Civics Unit 2 Vocab

Checks and Balances

A system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power

Legislative Branch

The lawmaking branch of government

Judicial Branch

The branch of government that interprets laws

Executive Branch

The branch of government that carries out laws

Federalism

The division of power between the central and state governments

Supremacy Clause

Affirms that federal laws generally take precedence over state laws

Commerce Clause

Grants Congress the ability to regulate interstate trade and other economic activities

Necessary and Proper Clause

Expands the powers of Congress to include powers that help them carry out their expressed powers

Expressed Powers

Powers granted specifically to the federal government by the Constitution

Tenth Amendment

Amendment stating that the powers not delegated to the federal government are reserved to the states

House of Representatives

The lower house of Congress, consisting of a different number of representatives from each state, depending on population

Senate

The upper house of the United States Congress, each state has two representatives

Conference Committee

A special joint committee appointed to reconcile differences when bills pass the two chambers of Congress (Senate and House) in different forms.

Article 1 Section 8

Enumerated Powers of Congress

Logrolling

The trading of favors in politics, typically through reciprocal voting

Pork Barrel Spending

A provision in a bill that benefits a specific congressional constituency

Gerrymandering

The process of manipulating the borders of election districts to give a political party an advantage

Packing (gerrymandering)

Drawing the lines so they include as many of the opposing party's voters as possible

Cracking (gerrymandering)

Spreading voters of one type over many districts where they will comprise minorities that are unable to influence elections

State of the Union Address

A speech given by the President to Congress annually assessing the health of the country

Executive Order

A rule passed by the President that typically carries the same force as a law

Veto

The president's ability to prevent legislation from getting passed; can be overridden by a ⅔ supermajority vote by Congress

Impeachment

The process by which the House of Representatives brings forth an accusation against another member of the federal government

Federal District Courts

The lowest tier of the federal court system and similar to the trial courts that exist in each state

Court of Appeals

Contested verdicts from district courts can be directly brought here

Supreme Court

The highest federal court in the United States, consists of 9 justices

Marbury v. Madison

This case establishes the Supreme Court's power of Judicial Review

Precedent

A legal rule or example established by a ruling on a prior case

Constitutional Amendments

Changes or additions to the Constitution that must be ratified by ¾ of Congress

Reserved Powers

Powers not given to the federal government by the Constitution; powers granted to the states instead

Concurrent Powers

Powers shared by both the federal and state governments

Shaw v. Reno

NO racial gerrymandering; race cannot be the sole or predominant factor in redrawing legislative boundaries; majority-minority districts.

Filibuster

The process by which Senators prolong debate to prevent a bill from getting passed

Judicial Review

The ability of the Supreme Court to evaluate the constitutionality of actions of the legislative and executive branches