| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Affirmative action | LBJ's executive order-designed to correct the effects of past discrimination; requirement by law that positive steps be taken to increase the number of minorities in business, schools, colleges, and labor |
| Agenda setting | The process of forming the list of matters that policymakers intend to address |
| Amendment | A revision/change to a bill, law, or constitution |
| Amicus curiae brief | Friend of the court; interest groups may be invited to file legal briefs supporting/rejection arguments of the case |
| Anti-Federalists | Opposed the adoption of the U.S. Constitution b/c it gave too much power to the national govt at the expense of the state govts and it lacked a bill of rights |
| Appellate jurisdiction | On appeal from lower courts-Supreme Court is mostly an appellate court |
| Apportionment | Distribution of representatives among the states based on the population of each state |
| Appropriations | Money granted by Congress or to a state legislature for a specific purpose |
| Articles of Confederation | 1st Constitution of the U.S. 1781-1788 (weaknesses-no executive, no judicial, no power to tax, no power to regulate trade) |
| At-large | All the voters of a state/country elect their representative (senate elections are at large on the federal level) |
| Bicameral | 2 chambers; Congress has the Senate and the House of Representatives |
| Bill | a proposal for a law |
| Bills of attainder | Prohibits a person being found guilty of a crime w/o a trial |
| Bill of Rights | The first 10 amendments to the Constitution-guarantees liberties to the people-written in 1789-ratified in 1791 |
| Blanket primary | Registered voters may vote for candidates from either party on the same primary ballot |
| Block grant | Money given to states for general programs within a broad category |
| Brief | Legal document submitted to the court setting forth the facts of a case and supporting a particular position |
| Brief orders | The returning of a case to a lower court b/c a smiliar case was recently decided |
| Brown v. BOE of Topeka, KA | Overturned Plessy v. Ferguson: ended legal segregation, said school regulation is unconstitutional |
| Bureaucracy | A systematic way of organizing a complex &large adminstrative structure w/ responsibility for carrying out day-to-day tasks of the organization, departments, &agencies of the govt |
| Bureaucratic theory | The hierarchical structure and standarized procedures of govt allow bureaucrats to hold the real power over public policy; proposed by Max Weber |
| Cabinet | Govt depts headed by presidential appointees to help establish public policy &operate a specific policy are of govt activity |
| Casework | Assistance given to constituents by congressional members, answering questions/doing favors |
| Categorical grant | Federal grants for specific purposes define by law |
| Caucus | Locally held meeting in a state to select delegates who, in turn, will nominate candidates to political offices |
| Caucus (congressional) | An association of congressional members who advocate a political ideology/regional/ethnic/economic interest |
| Certificate | A lower court asks the Supreme Court abt a rule of law/procedure |
| Checks and balances | Each branch of govt is subject to restraints by the other two branches |
| Civil liberties | Constitutional freedoms guaranteed to all citizens |
| Civil rights | Positive acts of govt designed to prevent discrimination &provide equality before the law |
| Closed primary | Only registered party members may vote in the primary (independents, greens, etc...not allowed) |
| Cloture rule | Prevents filibustering (16 signatures) and ends debate in the Senate, by a 3/5s vote of the Senate |
| Coattail effect | Weaker/lesser-known candidates from (bottom of the ticket) the president's party profit from the president's popularity-people vote straight ticket because they like the top of the ticket. |
| Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise | Resolved differences btwn northern and southern states; Congress could not tax exports nor ban the slave trade for 20 yrs. |
| Comparable worth | Women should be paid salaries equal to men for equivalent job responsibilities &skills |
| Concurrent jurisdiction | The authority to hear cases is shared by federal &state courts |
| Concurrent powers | Powers shared by the federal and state govts (tax, to define crimes and punishments) |
| Concurring opinion | Justice/justices who agree w/ the majority's opinion but not with the reason behind the decision |
| Conference committee | A temporary committee to work out a compromise version of a bill that has passed the House of Representaives &Senate in diff. forms |
| Congressional districting | State legislatures draw congressional districts for Congressional elections |
| Connecticut Compromise | Legislative branch-2 houses-one based on population, one based on equal representation |
| Conservative | A person whose pol. views favor more local, limited govt, less govt regulations, conformity to social norms &values; rough on criminals |
| Constituency service | Casework, assistance to constituents by congressional members |
| Constituent | people within a district or state-government official represents them. |
| Constitution | The document setting forth the laws &principles of the govt; a plan of govt |
