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American Government > Am Gov Exam 2 > Flashcards

Am Gov Exam 2 Flashcards

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1
Q

bill of rights

A

first ten amendments to US constitution

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2
Q

fundamental right

A

constitutional right that is so important that government cannot restrict it unless it can demonstrate a compelling or overriding public interest for doing so

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3
Q

parental choice

A

educational reform aimed at improving the quality of schools by allowing parents to select the school their children will attend

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4
Q

hate-crime laws

A

legislative measure that increases penalties for persons convicted of criminal offenses motivated by prejudice based on race religion national origin gender or sexual orientation

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5
Q

libel

A

false written statements

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6
Q

slander

A

false spoken statements

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7
Q

prior restraint

A

government action prevent the publication or broadcast of objectionable material

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8
Q

due process of law

A

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

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9
Q

warrant

A

n official authorization issued by a judicial officer

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10
Q

probable cause

A

reasonable suspicion based on evidence that a particular search will uncover contraband

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11
Q

exclusionary rule

A

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

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12
Q

miranda warning

A

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

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13
Q

double jeopardy

A

government trying a criminal defendant a second time for the same offense after an acquittal in an earlier prosecution

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14
Q

civil rights

A

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

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15
Q

suspect classifications

A

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

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16
Q

strict judicial scrutiny

A

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

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17
Q

Jim Crows laws

A

legal provisions requiring the social segregation of african americans in separate and generally unequal facilities

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18
Q

separate but equal

A

judical doctrine holding that separate facilities for whites and african americans satisfy the equal protection requirement of the fourteenth amendment

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19
Q

test case

A

lawsuit initiated to assess the constitutionality of a legislative or executive act
paid prepared for and presented by an interest group

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20
Q

de jure segregation

A

racial separation required by law

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21
Q

de facto segregation

A

racial separation resulting from factors other than law such as housing patterns

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22
Q

sufferage

A

right to vote

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23
Q

disfranchisement

A

denial of voting rights

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24
Q

white primary

A

electoral system used in the south to prevent the participation of african americans in the democratic primary

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25
Q

test of understanding

A

legan lequirement that citizens must accurately explain a passage in the US Constitution or state constitution before they could register to vote

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26
Q

grandfather clause

A

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

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27
Q

voting rights act VRA

A

federal law designed to protect the voting rights of racial and ethnic minorities

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28
Q

statutory law

A

law that is written by the legislature

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29
Q

racially restrictive covenants

A

private deed restrictions that prohibited property owners from selling or leasing property to african americans or other minorities

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30
Q

civil union

A

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

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31
Q

affirmative action

A

steps taken by colleges universities and private employers to remedy the effects of past discrimination

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32
Q

minority business set aside

A

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

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33
Q

budget deficit

A

amount by which annual budget expenditures exceed annual budget receipts

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34
Q

subsidy

A

financial incentive given by government to an individual or a business interest to accomplish a public objective

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35
Q

income redistribution

A

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

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36
Q

depression

A

severe and prolonged economic slump characterized by decreased business activity and high unemployment

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37
Q

recession

A

economic slowdown characterized by declining economic output and rising unemployment

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38
Q

inflation

A

decline in the purchasing power of the currency

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39
Q

interest

A

money paid for the use of money

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40
Q

estate tax

A

tax levied on the value of an inheritance

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41
Q

tax preference

A

tax deduction or exclusion that allows individuals to pay less tax than they would otherwise

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42
Q

tax exemption

A

exclusion of some types of income from taxation

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43
Q

tax deduction

A

expenditure that can be subtracted from a taxpayers gross income before figuring the tax owed

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44
Q

tax credit

A

expenditure that reduces an individuals tax liability by the amount of the credit

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45
Q

excise taxes

A

taxes levied on the manufature transportation sale or consumption of a particular item or set of related items

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46
Q

gross domestic product GDP

A

total value of goods and services produced by a nations economy in a year excluding transactions with foreign countries

47
Q

progressive tax

A

levy that taxes people earning higher incomes at a higher rate than it does individuals making less money

48
Q

proportional tax

A

levy that taxes all persons at the same percentage rate regardless of income

49
Q

regressive tax

A

levy whose burden falls more heavily on lower income groups than on wealthy taxpayers
ex. sales tax

50
Q

ability to pay theory of taxation

A

the approach to government finance that holds that taxes should be based on an individuals ability to pay

51
Q

flat tax

A

income tax that assess the same percentage tax rate on all income levels

52
Q

sales tax

A

a levy assessed on the retail sale of taxable items

53
Q

value added tax VAT

A

tax on the estimated market value added to a product or material at each stage of its manufacture or distribution

54
Q

budget surplus

A

sum by which annual budget receipts exceed annual budget expenditures

55
Q

balanced budget

A

budget receipts equal budget expenditures

56
Q

national debt

A

accumulated indebtedness of the federal government

57
Q

means tested program

A

government program that provides benefits to recipients based on their financial need

58
Q

privatization

A

process that involves the government contracting with private business to implement government programs

