Political Science 2
Terms
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- Impeachment
- Formal accusation by the lower house of a legislature against a public offical, the first step in removal from office.
- executive privilege
- The power to keep executive communications confidential, especially if they relate to national security.
- judicial review
- The power of a court to refuse to enforce a law or a government regulation that in the opinion of the judges conflicts with the U.S. Constitution or, in a state court, the state constitution.
- recall
- Procedure for submitting to popular vote the removal of officials from office before the end of their term.
- divided government
- Governance divided between the parties, especially when one holds the presidency and the other controls one or both houses of Congress.
- direct primary
- Election in which voters choose party nominees.
- natural law
- God's or nature's law that defines right form wrong and is higher than human law.
- impoundment
- Presidential refusal to allow and agency to spend funds that Congress authorized and appropriated.
- writ of mandamus
- Court order directing an official to perform an offical duty.
- separation of powers
- Constitutional division of powers among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, with the legislative branch making the law, the executive applying and enforcing the law, and the judiciary interpreting the law.
- referendum
- Procedure for submitting to popular vote measures passed by the legislature or proposed amendments to a state constitution.
- executive order
- Directive issued by a president or governor that has the force of law.
- initiative
- Procedure whereby a certain number of voters may, by petition, propose a law or constitutional amendment and have it submitted to the voters.
- checks and balances
- Constitutional grant of powers that enables each of the three branches of government to check some acts of the others and therefore ensure that no branch can dominate.