| Constitutional courts | Federal courts created by Congress under Article III of the Constitution, including the district courts, courts of appeals, &specialized courts such as the U.S. Court of International Trade |
| Constitutional law | Laws relating to the interpretation of the Constitution |
| Cooperative federalism | Cooperation among federal, state, &local govts; "marble cake" federalism |
| Courts of appeals | Federal courts that review decisions of federal district courts, regulatory commissions, &other fed. courts |
| Critical election | Sharp changes in the existing patterns of party loyalty due to changing social and economic conditions |
| Dealigning election | Party loyality becomes less important to voters, &they vote for the other party candidate/independent |
| Dealignment | When a significant # of voters choose to no longer support a particular pol. party |
| Declaration of Independence | Drafted in 1776 by T. Jefferson declaring America's separation from Great Britain (3 parts-New theory of government, reasons for separation, formal declaration of war and independence) |
| Deficit | Govt spending exceeds revenue |
| Delegated powers | Powers specifically granted to the national govt by the Constitution |
| Democracy | A system whereby the people rule either directly/by elected representation |
| Deviating election | Minority party is able to win the support of majority party members, independents, &new voters |
| Devolution | An effort to shirft responsibility of domestic programs to the states in order to decrease the size &activites of the fed. govt; some states have attempted to shift responsibilities further to local govts |
| Direct democracy | Citizens meet and make decisions abt public policy issues |
| Direct primary | Election within the party to choose their favorite candidate for a particular office |
| Discretionary spending | Spending set by the govt through appropriations bills, including operation expenses &salaries of govt employees (defense, environment, education, space exploration) |
| Discrimination | Unfair treatment of a person based on race/group membership |
| Dissenting opinion | Justice/justices who disagree with the majority opinion |
| District courts | Lowest level of fed. courts, where fed. cases begin &trials are held (bank robbery, environmental violations, tax evasion) |
| Divided govt | One party controls the executive, &the other party controls on /both houses of Congress |
| Double jeopardy | Being tried twice for the same offense (if you appealing, it is not double jeopardy because you are asking to be retried) |
| Dual federalism | Fed. &state govts each ahve defined responsibilities w/n their own sphere of influence; "layer cake" federalism |
| Elastic clause | The necessary &proper clause/Art. I, Sec. 8, Clause 18/imlied powers clause- that allows Congress to pass laws to carry out its powers |
| Electoral college | Number each state gets is based on the number of representatives and the number of senators that state has. Need 270 to win election |
| Electorate | People qualified to vote |
| Elite theory | A small group of people identified by wealth/ pol. power, who rule in their self-interest |
| Eminent domain | Allows the govt to take property for public use but also requires the govt to provide just compensation for that property |
| Entitlement program | Madatory payments made by the federal government to people meeting eligibility requirements, such as Social Security, vets, welfare, medicare |
| Environmental impact statement | Required studies &reports of likely environmental impacts, filed w. the Environmental Protection Agency prior to the beginning of a project |
| Equal Protection Clause | Constitutional guarantee that everyone be treated equally-14th amendment |
| Establishment Clause | Prohibits the establishment of a national religion-1st amendment |
| Exclusionary rule | Rule that evidence acquired as a result of an illegal act by police cannot be used agains the person form whom it was seized |
| Executive agreement | Agreement w/ another head of state not requiring approval form teh Senate |
| Executive order | The president directs an agency to carry out policies/existing laws (informal power) |
| Executive privilege | The right of the president to withhold info from Congress/ refuse to testify; limited by U.S. v. Nixon |
| Ex post facto law | Laws applied to acts committed before passage of the laws are unconstitutional |
| Extradition | States may return fugitives to a state from which they fled to avoid criminal prosecution at the request of the state's gov |
| Federal budget | Amount of money the federal govt expects to receive &authorizes govt to spend for a fiscal (12 mo.) year |
| Federalism | Powers that are shared and divided among federal and sub-divisional government (state/local) |
| Federalist Papers | Written by Hamilton, Jay, & Madison to support ratification of the U.S. Constituiton |
| Federalists | Supported a strong central govt &expanded legislative powers |
| Federal system | Power is divided between the states &the fed. govt |
| Filibuster | A lengthy speech designed to delay or kill the vote on a bill; used only in the Senate |
| Fiscal federalism | National govt's use of fiscal policy to influence states through the granting/withholding of appropriations |
