Mandatory spending
spending required government spending by permanent laws; entitlements, for example social security or bond payments
Before police interrogate, suspect must learn of rights like the Fifth Amendment
a sum of money granted by the government or a public body to assist an industry or business so that the price of a commodity or service may remain low or competitive
Authority given the courts to review constitutionality of acts by the executive/state/legislature; est. in Marbury v. Madison
Lemon v. Kurtzman
Creates the "Lemon Test", which has requires separate, secular, and neutral effect and intention in government action.
distribution of congressional representatives among the states, based on the population of each state
Fiscal policy
how the government uses taxes and spending to impact the economy
De facto segregation
segregation that results from living patterns rather than law
Democracy
a system whereby the people rule either directly or by elected representation
Deregulation
the process of reducing or completely eliminating federal government oversight of an industry so as to allow it to operate more freely; used to encourage competition and reduce costs to consumers
Motor Voter Law
Federal question
Rider
an addition or amendment added to a bill that often has no relation to the bill but that may not pass on its own
Closed primary
a primary election that is limited to registered voters of a particular political party
Ex post facto law
a law that makes an action a crime even though it was legal when it was committed or increases the penalty for a crime after it has been committed
De jure segregation
Trustee
after listening to constituents, elected representatives vote based on their own opinions
effect tendency of those already holding office to win reelection due to advantages because they already hold the office
Realigning election
when a minority party wins by building a new coalition of voters that continues over successive election
a situation in which men and women hold different positions on a wide range of political issues
Liberal
a person whose views favor more government involvement in business, social welfare, minority rights, and increased government spending
Bill
a draft of a proposed law presented to parliament for discussion.
Deviating election
Precedent
Conference committee
Platform
a statement of a political party on the issues facing the country, adopted at the national convention; each issue position is known as a plank
Interest group
a group of private citizens whose goal is to influence and shape public policy
political organizations that use contributions from individuals, corporations, and labor unions to spend unlimited sums independent from the campaigns, yet influencing the outcome of elections
double jeopardy
a rule that says a person can't be tried twice by the same court under the same charges twice; from the 5th amendment
Veto
the president's power to reject a bill passed by Congress
