| A | B |
|---|
| MD District Court | level court that has original jurisdiction over most misdemeanors. |
| MD Circuit Court | A state trial court that has original jurisdiction in most felonies and appellate jurisdiction over the district court. |
| MD Court of Appeals | Highest Court in Maryland with original jurisdiction over Maryland State Constitutional concerns and appellate jurisdiction over lower courts. |
| MD Court of Special Appeals | Second highest court in Maryland with appellate jurisdiction over circuit court decisions. |
| comptroller | An officer who audits accounts and supervises the financial affairs of a governmental body. (Collects state taxes) |
| Chesapeake Bay | An inlet of the Atlantic Ocean separating the Delmarva Peninsula from mainland Maryland and Virginia. |
| concurrent powers | Powers that both the national government and the states have. |
| county commissioner | Official of the county government that serves as both an executive and legislature. |
| county executive | The lone administrative officer invested by local laws with various powers (roads, courthouses, financial matters) of the local government. Chief exective. |
| city council | governing body for a city |
| deforestation | To cut down and clear away the trees or forests. |
| delegated powers | Powers expressly granted to the national government by the Constitution. See expressed powers and enumerated powers. |
| demographics | Characteristics shared by a group of people, such as age, occupation, gender, education, etc. (Often demographics are used to make public policy decisions.) |
| eminent domain | The power of the government to take private property for public use. |
| entitlement | Government programs designed to help elderly, ill and unemployed citizens. |
| General Assembly | The state legislative body in the state of Maryland consisting of the Senate and the House of Delegates. |
| governor | The chief executive of a state in the United States. |
| initiative | The right, power, and procedure by which citizens can propose a law by petition and ensure its submission to the electorate. |
| budgeting | A summary of expenditures and revenue for a given period of time |
| equity | Most commonly thought of as "justice", however equity developed as a separate body of law in England in reaction to the inability of the common law courts to provide a remedy for every injury. |
| Lt Governor | - An elected official serving as deputy to the governor of a state of the United States. |
| mayor | The head of government of a city, town, borough, or municipal corporation. |
| metropolitan | Relating to or characteristic of a major city. |
| National Guard | The military reserve units controlled by each state of the United States, equipped by the federal government and subject to the call of either the federal or the state government |
| pollution | The act or process of polluting or the state of being polluted (contamination of soil, water, or the atmosphere). |
| recall | The right or procedure by which an official may be removed by vote of the people. |
| regional agreements/issues/pact | A dilemma or problem that is specific to a particular geographic area. |
| referendum | Process in which a measure passed by a legislature is submitted to the voters for final approval or rejection. |
| reserved powers | Those powers that the Constitution does not grant to the National Government and does not, at the same time, deny to the states. |
| sheriffs' department | The local governmental department charged with the regulation and control of the affairs of a community; established to maintain order, enforce the law, and prevent and detect crime |
| smart growth | Government policy in Maryland to address the issues of urban sprawl, urban decay, and environmental concerns such as the health of the Chesapeake Bay. |
| urbanization | The conversion of open space (rural land) into built-up, developed land over time. |
| urban sprawl | Sprawl is the spreading out of a city and its suburbs over more and more rural land at the periphery of an urban area. |
| wetland preservation | Attempts made to protect lowland areas, such as a marsh or swamp, which is saturated with moisture, especially when regarded as the natural habitat of wildlife. |
| zoning | The means a local government uses to regulate the way land and buildings may be used in order to shape community development. |
| property tax | tax imposed on one's property |
| MD House of Delegates | Chamber of Maryland General Assembly consisting of 141 delegates. |
| MD Senate | Chamber of Maryland General Assembly consisting of 47 senators. |