| Fiscal policy | The policies of taxation &spending that comprise the nation's economic policy |
| Fiscal year | A 12-month pd, October through Septmeber, for planning the federal budget |
| Floor leaders | Direct party strategy &decisions in the House of Representatives &Senate |
| Franking privilege | Privilege that allows member sof Congress to mail letters &other materials to constituents postage-free |
| Free Exercise Clause | Congress may not make laws restricting/ prohibiting a person's relgious practices-1st amendment |
| Freedom of expression | Freedom of speech/right to petition the govt for redress as 1st amendment right |
| Front-loading | Choosing an early date to hold the primary election |
| Full Faith &Credit Clause | States are required to recognize the laws &legal documents of other states-Article 4 for Federalism! |
| Gatekeepers | Media executives, news editors, &prominent reporters who decide what news to present &how it will be presented |
| General election | Voters choose officeholder form among all the candidates nominated by pol. parties/running as independents |
| Gerrymandering | Drawing of congressional districts to favor one pol. party/group over another |
| Get-out-the-vote | A compaign near the end of an election to get voters out to the polls |
| Government | The formal &informal institutions, people, &processes used to create &conduct pulbic policy |
| Grants-in-aid | Programs, money, &resources provided by the fed. govt to state &local govts to be used for specific projects &programs |
| Grassroots | Avg voter at the local level |
| Gridlock | When opposing parites &interests often block each other's proposals, creating a pol. stalemate/inaction btwn the esecutive &legislative branches of govt |
| Hatch Act | Prohibits govt employees from engaging in pol. activities whle on duty/running for office/seeking poli. funding while off duty; if in sensitive positions, may not be involved w/ pol. activities on/off duty |
| Hyperpluarlism | Democracy seen as a system of many groups pulling govt in many directinos at the same time, causing gridlock ineffectiveness |
| Ideology | A consistent set of beliefs by groups/individuals |
| Impeachment | Bringing charges of wrongdoing against a govt official by the House of Representatives |
| Implied powers | Not expressed, but may be considerered through the use of the Necessary and Proper (elastic) Clause |
| Impoundment | Refusal of the president to spend money Congress has appropriated |
| Incorporation | Application of portions of the Bill of Rights to the states under Amend. XIV |
| Incorporation doctrine | The Supreme Court ruling that most guarantees in teh Bill of Rights are applicatable to the states through Amend. XIV |
| Incrementalism | Small changes in policy over long periods of time; usually in reference to budget-making--that th ebest indicator of this year's budget is last year's budget plus a small increase |
| Incumbency effect | Tendency of those alrady holding office to win reelection due to advgs b/c they already hold the office |
| Incumbent | The person currently holding office |
| Inherent powers | Powers that exist for the national govt b/c the govt is sovereign |
| Initiative | Allows voters to petition to propose legislation &then submit it for a vote by qualified voters |
| Interest group | A group of private citizens whose goal is to influence &shape public policy |
| Interstate compacts | Agreements btwn states to work together on common issues |
| Iron triangle | Alliance- agencies, interest groups, &congressional committees/subcommittees (also known as sub-governments) |
| Issue network | Individuals in WA--located w/n interest groups, congressional staff, think tanks, universities, &the media--who regulary discuss &advocate public policies |
| Joint committee | Committee made up of members of both house of Congress-housekeeping issues decided |
| Judicial activism | The Court should play an active role in determining national policies |
| Judicial restraint | Holds that the Court should avoid taking the initiative on social &pol. questions, operation strictly w/n the limits of the Constitution |
| Judicial review | Authority given the courts to review constitutionality of acts by the executive/state/legislature; est. in Marbury v. Madison |
| Jurisdiciton | The authority of the courts to hear &decide issues in certain cases |
| Legislative courts | Courts created by Congress for a specialized purpose w/ a narrow range of authority |
| Legislative veto | To reject the actions of the president/executive agency by a vote of one/both house of Congress w/o the consent of th epresident; ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in Immigration &Naturalization Service v. Chadha |
| Lemon test | Lemon v. Kurtzman to measure the constituionality of state laws in regard to establishment clause (3 pronged test) |
| Liberal | A person whose views favor more govt involvemnt in business, social welfare, minority rights, &increased govt spending |
| Limited govt | Basic prinicple of U.S. govt that each person has rights that govt cannot take away |
| Line item veto | The president can reject a par tof a bill while approving the rest; declared unconstitutional |
| Lobbying | Attempting to influence policymakers though a variety of methods |
| Lobbyist | Uses pol. persuasion to influence legislation &benefit his/her org. |
| Logrolling | The exchange of pol. favors for support of a bill |
