other vocab

Question 1

adversarial system

Answer 1

system of law in which the court is seen as a neutral area where disputants can argue the merits of their cases

Question 2

blanket primary

Answer 2

primary election in which voters may select a candidate from any party for each office. it has been struck down in all states where it existed, but a variation called the nonpartisan blanket primary still exists in louisiana and washington

Question 3

bread and butter issues

Answer 3

political issues that are specifically directed at the daily concerns of most working-class americans, such as job security, tax rates, wages, and employee benefits

Question 4

broad constructionism

Answer 4

belief that the constitution should be interpreted loosely concerning the restrictions it places on federal power. broad constructionism emphasizes the importance of the necessary and proper clause

Question 5

budget resolution

Answer 5

set of budget guidelines that must pass both houses of congress in identical form by april 15. the budget resolution guides government spending for the following fiscal year

Question 6

coalition

Answer 6

a combination of groups of people who work together to achieve a political goal. coalitions also form among legislators who work together to advance or defeat a particular bill

Question 7

dealignment

Answer 7

a recent trend in which voters act increasingly independent of a party affiliation. one consequence is split-ticket voting, which leads to divided gov

Question 8

eminent domain

Answer 8

the power of the gov to take away property for public use as long as their is compensation

Question 9

extradiction

Answer 9

process by which governments return fugitives to the jurisdiction from which they have fled

Question 10

fiscal year

Answer 10

12-month period starting on oct 1. gov budgets go into effect at the beginning of the fiscal year. congress and the president agree on a budget resolution in apr to guide gov spending in the coming fiscal year

Question 11

freedom of information act (1974)

Answer 11

act that declassified government documents for public use

Question 12

gramm-rudman-hollings bill (1985)

Answer 12

set budget reduction targets to balance the budget but failed to eliminate loopholes

Question 13

great society

Answer 13

president lyndon b johnson’s social/economic program, aimed at raising the standard of living for america’s poorest residents. programs include medicare, medicaid, project head start, job corps, and volunteers in service to america

Question 14

hatch act (1939)

Answer 14

a congressional law that forbade government officials from participating in partisan politics and protected government employees from being fired on partisan grounds; it was revised in 1993 to be less restrictive

Question 15

joint committee

Answer 15

congressional committee composed of members of both houses of congress, usually to investigate and research specific subjects

Question 16

lilly ledbetter fair pay act (2009)

Answer 16

law that closed the loophole that limited suits on discriminatory pay

Question 17

national security concil (nsc)

Answer 17

presidential advisory board established in 1947. the nsc consults with the president on matters of defense and foreign policy

Question 18

objective good faith

Answer 18

exception to the exclusionary rule that allows the use of illegally obtained evidence at trial if the court determines that police believed they were acting within the limits of their search warrant when they seized the evidence

Question 19

patriot act (2001)

Answer 19

act passed in response to the terrorist acts of september 11, 2001, granting broad police authority to the federal, state, and local govs to interdict, prosecute, and convict suspected terrorists

Question 20

poison-pill amendment

Answer 20

amendment to a bill proposed by its opponents for the specific purpose of decreasing the bill’s chance of passage. also known as a killer amendment

Question 21

populists

Answer 21

political party of the late 1800s. primarily represented working-class and sought inflationary economic policies to increase farm income

Question 22

populists

Answer 22

political party of the late 1800s. primarily represented working-class and sought inflationary economic policies to increase farm income

Question 23

progressive income tax

Answer 23

a progressive tax increases tax rates for people with higher incomes. the goal is to allow those with greater need to keep more of what they earn while taking more from those who can best afford it

Question 24

quorum

Answer 24

the minimum number of legislators required for the legislature to act

Question 25

runoff primary

Answer 25

election held between the top two vote-getters in a primary election, when neither received a legally required minimum percentage of the vote

Question 26

saving amendment

Answer 26

amendment to a bill proposed in hopes of softening opposition by weakening objectionable elements of the bill

Question 27

shield law

Answer 27

law guaranteeing news reports the right to protect the anonymity of their sources

Question 28

strict constructionism

Answer 28

belief that the constitution should be read in such a way as to limit the powers of the federal government as much as possible. emphasize 10th amendment

Question 29

unwritten constitution

Answer 29

certain deeply ingrained aspects of our gov that are not mentioned in the constitution, like political parties

Question 30

war on poverty

Answer 30

programs of great society specifically aimed at assisting the poor

Question 31

war powers act

Answer 31

law requiring the president to seek periodic approval from congress for any substantial troop commitment, passed in response to dissatisfaction over the vietnam

Question 32

warren court (1953-1969)

Answer 32

the supreme court during the era in which earl warren served as chief chief justice. best remembered for ensuring rights of minorities and accused