Government 2nd Semester Test
Order by
22 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 14th Amendment | Amendment that deals with citizenship, state limits, due process and equal protection. |
| amicus curiae | A Latin term meaning "friend of the court." Refers to interested groups or individuals, not directly involved in a suit, who may file legal briefs or oral arguments in support of one side. |
| appellate jurisdiction | The authority of a court to review decisions made by lower courts |
| Arizona Immigration Law | Required citizens to carry documentation. Is being reviewed by the Supreme Court. Essay Q. |
| Bicameral Legislature | A legislature divided into two houses. The U.S. Congress and every American state legislature except Nebraska's are bicameral. |
| brief | a written document explaining the position of one side or the other in a case |
| Circuit Court of Appeal | a federal appellate court above the district courts and below the Supreme Court. 13 courts over 50 states. We are 8th circuit. |
| Constitutional rights | Bill of Rights; 14th amendments; Article I, section 9; Article VI, section 3., can be defined as basic protections held by individuals against improper limitations by state and local governments |
| defamatory speech | false speech that damages a person's good name, character, or reputation. |
| FCC | Federal Communications Comission, an independent governmeent agency that regulates interstate and international communications by radio and television and wire and cable and satellite |
| Free Exercise Clause | the First Amendment guarantee that citizens may freely engage in the religious activities of their choice |
| Freedom of Speech | the right to express oneself, with words or actions (verbally or symbolically). This freedom is guaranteed in the First Amendment to the US Constitution; although the Supreme Court has ruled that this freedom is not absolute: it should not be applied when it endangers or harms the lives, liberty or property of others. |
| Incorporation | a process that extended the protections of the Bill of Rights against the actions of state and local governments |
| naturalization | the legal process by which a person is granted citizenship |
| non-resident alien | a person from a foreign country who expects to stay in the US for a short, specified period of time. |
| opinions | The Supreme Court's opinion is the majority opinion. It announces the Court's decision in a case and sets out the reasoning on which it is based. There may also be concurring opinions and dissenting opinions. p522 |
| ordinance | law passed by a local government |
| original jurisdiction | the authority of a court to hear a case "in the first instance" |
| prior restraint | government censorship of information before it is published or broadcast |
| refugees | people who flee their country because of persecution or danger |
| resident alien | a person from a foreign nation who has established permanent residence in the United States, but who has not completed the naturalization process. |
| roger taney | (1777-1864) United States jurist who served as chief justice of the United States Supreme Court; remembered for his ruling that slaves and their descendants have no rights as citizens. Dred Scott |
First Time Here?
Welcome to Quizlet, a fun, free place to study. Try these flashcards, find others to study, or make your own.