| Loose constructionist | broad interpretation of the Constitution |
| Maintaining elections | Traditional majorty power maintains power based on voters' party loyalty |
| Majority leader | The elected leader of the party with the most seat in the House of Representatives/Senate |
| Majority-minority districts | Drawing district boundaries to give a minority group a majority |
| Majority opinion | The majority of justices agree on the decision &the reasons for th edecision |
| Mandates | Requirements imposed by the national govt on state &local govts to comply w/ fed. rules ®ulation |
| Mandatory spending | Required govt spending by permanent laws |
| Marbury v. Madison | Judicial review! |
| Markup | Rewrite of a bill after hearings have been held on it (happens in sub-committee) |
| Mass media | All forms of communication that reach a large portion of the public |
| McCulloch v. Maryland | Supreme Court decision upholding the supremacy of the national government over the states/implied powers clause also strenthened-national bank established because this supported power to tax |
| Media event | A speech or photo opporutnity staged to give a politician's view on an issue |
| Miranda v. Arizona | Right to be told what you are being held for. |
| Moderate | Person whose views are between conservative and liberal and may include some of both ideologies |
| Monetary policy | controlling the money supply-Federal Reserve (independent agency) |
| Motor voter law | register to vote when you update your license (1993) |
| National chairman | Appointed by the DNC or the RNC as head of the party |
| National debt | Amount of money owed by the government |
| Natural rights | Basic rights that are guaranteed to all persons; basic rights that a government cannot deny-Locke-life, liberty, property |
| Necessary and Proper Clause | Gives Congress the powers to pass all laws necessary to carry out their constitutional duties; "elastic" clause (Art. I, Sec 8, clause 18) |
| New Deal coalition | Alliance of southern conservatives, religious, and ethnic minorities who supported the Democratic Party for 40 years |
| North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) | Created to allow the free movement of goods between Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. by lessening and eliminating tariffs |
| Off-year election | An election taking place in a year when no presidential elections are occurring; midterm election-common for sitting president's party to lose seats in Congress |
| Open primary | registered voters can vote in either primary-do not have to register with any party. |
| Opinion leaders | Those individuals held in great respect becasue of their position, expertise, or peronsality, who may informally and unintentionally influence others |
| Orignial jurisdiction | Court hears and decides a case for the first time |
| Oversight | Congress monitors policies of the executive branch (money, hearings, investigations)-checks and balances |
| Pardon | A convicted person is exempt form the penalities of a crime |
| Plessy v. Ferguson | The Supreme Court case that upheld separate-but-equal segregation in 1896 |
| Pluralist theory | interest groups compete in the political arena with each promoting its own policy preferences through organized efforts-everyone gets a piece of the pie-a marketplace of ideas, compromise happens-positive view |
| Policy adoption | The approval of a policy by legislation |
| Policy evalution | Determines if a policy is achieving its goals |
| Policy formulation | The crafting of a policy to resolve public problems |
| Policy implementation | Carrying out a policy through government agencies and courts |
| Political action committee | Extention of an interest group that contributes money to political campaigns-financial arm of the interest group |
| Political agenda | Issues that merit action, as determined by the public or those in power |
| Political culture | A set of basic values and beliefs about one's country or government that is shared by most citizens and that influences political opinions and behaviors |
| Political efficacy | Belief that a person can influence politics and public policymaking-vote makes a difference |
| Politcal ideology | A consistent set of beliefs about politics and public policy taht sets the framework for evaluation government and public policy |
| Political party | Voluntary association of people who seek to control the government through common principles, based on peaceful and legal actions such as the winning of elections |
| Political socialization | Complex process by which people get their sense of political identity, beliefs, and values (family, school, media, religion, national events-all help to socialize) |
| Politics | Method of maintaining, managing, and gaining control of government (who gets what, when, and how) |
| Popular sovereignty | people are the source of all govermental power |
| Pork barrel legislation | Legislation giving benefits to constituents through sometimes unnecessary of unwise projects within a state or district, to enhance a memeber's chance of reelection |
| Precedents | Standards or guides based on prior decisions that serve as a rule for settling similar disputes |
| Presidential preference primaries | Voters select delegates to the presidential nominating convention |
