Am Gov Exam 2 Flashcards
bill of rights
first ten amendments to US constitution
fundamental right
constitutional right that is so important that government cannot restrict it unless it can demonstrate a compelling or overriding public interest for doing so
parental choice
educational reform aimed at improving the quality of schools by allowing parents to select the school their children will attend
hate-crime laws
legislative measure that increases penalties for persons convicted of criminal offenses motivated by prejudice based on race religion national origin gender or sexual orientation
libel
false written statements
slander
false spoken statements
prior restraint
government action prevent the publication or broadcast of objectionable material
due process of law
constitutional principle holding that government must follow fair and regular procedures in action that could lead to an individuals suffering loss of life liberty or property
warrant
n official authorization issued by a judicial officer
probable cause
reasonable suspicion based on evidence that a particular search will uncover contraband
exclusionary rule
judicial doctrine stating that when the police violate an individuals constitutional rights the evidence obtained as a result of police misconduct or error cannot be used against the defendant
miranda warning
before questioning accused persons must be warned that 1 they have a right to remain silent 2 that any statements they give may be used against them 3 that they are entitled to the presence of an attorney either retained or appointed
double jeopardy
government trying a criminal defendant a second time for the same offense after an acquittal in an earlier prosecution
civil rights
protection of the individual from arbitrary or discriminatory acts by government or by individuals based on that persons group status such as race or gender
suspect classifications
distinctions among persons that must be justified on the basis of a compelling government interest that cannot be achieved in a less restrictive fashion
race ethnicity or citizenship status
gender is not one but must be exceedingly persuasive justification
strict judicial scrutiny
judicial decision rule holding that the Supreme Court will find a government policy unconstitutional unless the government can demonstrate a compelling interest justifying the action
Jim Crows laws
legal provisions requiring the social segregation of african americans in separate and generally unequal facilities
separate but equal
judical doctrine holding that separate facilities for whites and african americans satisfy the equal protection requirement of the fourteenth amendment
test case
lawsuit initiated to assess the constitutionality of a legislative or executive act
paid prepared for and presented by an interest group
de jure segregation
racial separation required by law
de facto segregation
racial separation resulting from factors other than law such as housing patterns
sufferage
right to vote
disfranchisement
denial of voting rights
white primary
electoral system used in the south to prevent the participation of african americans in the democratic primary
test of understanding
legan lequirement that citizens must accurately explain a passage in the US Constitution or state constitution before they could register to vote
grandfather clause
provision that exempted those persons whose grandfathers had been eligible to vote at some earlier date from tests of understanding literacy tests and other difficult to achieve voter qualification requirements
used to help whites vote and to keep blacks from voting
voting rights act VRA
federal law designed to protect the voting rights of racial and ethnic minorities
statutory law
law that is written by the legislature
racially restrictive covenants
private deed restrictions that prohibited property owners from selling or leasing property to african americans or other minorities
civil union
legal partnership between two men or two women that gives the couple all the benefits protections and responsibilities under law as are granted to spouses in a traditional marriage
affirmative action
steps taken by colleges universities and private employers to remedy the effects of past discrimination
minority business set aside
legal requirement that firms receiving government grants or contracts allocate a certain percentage of their purchases of supplies and services to businesses owned or controlled by members of minority groups
budget deficit
amount by which annual budget expenditures exceed annual budget receipts
subsidy
financial incentive given by government to an individual or a business interest to accomplish a public objective
income redistribution
government taking items of value especially money from some group of people and then giving items of value either in cash or services to other groups of people
depression
severe and prolonged economic slump characterized by decreased business activity and high unemployment
recession
economic slowdown characterized by declining economic output and rising unemployment
inflation
decline in the purchasing power of the currency
interest
money paid for the use of money
estate tax
tax levied on the value of an inheritance
tax preference
tax deduction or exclusion that allows individuals to pay less tax than they would otherwise
tax exemption
exclusion of some types of income from taxation
tax deduction
expenditure that can be subtracted from a taxpayers gross income before figuring the tax owed
tax credit
expenditure that reduces an individuals tax liability by the amount of the credit
excise taxes
taxes levied on the manufature transportation sale or consumption of a particular item or set of related items
gross domestic product GDP
total value of goods and services produced by a nations economy in a year excluding transactions with foreign countries
progressive tax
levy that taxes people earning higher incomes at a higher rate than it does individuals making less money
proportional tax
levy that taxes all persons at the same percentage rate regardless of income
regressive tax
levy whose burden falls more heavily on lower income groups than on wealthy taxpayers
ex. sales tax
ability to pay theory of taxation
the approach to government finance that holds that taxes should be based on an individuals ability to pay
flat tax
income tax that assess the same percentage tax rate on all income levels
sales tax
a levy assessed on the retail sale of taxable items
value added tax VAT
tax on the estimated market value added to a product or material at each stage of its manufacture or distribution
budget surplus
sum by which annual budget receipts exceed annual budget expenditures
balanced budget
