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US Constitution+civ
Vocab relating to Articles of Confederation, the US Constitution, and civics
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| ad hoc (contrast with standing) | having a specific purpose and existing only until its purpose is fulfilled (from Latin for “for this”) |
| alien | a foreigner, not naturalized (all extraterrestrials are aliens, but not all aliens are extraterrestrials) |
| apportionment | the process of creating districts to elect representatives to Congress (or a state legislature) based on population |
| appropriation | the designation of a sum of money by Congress (or a state legislature) for a particular use; the term can also mean confiscation or the taking someone else’s property for one’s own use |
| assumption | Hamilton’s plan to have the national government assume the obligations of the several states to repay state debts from the Revolutionary War |
| bill | a proposed law that has been introduced in Congress (or a state legislature) but has not yet passed |
| bill of attainder | essentially, a “trial by legislature;” when a legislative body decides that somebody is subject to penalties without judicial process (King Charles I and Archbishop William Laud were executed under bills of attainder) |
| cabinet | a group comprising the heads of major administrative departments of a government that meets to advise the chief executive |
| census (“enumeration” in Article One, section 2.3 | a population count; under the U.S. Constitution this is done decennially (ever 10 years) for purposes of apportionment |
| constituent | a part of a whole; in politics, a person represented by an elected delegate to a legislature |
| copyright | a form of intellectual property right that protects artistic creations (books, paintings, photographs, movies, etc.) |
| deficit | when expenditures exceed revenues during a given period |
| delegate | (n) a person sent or authorized to represent others; (v) to entrust power to someone else or to authorize someone to act as a representative |
| emolument | an old-fashioned word for a salary, fee or profit from employment or office |
| enumerated powers | the limited and specific purposes for which Congress is authorized to pass laws under Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution |
| ex post facto law | a law that applies retroactively, i.e., that makes specific actions done in the past illegal when they were not illegal when originally conducted |
| excise | a tax put on certain goods produced or sold within a country; a state sales tax is an example;; (the word can also mean to remove surgically) |
| extradition | the process of removing someone in custody of the law from one jurisdiction to face prosecution in another jurisdiction. |
| federalism | division of political authority between the various states and the national government |
| floor leaders | party leaders on the “floor” of the House and Senate (i.e., not serving as the presiding officer) |
| gerrymandering | the process of creating unusually-shaped electoral districts within a state so as to secure a political advantage to a party (from Elbridge Gerry, a Massachusetts politician, + salamander) |
| habeas corpus | important civil right requiring the government to bring a person under arrest before a judge or court, esp. to secure the person’s release unless lawful grounds are shown for their detention |
| impeach | to charge a public official with misconduct (the first step, but only the first step, in the process of removing a president) |
| impost | an old-fashioned word for a tax or compulsory payment; the “5% Impost” was a proposed tariff on imports under the Articles of Confederation |
| incumbent | a person holding office in government, typically elective office |
| Interstate Commerce Clause | provision in the U.S. Constitution conferring authority on Congress to regulate commerce among the several states |
| jurisdiction | the territory or sphere of activity over which legal authority exists; the official power to make legal decisions; |
| lame duck | an elected official who has been voted out of office but whose term has not yet expired |
| letters of marque | documents formally authorizing a vessel to engage in privateering |
| life tenure | the ability to serve in office for life, subject to good behavior |
| line-item veto | the right, not found in the Constitution, of an executive to veto particular provisions of a spending bill |
| loose construction | the act of construing (interpreting) a legal document broadly, typically by relying on meaning that is implied by the text of the document but not clearly or expressly stated in that text |
| national debt | the amount of money owed by the federal government at any one time (the accumulated deficits that have not yet been repaid) |
| naturalization | the process of becoming a citizen |
| Necessary and Proper Clause | provision in the U.S. Constitution allowing Congress to take actions necessary and proper in connection with the enumerated powers of Article I, Section 8 |
| nullify; nullification | to render null or of no effect; the right asserted by some states at different times in US history to reject acts of Congress as unconstitutional |
| override | to pass a law over the veto of the executive (in the case of federal law, an override requires approval of 2/3s of each house of Congress) |
| patent | a form of intellectual property right that protects inventions |
| Potomac Fever | the malady afflicting many long-time politicians in Washington that causes an inflated ego, or that causes them to focus on the government’s interest as opposed to the people’s interest |
| president pro tempore | the person selected by the Senate to preside over its sessions when the vice president is not present |
| quorum | the minimum number of people in a committee or legislative assembly who must be present in order for the body to make binding decisions |
| rider | a condition or proviso added to text that has been already issued; amendments to a bill that may have little or nothing to do with the purpose of the original bill but are added to obtain passage where they might not pass if introduced on their own |
| running mate | candidates who share the same “ticket” (i.e., the vice presidential candidate who runs with his party’s nominee for president |
| sedition | conduct inciting people to rebel against the state |
| sovereignty | supreme political power or authority |
| speculate; speculators | to buy something in hopes that it will increase in value over time; people who take that risk, esp. during the early Federal period, people who bought state and national bonds (or IOUs) in the hope that they would be paid off |
| staggered terms | overlapping terms designed to assure continuity in the makeup of a board, committee or legislature, as in the U.S. Senate |
| standing (contrast with ad hoc) | having an on-going existence without time limits |
| standing army | an army of full-time professional soldiers that does not disband in times of peace |
| statute | a law that has been passed by a legislature (as opposed to “common law,” or judicial case law that has acquired the force of law) |
| strict construction | the act of construing (interpreting) a legal document narrowly, typically by relying principally on the expressly stated or explicit text of the document) |
| supermajority | a greater majority than one-half (e.g., two-thirds, three-quarters, etc.) |
| tariff or duty | a tax on imports |
| term limits | limits on the term of office of government officials |
| veto | the refusal of a president, governor or other executive authority to assent to a law |
| ratify; ratification | to approve officially and formally ; official approval secured through formal process |
| bicameral (contrast with unicameral) | a legislative body having two houses or chambers, as opposed to a single house or chamber |
| caucus | a group of people within a larger body or political party who share specific concerns and meet together |
| filibuster | tactic used to prevent or delay a vote on a bill by prolonging debate |
| pork barrel politics; pork | unflattering term for legislation authorizing government funds ("appropriations") to be spent in a particular representative's or senator's home district or state; government projects undertaken in pursuance of the above |
Created by:
dhart
Popular American Government sets