59
Q

welfare programs

A

government programs that provide benefits to individuals based on their economic status

60
Q

fiscal policy

A

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

61
Q

mandatory spending

A

budgetary expenditures that are mandated by law including entitlements and contractual commitments made in previous years

62
Q

entitlement program

A

government program providing benefits to all persons qualified to receive them under law,,,SS

63
Q

discretionary spending

A

budgetary expenditures that are not mandated by law or contract such as annual funding for education highway construction or national defense

64
Q

PAYGO

A

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

65
Q

appropriations process

A

procedure through which Congress legislatively allocates money for a particular purpose

66
Q

authorization process

A

procedure through which congress legislatively establishes and defines a program but does not actually provide funding for it

67
Q

monetary policy

A

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

68
Q

federal reserve system Fed

A

central banking system of the US with authority to establish banking policies and influence the amount of credit available in the economy

69
Q

earmarks

A

provisions that direct that funds be spent for particular purposes

70
Q

rogue state

A

nation that threatens world peace by sponsoring international terrorism and promoting the spread of weapons of mass destruction

71
Q

foreign policy

A

public policy that concerns the relationship of the US to the international political environment

72
Q

defense policy

A

public policy that concerns the armed forces of the US

73
Q

nation-state

A

political community occupying a definite territory and having an organized government

74
Q

postindustrial societies

A

nations whose economies are increasingly based on services research and information rather than heavy industry

75
Q

diplomatic relations

A

system of official contacts between two nations in which the countries exchange ambassadors and other diplomatic personnel and operate embassies in each others country

76
Q

united nations UN

A

an international organization founded in 1945 as a diplomatic forum to resolve conflicts among the worlds nations

77
Q

north atlantic treaty organization NATO

A

regional military alliance consisting of the US/Canada and most European democracies

78
Q

nongovernmental organizations NGO’s

A

international organizations committed to the promotion of a particular set of issues

79
Q

North American Free Trade Agreement NAFTA

A

international accord among the US, Canada, Mexico to lower trade barriers among the three nations

80
Q

isolationism

A

view that the US should minimize its interactions with other nations

81
Q

Monroe Doctrine

A

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

82
Q

Cold War

A

period of international tension between the US and the Soviet Union lasting from the late 940-1980s

83
Q

containment

A

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

84
Q

detente

A

era of improved relations between the Soviet Union and the US

85
Q

Nuclear non proliferation treaty

A

international agreement designed to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons

86
Q

failed states

A

nation states in which the government no longer effectively functions threatening regional security and economies

87
Q

unilateralist

A

approach to foreign policy that advocates acting in ones own best interests alone if necessary

88
Q

internationalist

A

approach to foreign policy that supports working in close concert with the global community

89
Q

strategic forces

A

nuclear forces

90
Q

conventional forces

A

non nuclear forces

91
Q

mutual assured destruction MAD

A

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.

92
Q

deterrence

A

the ability of a nation to prevent an attach against itself or its allies by threat of massive retaliation

93
Q

massive retaliation

A

concept that the US will strike back against an aggressor with overwhelming force

94
Q

military preemption

A

defense policy that declares that the US will attack hostile nations or groups that represent a potential threat to the security of the US

95
Q

freedom of religon

A

first amendment
no official church
free exercise of religion

96
Q

symbolic expression

A

ex. burn/fly flag
form of symbolic speech
protected by first amendment

97
Q

roe v wade

A

14th amendment

right to privacy

98
Q

4th amendment

A

unreasonable search and siezure

99
Q

groups that protect civil liberties

A

ACLU American civil liberties union

100
Q

equal protection clause

A

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

101
Q

plessy v ferguson

A

SC ruled separate but equal is reasonable

102
Q

brown v board of education

A

separate but equal unlawful

de segregation

103
Q

swann v charlotte mecklenburg board of education

A

bussing

104
Q

19th amendment

A

women right to vote

105
Q

15th amendment

A

black men right to vote

106
Q

title 9

A

expand athletic opportunities for women/ prevents gender discrimination in programs at educational institutions

107
Q

the civil rights act of 1964

A

outlawed descrimination based on race religion color sex national origin…in hotels restaurants gas stations etc
based on interstate commerce clause

108
Q

civil rights act of 1991

A

hiring practices must not discriminate

109
Q

Regents of the University of California v Bakke

A

reverse discrimination case…slots reserved for minority…numerical quota ruled illegal…but could be considered a +

110
Q

US highest source of revenue

A

income tax 43%

111
Q

medicare

A

anyone on ss for age/disability is eligible for medicare NOT based on income

112
Q

Various programs of income security

A

unemployment insurance federal retirement most welfare programs…earned income tax credit. food stamps. SSi. temporary assistance to needy families

113
Q

Cost of living adjustment COLA

A

a mechanism designed to regularly increase the size of a payment to compensate for the effects of inflation

114
Q

social security

A

tax on workers to provide benefits to elderly retirees and disabled persons COLA

American Government (2 decks)

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