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Jim Crow Laws

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Legislation that legalized segregation even after the adoptionof the Fourteenth Amendment

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Joint Committees

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Congressional committee made up of members of both political parties from the Senate and the House of Representatives

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Judicial Activism

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A philosophy of judicial review that results in decisions that overturn precedent

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Judicial Federalism

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The extension of the Bill of Rights to the citizens of the states, creating a concept of dual citizenship, wherein a citizen was under the jurisdiction of the national government as well as state governments

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Judicial Restraint

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A Court that maintains the status quo or mirrors what the other branches of government have established as current policy.

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Judicial Review

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Derived from the Marbury v Madison decision, it gives the Supreme Court the power to interpret the Constitution and specifically acts of Congress, the president and the states

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Judiciary Committee

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Key Senate committee that is responsible for recommending presidential judicial appointments to the full Senate for approval

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Laissez-Faire

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Used to describe an economic philosophy of non government intervention in economic matters such as the regulation of a business or establishing tariffs

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Legislative Veto

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Provision granting Congress the right to veto regulations made by federal agencies; ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court

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Limited government

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Derived from the doctrine of natural rights and it restricts the power of government especially in the area of protecting the rights of the people

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Line Item Veto

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Allows the President to veto selectively what he considers unnecessary spending contained in legislation. It is unconstitutional

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Linkage Institution

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The means by which individuals can express preferences regarding the development of public policy

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Lobbyists

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The primary instruments of fostering a special interest group's goals to the policymakers.

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Logrolling

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A tactic used in Congress that is best illustrated by one legislator saying to another " I'll vote for your legislation, if you vote for mine."

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Loose Construction

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Liberal interpretation of the Constitution

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Marshall Court

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John Marshall's tenure as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, made decisions on Marbury v Madison, McCulloch v Maryland, and Gibbons v Ogden. These cases shifted power to the judiciary and federal government

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Matching Funds

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Limited federal funds given to presidential candidates that match private donations raised during the campaign

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McCulloch v Maryland

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Case that established that the federal government was supreme over the state.

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Medicaid

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A shared program between the federal and local governments that covers hospital and nursing home costs of low income people

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Medicare

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Program that covers hospital and medical costs of people sixty five year old as well as disabled individuals receiving Social Security

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Miranda Rights

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Those rights directing police to inform the accused upon their arrest of their constitutional right to remain silent, that anything said could be used in court, that they have the right to consult with an attorney at any time, that a lawyer will be provided if the accused cannot afford one, that the accused understands these rights, and that the accused has the right to refuse to answer any questions at any time and request a lawyer at any point.

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National Convention

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Political forum in which each major political party selects its candidate for president and vice president and finalizes its respective platform

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National Security Council

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Chaired by the President, it is the lead advisory board in the area of national and international defense

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Nationalization of the Bill of Rights

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A judicial doctrine of the Fourteenth Amendment that applied the Bill of Rights to the states in matters such as segregation

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Natural Rights

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Rights that are God given such as life, liberty and property

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New Jersey Plan

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Urged the Constitutional Convention to create a legislature based on equal representation by the states

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North American Free Trade Agreement

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Agreement that called for dramatic reductions on tariffs among the United States, Canada and Mexico

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Nuclear Regulatory Commission

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Created as a part of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974. IT was given jurisdiction to license and regulate commercial use of nuclear technologies and monitor waste storage and transportation of materials arising from its use.

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Office of Management and Budget

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Responsible for the preparation of the massive federal budget, which must be submitted to the Congress in January each year. Besides formulating the budget, the OMB oversees congressional appropriations

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Original Jurisdiction

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Cases heard by the Supreme Court that do not come on appeal and that "affect ambassadors, other public ministers and those in which a State shall be a party."

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Party Caucus

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Also known as the party conference, it is a means for each party to develop a strategy or position on a particular issue

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Party Platform

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Voted on by the delegates attending the National Convention, they represent the ideological point of view of a political party

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Pendleton Act

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known as the Civil Service Act of 1883, it set up merit as the criterion for hiring, promoting, and firing federal employees.

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Plessy v Ferguson

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Case that ruled that states had the right to impose "separate but equal" facilities on its citizens as well as create other laws that segregated the races

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Pluralism

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A group theory that involves different groups all vying for the policy agenda. No single group emerges, forcing the groups to compromise

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Plurality

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Winning number of votes received in a race containing more than two candidates but which is not more than half of the total votes cast

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Pocket Veto

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Rejection of legislation that occurs if the president does not sign a bill within ten days and the Congress also adjourns within the same time period

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Policy Agenda

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Agenda that results from the interaction of linkage institutions

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Political Action Committees

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They raise money from the special interest constituents and make contributions to political campaigns on behalf of the special interest group

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Political Participation

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The different ways an average citizen gets involved in the political process ranging from conventional means of influencing government to more radical unconventional tools that have influenced our elected officials

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Political Party

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A group of people joined together by common philosophies and common approaches with the aim of getting candidates elected in order to develop and implement public policy.

