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AP Government
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Amicus Curiae | Someone, not a party to a case, who volunteers to offer information to assist a court in deciding a matter before it. |
| Apathy | Someone's lack of action when action is needed |
| Appellate Jurisdiction | The authority of a court to review decisions made by lower courts |
| Apportionment | The process of dividing the 435 memberships, or seats, in the House of Representatives among the 50 states |
| Bicameral | A political system in which all of most citizens participate directly by either holding office or making policy |
| Bill of Attainder | A legislative act that provides for the punishment of a person without a court trial. |
| Bipartisan | Legislation or policy that has the support of both major political parties |
| Bureaucracy | A complex organization that has multilayered systems and processes |
| Civil Law | Involves some noncriminal matter, such as a dispute over the terms of a contract. |
| Cloture | Vote to end a filibuster |
| Compactness | People are compact in an area. Must be close together to function. |
| Constituent | The residents of a congressional district or state. |
| Criminal Law | A law that defines crime against public order. |
| Dark Money | Political spending meant to influence the decision of a voter. |
| Deficit | When the federal government's spending exceeds its revenues |
| Delegate Role | Role played by elected representatives who vote the way their constituents would want them to, regardless of their own opinions |
| Discretionary Spending | The portion of the budget that the President requests and Congress appropriates every year |
| Earmarks | Funds provided by the government for projects or programs. |
| Elite Democracy | Members of an economic elite democracy using wealth. |
| Entitlement Program | Those benefits guaranteed by law paid to individuals by the federal government, |
| Enumerated Powers | Powers of the federal government that are specifically addressed in the Constitution |
| Ex Post Facto | Making an act punishable as a crime, even when the act was legal. |
| Faction | Founders used to refer political parties and special interest or interest groups. |
| Federalism | A system of government where power is divided between a national/central government and subunits/states |
| Filibuster | The practice of extending debate in the Senate, used to obstruct or delay legislation |
| Gerrymandering | The drawing of legislative district boundaries to benefit a party, group, or incumbent. |
| Gridlock | The inability of the government to act because rival parties control different parts of the government |
| Habeas Corpus | A court order requiring a explanation as to why a prisoner is held in custody. |
| Impeachment | A formal process in which an official is accused of unlawful activity |
| Inalienable Rights | Fundamental or natural rights guaranteed to the people naturally instead of by the law. |
| Incumbent | The current holder of the elected office. |
| Judicial Restraint | The view that judges should decide cases strictly on the basis of the language of the laws and the Constitution. |
| Judicial Review | This power of the judiciary enables the judicial branch to act as a check on the other two branches of the government |
| Jurisdiction | Authority of a court to hear and decide the issue in a particular case. |
| Logrolling | The arrangement when two or three members of congress agree to support each others bills in advance. |
| Mandatory Spending | Spending not controlled by annual budget decisions |
| Mootness | Irrelevance of a case by the time it is received by a federal court, causing the court to decline to hear the case |
| Naturalization | A person who undergoes the naturalization process to become a citizen. |
| Original Jurisdiction | The Supreme Court is the first, and only, Court to hear a case |
| Pardon | The granting of a release from the punishment or legal consequences of a crime |
| Participatory Democracy | A political system in which all of most citizens participate directly by either holding office or making policy |
| Plaintiff | A party that initiates a lawsuit |
| Pluralist Democracy | A political system where there is more than one center of power, power is dispersed |
| Pocket Veto | A formal decision to reject a bill passed by Congress after it adjourns |
| Political Question | A doctrine developed by the federal courts and used as a means to avoid deciding some cases |
| Politico Role | When you act in congress based on your own political belief's. |
| Popular Sovereignty | The idea that the power of a government is derived from the consent of its people |
| Precedent | A decision made by a higher court |
| Ratify | To approve or enact a legally binding act that would not otherwise be binding in the absence of such approval |
| Remand | To send or order back; in law, to send back to jail or to a lower court |
| Republicanism | The idea of governing a nation where power is primarily held by the people and elected representatives |
| Soft Money | Money donated to political parties in a way that leaves the contribution unregulated |
| Stare Decisis | The rule of precedent, whereby a rule or law contained in a judicial decision is commonly viewed as binding on judges whenever the same question is presented |
| Surplus | A situation where money flow in the market decreases due to increased government earnings |
| Trustee Role | When you act in the best interest of your constituent's. |
| Writ | A writ of certiorari is issued by a higher court when it wants to review a lower court's decision |
| Writ of Mandamus | Where there is duty to exercise discretion |
Created by:
hannahedavidson
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