| A | B |
|---|
| Baker v Carr | Supreme Court case in which the Court held that redistricting qualifies as a justiciable question under the equal protection clause |
| elastic clause | The Constitution grants Congress the power to pass all laws necessary and proper |
| supremacy clause | Anytime the state and federal governments are in conflict, the federal government wins |
| writ of habeas corpus | a court order that prevents unjust arrest and imprisonment |
| expost facto law | a law applied to an act committed before the laws passage |
| bill of attainder | a law sentencing a person to jail without granting them a fair trial |
| filibuster | the use of long speeches to prevent a vote on a bill in the senate |
| cloture | an agreement to end debate on a bill and move to an immediate vote in Senate |
| ordinance | a local law that is in place |
| initiative | a right in which citizens can propose a law by petition |
| referendum | process in which a measure passed is submitted to the voters for approval or rejection |
| recall | the procedure by which a public official may be removed from office by popular vote |
| urban sprawl | the spreading out of a city and its suburbs over more and more rural land at the outer limits of an urban area |
| smart growth | planned economic and community development in Maryland that attempts to curb urban sprawl and protect resources |
| zoning laws | regulations that dictate how land may be used or developed |
| gerrymandering | the act of drawing districts to gain a political advantage in elections |