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Politics

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Who gets what, when, how and why

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Popular Sovereignty

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Political doctrine that believes that government is created by and subject to the will of the people

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Pork Barrel Spending

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The practice of legislators obtaining funds through legislation that favors their home districts

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Poverty Line

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References the point at which an individual is considered living in what has been called a "culture of poverty"

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Precedent

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Legal concept, also known as stare decisis, by which earlier court decisions serve as models in justifying decisions in subsequent cases

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Procedural Due Process

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A series of steps that are established by the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Amendments that protect the rights of the accused at every step of the legislation

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Progressive Tax

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A Tax upon the amount of money and individual earned. Became legal after the ratification of the sixteenth amendment

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Public Policy

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The final actions taken by government in promotional, regulatory or distributive form

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Quasi Judicial

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A characteristic of independent regulatory agencies that gives them judicial power to interpret regulations they create

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Quasi Legislative

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A characteristic of independent regulatory agencies that gives them legislative powers to issue regulations

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Red Tape

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Used to describe the difficulty it takes to get answers from a bureaucratic agency

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Redistricting

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Process that takes place every ten years, as a result of the federal census, mandating state legislatures to redraw their congressional districts based on population gains and losses

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Referendum

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Practice of submitting to popular vote a measure proposed by a legislative body

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Regulatory Policy

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Policy that results in government control over individuals and businesses. Such as protection of the environment and consumer protection

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Reserved Powers Clause

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Found in the Tenth Amendment, it gives states powers not delegated to the national government

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Reverse Discrimination

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Discrimination against whites or males, usually with regard to employment or education. Those who oppose affirmative action programs often claim reverse discrimination as a result of such programs

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Riders

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Amendments to bills, often in the form of appropriations, that sometimes have nothing to do with the intent of the bill itself and many times are considered to be pork barrel legislation

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Rules Committee

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Creates specific rules for every bill to be debated by the full House. Most important committee

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Safety Net

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A minimum government guarantee that ensures that individuals living in poverty will receive support in the form of social welfare programs.

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Select Committees

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Specially created congressional committees that conduct special investigations. Such as Watergate and Iran-Contra

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Separate but Equal

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The judicial precedent established in the Plessy v Ferguson decision that enabled states to interpret the equal protection provision of the Fourteenth Amendment as a means of establishing segregation

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Separation of Church and State

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Also known as the establishment clause. It is apart of the First amendment to the Constitution which prohibits the federal government from creating a state supported religion

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Separation of Powers

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developed by Montesquieu, it established the three separate branches of government, judicial, legislative and executive and gave each distinct and unique powers

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Soft Money

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Unrestricted and unregulated legal campaign contributions made to political parties and are intended for party development.

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Solid South

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Dominance by the Democratic Party in the South following the Civil War. Republicans gained control of the South after Reagan was elected

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Speaker of the House

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The representative from the majority party in the House of Representatives who sets the House Agenda, presides over House meetings, recognizes speakers, refers bills to committees, answers procedural questions, and declares the outcome of the votes

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Special Courts

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Courts created by Congress to deal with cases deriving from the delegated powers of Congress such as military appeals, tax appeals and veteran appeals.

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Standing Committees

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Committees that deal with proposed bills and also act in an oversight function. Such as the House Ways and Means committee and the Senate appropriation committee

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Stare Decisis

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When judges settle disputes based on custom and tradition

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State of the Union Address

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Constitutional requirement imposed on the president to deliver an annual report regarding the current state of the nation to Congress.

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Strict Constructionists

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Individuals who believe in a conservative interpretation of the Constitution

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Supremacy Clause

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Clause that states that "the Constitution, and the laws of the United States...shall be the Supreme Law of the Land."

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Symbolic Speech

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Form of free speech interpreted by the Supreme Court as a guarantee under the First Amendment to the Constitution, such as wearing a black armband or burning a flag for political reasons

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Three Fifths Compromise

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Offered at the Constitutional Convention and it counted every five slaves as three people for representation and tax purposes

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Truman Doctrine

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Policy that supported Greece and Turkey in resisting communism after World War Two

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Twenty Fifth Amendment

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Constitutional amendment outlining the criteria for presidential selection and presidential disability

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Unalienable Rights

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Rights such as life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, derived from natural rights

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Unfunded Mandates

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Regulations passed by Congress or issued by regulatory agencies without the federal funds to support them

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Veto

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Power of the President ti prevent the enactment of legislation passed by Congress. A two thirds majority vote of each house is required to override the presidential veto

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Virginia Plan

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Urged delegates at the constitutional convention to create a legislature based on the population of each state

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Voting Rights Act of 1965

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Act that finally made the Fifteenth Amendment a reality. As a result, any state that doesn't eliminate the poll tax and literacy requirements would be forced to by the federal government

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Wagner Act

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Gave workers involved in interstate commerce the right to organize labor unions and engage in collective bargaining and prevented employers from discrimination against labor leaders and taking action against union leaders

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War Powers Act

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1973 Act that states that a president can commit the military only after a declaration of war by the Congress, by specific authorization by congress, if there is a national emergency, or if the force is in the interest of the United States

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Whips

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They check with party members and inform the majority leader of the status and feelings of the membership regarding issues that are going to be voted on. They are also responsible for keeping party members in line and having an accurate count of who will be voting for and against a particular bill

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White House Staff

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Managed by the White House Chief of Staff, who directly advises the President on a daily basis, it includes more than 600 people who work at the White House. The key departments include the political offices of the Office of Communications, Legislative Affairs, Political Affairs, and Intergovernmental Affairs. It includes the support services of Scheduling, Personnel, and Secret Service and the policy offices of the National Security Affairs, Domestic Policy Affairs and cabinet secretaries

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Writ of Certiorari

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The process in which the Supreme Court accepts written briefs on appeal based on the rule of four

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