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gOvErNmEnT vOcAb
Judicial and Legislative
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| constituency | the residents in the area from which an official is elected |
| incumbency | holding a political office for which one is running |
| apportionment | determines house district size |
| redistricting | determines house district shape |
| gerrymandering | redistricting that favors one party and gives that party a majority |
| conference | a gathering of House Republicans every two years to elect their House leaders (democrats call their gathering a caucus) |
| caucus | a normally closed meeting of a political or legislative group to select candidates, plan strategy, or make decisions regarding legislative matters |
| speaker of the house | chief presiding officer of the House of Representative, most important party and House leader |
| majority leader | the elected leader of the majority in the HOR or in the Senate |
| minority leader | elected leader of the minority party in the HOR or Senate |
| whip | party member in the House or Senate responsible for coordinating the party's legislature strategy, building support for key issues |
| filibuster | bleh bleh bleh bleh filler talk |
| cloture | shuts up filibuster, requires votes from 61 senators for US cloture |
| appropriations | the amounts of money approved by Congress in statues (bills) that each unit or agency of government can spend |
| expressed powers | specific powers granted by the Constitutions (Article 1, Section 8) and to the president (Article 3) |
| delegated powers | constitutional powers that are assigned to one government agency but that are exercised by another agency with the express permission of the first |
| inherent powers | powers claimed by a president that are not expressed in the Constitution but are inferred from it |
| executive privilege | the claim that confidential communications between a president and close advisers should not e revealed without the consent of the president |
| legislature initiative | the claim that confidential communications between a president and close advisers should not be revealed without the consent of the president |
| executive order | a rule or regulation issued by the president that has the effect and formal status of legislation |
| Cabinet | the secretaries, or chief administration, of the major departments of the federal government; Cabinet secretaries are appointed by the president with the consent of the Senate |
| White House Staff | analysts and advisers to the presidents, each of whom is often given the title "special assistant" |
| Kitchen Cabinet | an informal group of advisers to whom the president turns for counsel and guidance |
| plaintiff | the individual or organization that brings a complaint in court |
| defendant | the one against whom a complaint is brought in a criminal or civil case |
| precedent | prior case whose principals are used by judges as the basis for their decision in a present case |
| stare decisis | "let the decision stand" |
| trial court | the first court to hear a criminal or civil case |
| court of appeals | a court that hears appeals of trial court decisions |
| supreme court | the highest court of the land |
| plea bargain | a negotiated agreement in a criminal case in which a defendant agrees to plead guilt in return for the state's agreement to reduce the severity of the criminal charge or prison sentence with the defendant is facing |
| jurisdiction | the sphere of a court's power and authority |
| writ of habeas corpus | list of charges |
| supremacy clause | Article VI (6) of the Constitution, which states that laws passed by the national government and alltreaties are the supreme law of the land |
| common law | law made through court precedent rather than legislative enactments |
| writ of certiorari | a decision of at least FOUR of the NINE Supreme Court Justices to review a decision of a lower court // certioraru is latin, meaning "to make more certain" |
| solicitor general | the top government lawyer in all cases before the Supreme Court where the government is a party |
| amicus curiae | "friend of the court" |
| briefs | written documents in which attorneys explain why the court should find in favor of their client |
| opinion | the written explanation of the Supreme Court's decision in a particular case |
| class action lawsuit | a legal action by which a group or class of individuals with common interests can file a suit on behalf of everyone who shares that interest |
| regular session | 140 day period during which the Texas legislature meets to consider and pass bills |
| special session | special session called by the governor that addresses an agenda set by him or her and that lasts no longer than 30 days |
| resolutions | an expression of opinion on an issue by a legislative body |
| concurrent resolution | a resolution of interest to both chambers of the legislature and which must pass both the House and Senate and generally be signed by the governor |
| joint resolution | a resolution, commonly a proposed amendment to the Texas Constitution or ratification of an amendment to the U. S Constitution, that must pass both the House and Senate but which does not require the governor's signature |
| Pocket veto | The Constitution grants the prez 10 days to review a measure passed by the Congress. If the prez has not signed the bill after 10 days, it becomes law without his signature. If Congress adjourns during the 10-day period, the bill does not become law. |
| Texas Supreme Court | highest civil court in Tx |
| Texas Court of Criminal Appeals | highest criminal court in Tx |
| courts of appeals | the fourteenth intermediate-level appellate courts that hear appeals from district and county courts to determine whether the decisions of these lower courts followed legal principles and court procedures |
| district court | major trial courts in Texas, general jurisdiction over broad range of civil and crimminal |
| justice of the peace courts | local trial courts with limited jurisdiction over violation of city ordinance and minor misdemeanors |
| municipal courts | in Texan incorporated cities, local trial courts with limited jurisdiction of city ordinances/minor misdemeanors |
| ordinance | regulation enacted by city government |
| preponderance of the evidence | standard of proof of in civil jury case --> enough evidence to support claim |
| capital case | criminal case with death penalty |
| felony | a serious criminal offense punishable |
| misdemeanor | minor criminal offense --> small fine/jail sentence |
| grand jury | jury which determines whether sufficient evidence is available to justify a trial NOT innocence/guilt |
| indictment | written statement issued by grand jury that charges a suspect and beings process for trail |
| plea bargain | negotiated agreement in criminal case where defendant agrees to plea guilty in return for state's agreement to reduce severity of charge |
| beyond a reasonable doubt | legal standard in criminal case, requires prosecution to prove guiltiness beyond a reasonable doubt |
| equal protection clause | 14th amendment guaranteeing citizens "equal protection of laws" |
Created by:
rmedpal
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