Public Policy and Advocacy Flashcards
Special Interest Groups
organizations dedicated to particular political goals
Public Vs. Private Special Interest Groups
public interest groups promote the issues of general public concern. private interest groups can represent certain occupations
Procedural Rights for the Accused
rights for the accused prevent the government from imprisoning people without trial
Autocracy
government in which one person has unlimited authority over others
Totalitarianism
a political system in which all authority is in the hands of the state
Authoritarianism
a way of governing that values order and control over personal freedom
Transitional Government
a temporary government formed to manage a period of transition, often following state collapse
19th Amendment
granted women the right to vote
Powers and Functions of Legislatures
proposes bills, can impeach and confirm appointments, declare war
Legislative Committee/Congressional Committee
a legislative sub-organization in the United States Congress that handles a specific duty
Articles of Confederation
America’s first written constitution; served as the basis for America’s national government until 1789
Block Grants
federal grants-in-aid that allow states considerable discretion in how the funds are spent
Grant-in-aid
money coming from a central/state government for a specific projec
Bourgeois
A social class that derives social and economic power from employment, education, and wealth, as opposed to the inherited power of aristocratic family of titled land owners or feudal privileges.
Categorical Grants
congressional grants given to states and localities in the condition that expenditures be limited to a problem or group specified by the law
Civil Liberties Vs. Civil Rights
Civil liberties protect people from undue government interference or action. Civil rights, on the other hand, protect people from discrimination.
Commerce Clause
Congress has the power to regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states and with the Indigenous Tribes
Commercial Speech
Communication in the form of advertising
Confederation
a system of government in which states retain sovereign authority except for the powers expressly delegate to the national government
Cooperative Federalism
a type of federalism existing since the New Deal era in which grants-in-aid have been used strategically to encourage states and localities (without commanding them) to pursue nationally defined goals; also known as “intergovernmental cooperation”
Cruel and Unusual Punishment
Court sentences prohibited by the Eighth Amendment.
Devolution
a policy to remove a program from one level of government by delegating it or passing it down to a lower level of government
Eminent Domain
the right of government to take private property for public use
Dual Federalism
a political arrangement in which power is divided between the federal and state governments in clearly defined terms
14th Amendment
Equal protection clause
Establishment Clause (1st Amendment)
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion”; this law means that a “wall of separation” exists between church and state
Exclusionary Rule
the ability of courts to exclude evidence obtained in violation of the fourth amendment (prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures)
First Amendment
“free exercise clause”; provides that Congress make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting its free exercise. It protects freedom of speech, the press, assembly, and the right to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. The Second Amendment gives citizens the right to bear arms.
Expressed Powers
specific powers granted by the Constitution to Congress and to the president
Formula Grants
Federal categorical grants distributed according to a formula specified in legislation or in administrative regulations; include quantifiable elements, such as population, amount of tax effort, proportion of population unemployed or below poverty level, density of housing, or rate of infant mortality
Full Faith and Credit Clause
states within the United States have to respect the “public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other state.”
Home Rule
government of a colony, dependent country, or region by its own citizens
Charter
the grant of authority or rights
Lemon Test
The three-part test for Establishment Clause cases that a law must pass before it is declared constitutional: it must have a secular purpose; it must neither advance nor inhibit religion; and it must not cause excessive entanglement with religion.
Miranda Rule
The requirement that persons under arrest must be informed prior to people interrogation of their rights to remain silent and to have the benefit to legal counsel
Necessary and Proper Clause
Congress has to the authority to make all laws necessary and proper to carry out its expressed powers
Police Power
the capacity of the states to regulate behavior and enforce order within their territory for the betterment of the health, safety, morals, and general welfare of their inhabitants
Political Efficacy
The ability to influence government and politics
Prior Restraint
censorship; an effort by a governmental agency to block the publication of material it deems libelous or harmful in some other way
Revenue Sharing
A law providing for the distribution of a fixed amount or share of federal tax revenues to the states for spending on almost any government purpose.
Right to Counsel (6th Amendment)
Sixth Amendment of the Constitution that requires criminal defendants to have access to legal representation.
Selective Incorporation
the Supreme Court incorporated certain parts of certain amendments, rather than incorporating an entire amendment at once.
Social Contract Theory
The belief that people are free and equal by natural right, and that this in turn requires that all people give their consent to be governed; espoused by John Locke and influential in the writing of the declaration of independence.
Supremacy Clause
makes the Constitution, national laws, and treaties supreme over state laws when the national government is acting within its constitutional limits.