| President pro tempore | Serves as president of the Senate in the absence of the VP; chosen by the majority party |
| Primary election | Nominating election held to choose party candidates who will run in the general election |
| Prior restraint | Censorship of information before it is published or broadcast (unconstitutional in most cases) |
| Privileges and immunities | States are prohibited from unreasonably discriminating against residents of other states (article 4) |
| Procedual due process | Method of government action, or how th elaw is carried out according to the established rules and procedures |
| Public opinion | A colleciton of shared attitudes of citizens about government, politics, and the making of public policy |
| Public policy | The exercise of government power in doing those htings necessary to maintain legitmate authority and ocntrol over society |
| Pure speech | Verbal communication of ideas and opinions |
| Radical | Ideological view that favors rapid funamental change in teh existing social, economic, or political order |
| Ratification | Method of enacting a constitution or amendment into law |
| Reactionary | Ideological view that favors a return to a previous state of affairs |
| Realignment | A shift of voting patterns to form new coaltions of party support |
| Reapportionament | Redistribution of the congressional seats among the states after the census determines changes in population distribution |
| Recall | Special election initiated by petition to allow citizens to remove an official from office before his or her term expires |
| Referendum | Procedure whereby the state submits legislation to its voters for approval, allowing citizens to vote directly on issues |
| Representative democracy | Citizens choose officals (representatives) who make decisions about public policy |
| Reserved powers | Powers belonging specifically to the states and the people because they were not delegated to teh national government nor denied to the states |
| Revenue sharing | Giving money back to the state and local government with no strings attached |
| Rider | An addition of amendment added to a bill that often has no realtion to the bill but that may not pass onits own merits (senate only) |
| Rule of four | Requirement that a case can only be heard by the Supreme Court if four justices vote to hear the case |
| Rules committee | Determines the rules of debate for bills in the House of Representatives-also known as the calender committee |
| Runoff primary | When no candidate receives a majority of votes, an election held betweent eh two candidates who received the most votes in the primary |
| Sampling | Using a represenative cross-seciton of the general population chosen at random in the polling process |
| Sampling errors | Percentage of possible erros in teh polling process |
| Select committee | Committee selected for a specific purpose-investigation-hearing |
| Self-incrimination | Accusing oneself or giving evidence that may prove oneself guilty |
| Senatorial courtesy | The practice of allowing senators form teh president's party who represent the state where a judicial district is located, to apporve or diapprove potential nominees for the lower federal courts ONLY |
| Seniortiy system | System in which the chairmanship of a committee is given tot eh member with the longest continuous service |
| Separation of powers | Practice by which power is separated among three branches of government; each branch has its own powers and duties and is independent of and equal to the other branches |
| Single-member districts | Only one representative is chosen from each district |
| Social contract theory | A voluntary agreement between the government and the governed |
| Social insurance programs | Programs to help the elderly, ill, and unemployed if the claimant has paid into them |
| Social welfare policy | Government program to enhance quality of life |
| Soft money | Money distributed form a national political party organization that wasn ot regulated by law; restricted by the Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act of 2002 |
| Sound bite | A brief statement on TV or radio |
| Speaker of the House | Leading officer in the House of Representatives, chosen by the majority party |
| Speech plus | Verbal and symbolic speech used together |
| Split-ticket voting | Voting for candidates form more than one party in the same election |
| Standing committee | Permanent committees in the House/Senate-every represetative and every senator is appointed to 2 or 3. |
| Stare decisis | Let the decision stand; decisions are based on precedents from previous cases |
| Straight-ticket voting | Voting for candidates all of the same party on the same ballot-creates the coattail effect |
| Straw poll | Early form of polling that asks the same question of a large number of people |
| Strict constuctionist | Narrow interpretation of the Constitution |
| Substantive due process | the law itself is fair or unfair-not the procedures-but the law |
| Suffrage | The right to vote |
| Superdelegates | Party officials in the Democratic Party who attend the national convention without having to run in primaries or caucuses |
| Super Tuesday | Day when several states hold their presidential primaries (usually the second Tuesday in March) |
| Supremacy CLause | Ntional law supersedes all other laws passed by states (Art VI) |
