Final Exam Vocabulary
About this set
Created by:
hyattodetallah on May 31, 2012
Subjects:
Log in to favorite or report as inappropriate.
Order by
52 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 impeach | to accuse government officials of misconduct in office |
| concurrent powers | powers that are shared by both the federal and state governments |
| federalists | supporters of the stronger central govt. who advocated the ratification of the new constitution |
| interest groups | organization of people who share political, social or other goals; and agree to try to influence public policy to achieve those goals. |
| bill | a statute in draft before it becomes law |
| bill of attainer | a law that declares a person guilty without a trail. The state legislatures and congress are forbidden to pass such laws under article I of the constitution. |
| constituents | a person whom a member of Congress has been elected to represent |
| treaties | formal agreements with other countries; negotiated by the president and requiring approval by two-thirds of the Senate |
| executive agreements | Agreements between the US president and the leaders of other nations that do not require Senate approval |
| domestic policy | decisions, laws, and programs made by the government which are directly related to issues in the United States. Sometimes domestic and foreign policies influence each other. |
| articles of confederation | this document, the nations first constitution, was adopted by the second continental congress in 1781during the revolution. the document was limited because states held most of the power, and congress lacked the power to tax, regulate trade, or control coinage |
| popular sovereignty | The concept that political power rests with the people who can create, alter, and abolish government. People express themselves through voting and free participation in government |
| habeas corpus | the civil right to obtain a writ of habeas corpus as protection against illegal imprisonment |
| declaration of independence | the document recording the proclamation of the second Continental Congress (4 July 1776) asserting the independence of the colonies from Great Britain |
| ratified | Approved; to have made a written document official by signing it. |
| federalism | a form of government in which power is divided between the federal, or national, government and the states |
| checks and balances | A system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power |
| president pro tempore | Officer of the Senate selected by the majority party to act as chair in the absence of the vice president |
| congressional district | Area within a state representing about 600,000 people. Each member of the House of Representatives represents the people in one district. |
| pocket veto | a bill fails to become law because the president did not sign it within ten days before Congress adjourns |
| bureaucracy | system of managing government through departments run by appointed officials |
| executive branch | the branch of government, headed by the president, that carries out the nation's laws and policies |
| executive privilege | The power to keep executive communications confidential, especially if they relate to national security. |
| virginia plan | Virginia delegate James Madison's plan of government, in which states got a number of representatives in Congress based on their population |
| miranda rights | A list of rights that police in the United States must read to suspects in custody before questioning them, pursuant to the Supreme Court decision in Miranda v. Arizona. |
| judicial review | review by a court of law of actions of a government official or entity or of some other legally appointed person or body or the review by an appellate court of the decision of a trial court |
| amendments | Official changes, corrections, or additions to the Constitution |
| reserved powers | Powers not specifically granted to the federal government or denied to the states belong to the states and the people |
| three fifths compromise | the agreement by which the number of each state's representatives in Congress would be based on a count of all the free people plus three-fifths of the slaves |
| speaker of the house | the leader of the majority party who serves as the presiding officer of the House of Representatives |
| floor leaders | A political party leader in Congress who works for the passage of bills the party favors |
| filibuster | a legislator who gives long speeches in an effort to delay or obstruct legislation that he (or she) opposes |
| census | a periodic and official count of a country's population |
| administration | the president and his political appointees, who are responsible for directing the executive branch of government |
| ambassadors | the highest-ranking officials representing a government in a foreign country |
| cabinet | persons appointed by a head of state to head executive departments of government and act as official advisers |
| new jersey plan | Opposite of the Virginia Plan, it proposed a single-chamber congress in which each state had one vote. This created a conflict with representation between bigger states, who wanted control befitting their population, and smaller states, who didn't want to be bullied by larger states. |
| 14th amendment | Declares that all persons born in the U.S. are citizens and are guaranteed equal protection of the laws |
| civil disobedience | a form of political participation that reflects a conscious decision to break a law believed to be immoral and to suffer the consequences. |
| bicameral | a legislature consisting of two parts, or houses |
| great compromise | Compromise made by Constitutional Convention in which states would have equal representation in one house of the legislature and representation based on population in the other house |
| foreign policy | a nation's overall plan for dealing with other nations |
| cloture | a procedure that allows each senator to speak only 1 hour on a bill under debate |
| budget | a summary of intended expenditures along with proposals for how to meet them |
| lobbyists | representatives of interest groups who contact lawmakers or other government officials directly to influence their policy making |
| direct democracy | A form of government in which citizens rule directly and not through representatives |
| john locke | English empiricist philosopher who believed that all knowledge is derived from sensory experience (1632-1704) |
| baron d montesquieu | • Adopted idea of John Locke • "The Spirit of the Laws" o Described perfect government o Outlines three branches of government Executive Legislative Judicial • Set up a system of check and balances - influenced U.S. Constitution |
| absentee ballot | (election) a ballot that is cast in absentia (usually mailed in prior to election day) |
| plea bargain | Agreement between a prosecutor and a defendant that the defendant will plead guilty to a lesser offense to avoid having to stand trial for a more serious offense. |
| 26th amendment | Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 |
| indictment | a formal document written for a prosecuting attorney charging a person with some offense |
First Time Here?
Welcome to Quizlet, a fun, free place to study. Try these flashcards, find others to study, or make your own.