Unitary System
a centralized government system in which lower levels of government have little power independent of national government
Amicus Curiae
“friend to the court”; an individual or organization who is not a party to a legal case, but who is permitted to assist a court by offering information, expertise, or insight that has a bearing on the issues in the case
Appropriations
the process, occurring after every decennial census, that allocates congressional seats among the 50 states
Apportionment
the amount of money approved by Congress in statutes (bills) that each unit of agency of government can spend
Authorization
A formal declaration by a legislative committee that a certain amount of funding may be available to an agency.
Cabinet
the secretaries, or chief administrators, of the major departments of the federal government; Cabinet secretaries are appointed by the President with the consensus of the Senate
Caucus
a normally closed political party business meeting of citizens, plan strategy, or make decisions regarding legislative matters
Cloture
a rule or process in a legislative body aimed at ending debate on a given bill
Commander-in-Chief
Title for the president who holds supreme command of the armed forces
Concurrence
The agreement of a judge with the court’s majority decision
Conference Committee
Committee appointed by the presiding officers of each chamber (House and Senate) to adjust differences on a particular bill passed by each in different form.
Contracting Power
the power of government to set conditions on companies seeking to sell good or services to government agencies
Earmarks
“Hidden” congressional provisions that direct the federal government to fund specific projects or that exempt specific persons or groups from paying specific federal taxes or fees
Executive Agreements
agreement made between president and another country, that has the force of a treaty but does not require the Senate’s “advice and consent”
Government Corporation
A government agency that operates like a business corporation, created to secure greater freedom of action and flexibility for a particular program.
Incumbency
already holding an office
Independent Agencies
agencies in the executive branch of the federal government formed by Congress to help enforce laws and regulations not covered by the executive departments
Iron Triangle
A close relationship between an bureaucracy, a congressional committee, and an interest group
Judicial Activism
An interpretation of the U.S. constitution holding that the spirit of the times and the needs of the nation can legitimately influence judicial decisions (particularly decisions of the Supreme Court)
Judicial Restraint
A judicial philosophy in which judges play minimal policymaking roles, leaving that duty strictly to the legislatures
PAC
political action committee; a tax-exempt 527 organization that pools campaign contributions from members and donates those funds to campaigns for or against candidates, ballot initiatives, or legislation.
Standing Committees
A permanent committee established in a legislature, usually focusing on a policy area
Double Jeopardy
a procedural defence that prevents an accused person from being tried again on the same charges following an acquittal or conviction and in rare cases prosecutorial and/or judge misconduct in the same jurisdiction.
House Rules Committee
a committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is responsible for the rules under which bills will be presented to the House of Representatives, unlike other committees, which often deal with a specific area of policy.
Logrolling
An agreement by two or more lawmakers to support each other’s bills
Majority Leader
The legislative leader selected by the majority party who helps plan party strategy, confers with other party leaders, and tries to keep members of the party in line.
Minority Leader
Leader of the minority party in a legislature
Office of Management and Budget
Executive office responsible for helping the President write the federal budget and monitoring federal spending.
Oral Argument
legal argument made by each attorney in proceedings before the court in an attempt to persuade the court to decide the issue in their client’s favor
Oversight
Congressional review of the activities of an executive agency, department, or office.
Patronage
Granting favors or giving contracts or making appointments to office in return for political support
Pork-barrel legislation
legislation that gives tangible benefits to constituents in several districts or states in the hope of winning their votes in return
Rule of Four
Requirement that a case can only be heard by the Supreme Court if four justices vote to hear the case
Private Bill
A legislative bill that deals only with specific, private, personal, or local matters
Senatorial Courtesy
Presidential custom of submitting the names of prospective appointees for approval to senators from the states in which the appointees are to work.
Seniority
Unwritten rule in both houses of Congress reserving committee chairs to members of the committee with the longest records of continuous service.
Signing Statements
pronouncements of how the president intends to interpret and apply a law when he signs a bill into law
Sociological Representation
identifies the best representative as the one who shares a similar racial, ethnic, religious, or occupational background with those he or she represents.
Solicitor General
The solicitor general is responsible for handling all appeals on behalf of the United States government to the Supreme Court.
Speaker of the House
An office mandated by the Constitution. The Speaker is chosen in practice by the majority party, has both formal and informal powers, and is second in line to succeed to the presidency should that office become vacant.
Stare Decisis
A common law doctrine under which judges are obligated to follow the precedents established in prior decisions
Writ of Certiorari
a writ (order) of a higher court to a lower court to send all the documents in a case to it so the higher court can review the lower court’s decision
Strict Constructivism
the legal philosophy that judges should use the intentions of those writing the law or the constitution as guides for how to interpret the law
Whip system
an organization of House leaders who work to disseminate information and promote party unity in voting on legislation
Trial Court
Court of original jurisdiction where cases begin
Quota Sampling
requires that representative individuals are chosen out of a specific subgroup with similar characteristics