budget receipts equal budget expenditures
national debt
accumulated indebtedness of the federal government
means tested program
government program that provides benefits to recipients based on their financial need
privatization
process that involves the government contracting with private business to implement government programs
welfare programs
government programs that provide benefits to individuals based on their economic status
fiscal policy
use of government spending and taxation for the purpose of achieving economic goals
make fiscal policy when they adopt the annual budget and enact tax laws
mandatory spending
budgetary expenditures that are mandated by law including entitlements and contractual commitments made in previous years
entitlement program
government program providing benefits to all persons qualified to receive them under law,,,SS
discretionary spending
budgetary expenditures that are not mandated by law or contract such as annual funding for education highway construction or national defense
PAYGO
pay as you go budget rule that requires that any tax cut or spending increase be offset by tax increases or spending cuts elsewhere in the budget
appropriations process
procedure through which Congress legislatively allocates money for a particular purpose
authorization process
procedure through which congress legislatively establishes and defines a program but does not actually provide funding for it
monetary policy
control of the money supply for the purpose of achieving economic goals
Federal reserve…has the authority to establish banking policy (interest rates) and influence the amount of credit available in the economy
federal reserve system Fed
central banking system of the US with authority to establish banking policies and influence the amount of credit available in the economy
earmarks
provisions that direct that funds be spent for particular purposes
rogue state
nation that threatens world peace by sponsoring international terrorism and promoting the spread of weapons of mass destruction
foreign policy
public policy that concerns the relationship of the US to the international political environment
defense policy
public policy that concerns the armed forces of the US
nation-state
political community occupying a definite territory and having an organized government
postindustrial societies
nations whose economies are increasingly based on services research and information rather than heavy industry
diplomatic relations
system of official contacts between two nations in which the countries exchange ambassadors and other diplomatic personnel and operate embassies in each others country
united nations UN
an international organization founded in 1945 as a diplomatic forum to resolve conflicts among the worlds nations
north atlantic treaty organization NATO
regional military alliance consisting of the US/Canada and most European democracies
nongovernmental organizations NGO’s
international organizations committed to the promotion of a particular set of issues
North American Free Trade Agreement NAFTA
international accord among the US, Canada, Mexico to lower trade barriers among the three nations
isolationism
view that the US should minimize its interactions with other nations
Monroe Doctrine
declaration of American foreign policy opposing any European intervention in the Western Hemisphere and affirming the American intention to refrain from interfering in European affairs
Cold War
period of international tension between the US and the Soviet Union lasting from the late 940-1980s
containment
US policy which sought to keep the Soviet Union from expanding its sphere of control and preserve the balance of power in Europe and Asia
detente
era of improved relations between the Soviet Union and the US
Nuclear non proliferation treaty
international agreement designed to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons
failed states
nation states in which the government no longer effectively functions threatening regional security and economies
unilateralist
approach to foreign policy that advocates acting in ones own best interests alone if necessary
internationalist
approach to foreign policy that supports working in close concert with the global community
strategic forces
nuclear forces
conventional forces
non nuclear forces
mutual assured destruction MAD
belief that the US and the Soviet Union would be deterred from launching a nuclear assault against each other for fear of being destroyed in a general nuclear war.
deterrence
the ability of a nation to prevent an attach against itself or its allies by threat of massive retaliation
massive retaliation
concept that the US will strike back against an aggressor with overwhelming force
military preemption
defense policy that declares that the US will attack hostile nations or groups that represent a potential threat to the security of the US
freedom of religon
first amendment
no official church
free exercise of religion
symbolic expression
ex. burn/fly flag
form of symbolic speech
protected by first amendment
roe v wade
14th amendment
right to privacy
4th amendment
unreasonable search and siezure
groups that protect civil liberties
ACLU American civil liberties union
equal protection clause
provision of the 14th amendment of the US constitution that declares that no state shall…deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws
plessy v ferguson
SC ruled separate but equal is reasonable
brown v board of education
separate but equal unlawful
de segregation
swann v charlotte mecklenburg board of education
bussing
19th amendment
women right to vote
15th amendment
black men right to vote
title 9
expand athletic opportunities for women/ prevents gender discrimination in programs at educational institutions
the civil rights act of 1964
outlawed descrimination based on race religion color sex national origin…in hotels restaurants gas stations etc
based on interstate commerce clause
civil rights act of 1991
hiring practices must not discriminate
Regents of the University of California v Bakke
reverse discrimination case…slots reserved for minority…numerical quota ruled illegal…but could be considered a +
US highest source of revenue
income tax 43%
medicare
anyone on ss for age/disability is eligible for medicare NOT based on income
Various programs of income security
unemployment insurance federal retirement most welfare programs…earned income tax credit. food stamps. SSi. temporary assistance to needy families
Cost of living adjustment COLA
a mechanism designed to regularly increase the size of a payment to compensate for the effects of inflation
social security
tax on workers to provide benefits to elderly retirees and disabled persons COLA