| Symbolic speech | Using actions and symbols rather than words to convey an idea |
| Three-Fifths Compromise | Agreement that each slave counted as three-fifths of a person in determining representation in the House for representation and taxation purposes (negated by the 13th amendment) |
| Traditional democratic theory | Government depends upon the consent of the governed |
| Trial balloon | Tests the public reaction to policy or appointments by releasing information to the media and gaugin public reaction |
| Trustee | After listening to constiutents, elected representatives vote based on their own opinions |
| Two-party system | Several political parties exist, but only two major political parties compete for power and dominate elections |
| Unfunded mandates | Federal government requires the states to enforce legislation without the funding necessary |
| Virginia Plan | Madison's plan for a bicameral legislature, whith the executive and judiciary chosen by the legislature |
| War Powers Act | Limits the ability of the president to commit troops to combat-48 hours to tell Congress when and why the troops were sent, they have 60-90 to bring them home if they disagree |
| Watergate | Break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate building in 1972 that resulted in a cover-up and the subsequent resignation of Nixon |
| Writ of certiorari | Order by the Supreme Court directing a lower court to send up the records of a case for review |
| Writ of habeas corpus | right to be told what you are being held for and shown evidence against you-used in death penalty case appeals. |
| red tape | complex rules and procedures that must be followed to get something done (agencies-bureaucracy) |
| Trustee/Delegate-roles Congressman play | trustee--do what is best regardless of voter opinion; delegate--do what the voters want |
| pocket veto | DIES-sits on desk-10 days go past-Congress adjourns within the 10 days. |
| OMB (Office of Management and Budget) | 1921) to prepare estimates of how much will be spent by federal agencies, to negotiate and to make that legislative proposals of these other departments jive with the president’s program. |
| Speaker of the House | decides who willbe recognized to speak- rules whether motions are relevant to the business at hand; decides which bills where the bills will go (committees)-influencial as to what bills are brought up for a vote-appoints members to special and select committees |
| Whips | assistant to the floor leaders, keeps a head count of votes, rounds up members for important votes |
| Congressional caucuses | association of members created to support a political ideology or regional economic interest (black caucus, women's caucus...) |
| General Accounting Office (GAO) | performs routine financial audits of money spent by the executive departments and investigates agencies |
| malapportionment | unfair proportional distribution of representatives to a legislative body |
| majority/minority districts | those with a majority of residents who are part of an ethnic minority |
| soft money | political parties solicit unlimited funds from individuals, corporations, spend on voter registration campaigns and get-out the-vote drives and "not on behalf of specific candidates" |
| Civil Service | hiring government employees on the basis of merit. Also refers to government employees outside the military. |
| Circuit Courts | Part of federal court system-13 federal circuit courts: one for the D.C. and 12 for the rest of the country. Also called "courts of appeal" |
| Council of Economic Advisors | established by Employment Act of 1946- advise the President on economic policy- 3 members, appointed by President and approved by Senate, |
| EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) | INDEPENDENT agency created in 1964-works to eliminate employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender, disability, age or other criteria unrelated to job performance. |
| EOP (Executive office of the President) | name for the group of agencies, councils, and staff members which advise the president and help run the federal bureaucracy-was established by an executive order from FDR |
| Grand Jury (5th amendment) | ranges in size from 6 to 23, depending on the state, and functions to determine whether there is enough evidence available against a person accused of a crime to justify a trial. |
| Gubernatorial | pertaining to a governor |
| Joint Chiefs of Staff | high-ranking military officers who represent the Navy, Army, Air Force and Marines. They assist the civilian leaders of the Department of Defense-advise the president on security matters. |
| Lame Duck | person holding office after his or her replacement has been elected to the office, but before the current term has ended. |
| PAC (Political Action Committee) | an independent organization established by interest groups, political candidates, and people who hold office. PACs serve to raise and contribute money to the political campaigns of individuals whose platforms agree with the aims of the PAC. |
| indictment | Written statement of criminal charges brought against a defendant |
| Shield law | Law guaranteeing news reporters the right to protect the annonymity of their sources. States have passed this--not the federal government. |
Combine with other sets
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