Nugent Final
Terms
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- full faith and credit clause
- the provision in the constitution ensuring that each state will accept the decision of civil courts in other states
- referendum
- a method of referring a bill to the voters for approval before a bill can become a law
- civil rights
- the rights guarunteed to all u.s. citizens
- charters
- basic plans of government granted by state legislatures to local governments.
- legislature
- a lawmaking body of government
- due process of law
- the fair application of the law to one's case
- ambassador
- the highest ranking officials representing a government in a foreign country
- tariff
- a tax on products imported from other countries
- breif
- a written statement explaining the main points of one side's argument in a court case.
- extradition
- a legal process for returning criminals to the place from which they fled.
- jurisdiction
- the authority to interpret and administer the law, also the range of that authority
- indict
- to formally accuse a person of a crime
- franking privelege
- the right of members of congress to mail official letters free of charge
- floor leader
- a political party leader in congress who works for the passage of bills the party favors
- reprieve
- a postponement in the carrying out of a prison sentence
- diplomatic notes
- wiritten communications between diplomats
- remand
- to return an appealed case to a lower court for a new trial
- independent agency
- agencies in the executive branch of the federal government formed by congress to help enforce laws and regulations not covered by the executive department.
- civics
- the study of what it means to be a u.s. citizen
- Bill of Rights
- the first 10 amendments to the constitution which set forth basic rights garunteed to all Americans
- constituents
- ppl represented by members of a lawmaking body
- subpoena
- official court orders that require a person to appear in court
- cloture
- a limit on the debate of a bill in the senate
- boycott
- To stop buying or using a good or service
- amendment
- a written change to the constitution
- filibuster
- a method of delaying action on a bill in the senate by making long speeches
- dessenting opinion
- a statement written by a supreme court justice who disagrees with the majority's decision
- block grants
- federal funds given to a state and local government for broad purposes.
- defecit
- the amount by which expenditures exceed income
- State of the Union Adress
- A yearly report by the pres. to congress describing the nation's condition and recommending programs&policies.
- slander
- spoken false statements that damage another person's reputations
- grants-in-aid
- federal funds given to state and local governments for specific projects.
- diplomacy
- the art of dealing with foreign governments
- bill of attainder
- a law sentencing a person to jail w/o a trial.
- impeachment
- a formal charge brought against a government official
- preamble
- the beginning of the u.s constitution which describes its purposes (intro)
- appelate jurisdiction
- the authority of some courts to review decisions made by lower courts.
- libel
- written falsehoods that damage another person's reputation
- migration
- the movement of people from region to region
- embassy
- the official residence of an ambassador in a foreign country
- constitutional law
- law based on the constitution and supreme court decisions
- audit
- an examination by an accountant of a governments or business's income and expenditures
- gerrymandering
- the process of drawing congressional district lines to favor a party
- grand jury
- a group that hears evidence in a criminal case and decides whether there is enough evidence to bring the accused person to trial
- poll
- a survey taken to measure public opinion
- jurors
- members on a trial jury who judge evidence and determine the verdict in a court case
- mass media
- forms of communication that transmit information to large #'s of ppl.
- appropriation bill
- a bill approving the spending of extra public $
- item veto
- the power of the head of the executive branch to reject one part of a bill but approve the rest of it
- antifederalists
- opponents of the constitution who urged its rejection
- popular sovereignty
- government by consent of the governed.
- seniority system
- the custom of giving leadership of commitees to members of congress with the most years of service
- defendant
- a person accused of a crime in a court case.
- democracy
- a form of governent in which the ppl of a country either rule directly or through elected representatives.
- bicameral
- Constisting of 2 houses, as in a lawmaking body
- double jeapordy
- being tried a second time for the same crime
- consulate
- the office of a consul
- secret ballots
- method of voting in which a voter marks the ballots in secret
- lobbyist
- a person paid to represent an interest group's viewpoint
- unicameral
- consisting of one house, as in a lawmaking body.
- constable
- officers who enforce township laws
- federalists
- supporter of the constitution who urged its adoption
- eminent domain
- the power of the government to take private property for public use.
- warrant
- an order to pay out government funds.
- concurring opinion
- a statement written by a supreme court justice who agrees with the majority's decision
- ratification
- approval by a formal vote.
- passport
- formal documents that allow U.S. citizens to travel abroad.
- writ of habeus corpus
- a court order requiring that an accused person to be brought to court to determine if therre is enough evidence to hold the person for trial
- naturalization
- a legal process by which aliens become citizens
- electoral college
- the group of electors that cast the official votes that elect the president and vice pres.
- parliament
- the lawmaking body of british government
- suffrage
- the right to vote.
- magistrate judges
- officials who hear cases against accused persons and decide whether those cases should be brought before a grand jury
- treaties
- written agreements between nations
- lieutenent governer
- the official who succeeds the governor if the governor dies, resigns, or is removed from office.
- aliens
- people who live in a nations but are not citizens of a nation.
- party whip
- the assistant to the floor leader in each house of congress who tries to persuade party members to vote for bills the party supports
- plaintiff
- the person or company filing the complaint in a civil lawsuit
- sovereignty
- a government's absolute power of authority
- veto
- a refusal by the pres. or a governor to sign a bill.
- segregate
- to separate on the basis of race, gender, etc.
- precedent
- an earlier court decision that guides a judge's decision in later cases.
- refugees
- people who flee persecution in their homeland to seek safety in another country.
- penal code
- a set of criminal laws.
- party platform
- a written statement outlining a political party's view on issues and describing the programs it proposes
- sheriff
- the cheif law enforcement official in some county governments
- quorum
- the minimum # of members who must be present before a legislative body can conduct business
- grassroots
- originating, as in political support, from many individuals rather than from national parties or organizations
- sessions
- meetings of Congress.
- census
- an official count of a # of ppl in a country