restricting or prohibiting a person's religious practices

Whip

Incumbency

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

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

Administrative Discretion

Referendum

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

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

Federalism

Lemon test test standard set by the Supreme Court in Lemon v. Kurtzman to measure the constitutionality of state laws. Separate, Secular, and Neutral in effect and intent

Honeymoon period the time early in a new president's administration characterized by optimistic approval by the public

when a minority party wins by building a new coalition of voters that continues over successive election

Gerrymandering

Natural rights

Cooperative federalism

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 is determined by population, while each state would have equal representation in the Senate (two senators per state)

Fiscal policy how the government uses taxes and spending to impact the economy

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

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

Rider an addition or amendment added to a bill that often has no relation to the bill but that may not pass on its own

Connecticut (Great) Compromise 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

Good-faith exception

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

Joint committee a committee of Congress made up of members of both houses that focuses on issues of general concern but does not propose legislation

Policy implementation carrying out a policy through government agencies and courts

End this game?