| A | B |
|---|
| amicus curiae briefs | friend of the court brief filed by an interest group to influence a Supreme Court decision |
| appellate jurisdiction | authority of a court to hear an appeal from a lower court |
| balancing the ticket | occurs when a presidential nominee chooses a vice presidential running mate who has different qualities in order to attract more votes for the ticket |
| block grant | money granted by the federal government to the states for a broad purpose |
| categorical grant | money granted by the federal governments for a narrow purpose |
| checks and balances | system in which each branch of government can limit the power of the other two branches (ex- presidential veto of a congressional law) |
| clear and present danger doctrine | judicial interpretation of the First Amendment that government may not ban speech unless such speech poses an imminent threat to society |
| closed primary | party election to choose candidates that is closed to independents |
| cloture | Senate motion to end a filibuster that requires a 3/5 vote |
| commerce clause | gives Congress the power to regulate commerce among the states, with foreign nations, and among Indian tribes. Granted through Article I, section 8 of the Constitution |
| conference committee | works out a compromise between differing House- Senate versions of a bill |
| cooperative federalism | systems in which both fedearl government and state governments cooperate in solving problems |
| direct election | election of an offiical directly by the people rather than by an intermediary group such as the Electoral College |
| direct primary | election in which the people choose candidates for office |
| divided government | government in which one party controls the presidency and the other party controls Congress |
| Elastic Clause | states that Congress can exercise those powers that are "necessary and proper" for carrying out the enumerated powers |
| elite theory | theory that the upper class elites exercise great influence over public policy |
| entitlements | federal benefit payments to which recipients have a legal rights (ex- Social Security) |
| establishment clause | provision 1st Amendment that prohibits Congress from establishing an official state religion. This is the basis for separation of church and state |
| exclusionary rule | Supreme Court guideline that excludes the use of illegally obtained evidence in a criminal trial |
| executive agreement | an agreement between the President and another head of state that, unlike a treaty, does not require Senate consent |
| executive order | presidential rule or regulation that has the force of law |
| factions | term used by Madison to denote what we now call interest groups |
| federalism | constitutional sharing of power between a central government and state governments |
| Federalist papers | collection of 85 essays written by Madison, Hamilton, and Jay for the purpose of persuading people of NY to adopt the Constitution |
| filibuster | nonstop Senate debate that prevents a bill from coming to a vote |
| franking privilege | allows members of Congress to send mail postage free |
| gender gap | difference in voting patterns for men and women, particularly in the greater tendency of the latter to vote for Democratic presidential candidates |
| gerrymandering | redrawing district lines to favor one party at the expense of the other |
| horse race journalism | tendency of the media to report on an election campaign as if it were a horse race, i.e., who is ahead, who is behind, who is gaining ground |
| impeachment | House action that formally charges an official with wrongdoing. Conviction requires 2/3 vote from Senate |
| impoundment | refusal of a President to spend money that has been appropriated by Congress |
| incorporation | applying the Bill of Rights to the states |
| incumbent | an officeholder who is seeking reelection |
| iron triangle | an informal association of federal agency, congressional committee, and interest group that is said to have heavy influence over policy making |
| judicial activism | philosophy that the courts should take an active role in solving problems |
| judicial restraint | philosophy that the courts should defer to elected lawmakers in setting policy, and should instead focus on interpreting law rather than making it |
| legislative veto | process in which Congress overturned rules and regulations proposed by executive branch agencies. Struck down in 1983 |
| line item veto | power of most governors (and Clinton for only a few years) to delete or reduce funding in a bill on a line by line basis |
| lobbying | attempting to influence policy makers |
| mandates | requirements imposed by the nationa government by the states. Some are unfunded. |
| miranda warnings | warnings that must be read to suspects prior to questioning |
| open primary | election to choose candidates that is open to independents and in which voters may choose candidates from any one party |
| original jurisdiction | authority of a court to first hear a case |
| pluralism | theory that policy making is the result of interest group competition |
| plurality elections | such as those for Congress are won by the person with the most votes, regardless if he/she has a majority |
| plurality | more votes than anyone else, but less than half |
| Political Action Committee (PAC) | political arm of an interest group that raises funds and donates to election campaigns |
| political culture | the widely shared beliefs, values, and norms that citizens share about their government |
| political socialization | process in which one acquires his/her political beliefs |
| prior restraint | when a court stops expression before it is made, e.g., prohibiting a demonstration by a radical group because the assembly is likely to become violent. Presumed to be unconstitutional. |
| realigning (or critical) election | an election in which there is a long term change in party alignment (ex. 1932) |
| redistricting | redrawing of congressional distrt boundaries by the party in power of the state legislatures |
| reserved powers | powers held by the states through the 10th Amendment. Any power not granted to the US government is reserved for the states |
| rule of four | the Supreme Court will hear a case if four Justices agree to do so |
| Rules Committee | the "traffic cop" of the House that sets the legislative calendar and issues rules for debate on a bill |
| senatorial courtesy | tradition in which the President consults with the senators within a state in which an appointment is to be made |
| Shays Rebellion | 1786 revolt by Massachusetts farmers seeking relief from debt and foreclosure that was a factor in the calling of the Constitutional Convention |
| single member district system | system in which the people elect one representative per district. With a winner-take-all rule, this system strengthenes the two major parties and weakens minor parties. |
| standing committees | the permanent congressional committees that handle legislation |
| Ways and Means committee | House committee that handles tax bills |
