| Term | Definition |
|---|
| sampling error | margin of error in public opinion poll, most are accurate within a margin of +/- 4 percent |
| frustration and agony | emotions felt when typing up all of these freaking vocabulary words |
| saving amendment | amendment to a bill proposed in hopes of softening opposition by weakening objectionable elements of the bill |
| Schenck v. United States | case involving limits on free speech rights, established the "clear and present danger" principle in determining what type of speech could be restricted |
| search warrant | document issued by the courts to allow the police to search private property, to obtain a warrant, the police must go before a judge and explain 1) where they wany to search, and 2) what they are looking for. It also limits where the police may search and what they may take as evidence (Fourth Amendment) |
| select committee | temporary committee of Congress, usually created to investigate specific issues |
| selective incorporation | process by which the Supreme Court has selectively applies the Fourteenth Amendment to state law |
| senatorial courtesy | a check placed on the president by which candidates for the federal bureaucracy must first be approved by a vote within the Senate |
| shield law | law guaranteeing news reporters the right to protect the anonymity of their sources, there is no federal shield law |
| soft money | political donations made to parties for the purpose of general party maintenance and support, such as get-out-the-vote campaigns, issue advocacy, and advertisements that promote the party (but not individual candidates. soft money contributions were banned in 2002 by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) |
| split-ticket rating | choosing candidates from different parties for offices listed on the same ballot |
| spoils system | the political practice of trading goverment jobs and preferences for political and financial support, Andrew Jackson was the first to be widely accused of using this to reward political friends and supporters |
| standing committee | a permanent congressional committee |
| strict constructionism | beliefe that the Constitution should be read in such a way as to limit the powers of the federal government as much as possible, strict constructionists emphazise the Tenth Amendment |
| supremacy clause | section of the Constitution that requires conflicts between federal and state law to be resolved in favor of federal law, state constitutions, federal laws, international treaties and unconstitutional laws can be invalidated through this clause |
| The Patriot Act (2001) | act passed in response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, granting broad police authority to the federal, state, and local governments to interdict, prosecute, and convict suspected terrorists |
| three-fifths compromise | agreement between Southern and Northern states stating that three-fifths of a state's slave population would be counted toward both congressional apportionment and taxation |
| United Nations | international organization established following World War II, aims to preserve international peace and foster international cooperation |
| unanimous consent decree | agreement passed by the Senate that establishes the rules under which a bill will be debated, amended, and voted upon |
| unwritten Constitution | certain deeply ingrained aspects of our government that are not mention in the Constitution, such as political parties, political conventions, and cabinet meetings |
| veto | the power held by chief executives to reject acts of legislature, can be overridden by a two-thrids majority vote of both houses of Congress |
| Voting Rights Act of 1965 | federal law that increased government supervision of local election practivces, suspended the use of literacy tests to prevent people from voting, and expanded government efforts to register voters. The Voting Rights Act of 1970 permanently banned literacy tests |
| War on Poverty | those programs of President Lundon Johnson's Great Society that were specifically aimed at assisting the poor |
| War Powers Act | law requiring the president to seek periodic approval from Congress for any substantial troop commitment, passed in 1973 in response to national dissatisfaction over the Vietname War |
| Warren Court (1953-1969) | the Supreme Court during the era in which Earl Warren served as Chief Justice, best remembered for expanding the rights of minorities and the rights of the accused |
| writ of habeas corpus | a court order requiring an explanation as to why a prisoner is being held in custody |
| writ of certiorari | a legal document issued by the Supreme Court to request the court transcripts of a case, indicated that the Court will review a lower court's decision |
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