Civics Exam

Civil Case

court case in which one party in a dispute claims to have been harmed in some way by the other

How do Supreme Court judges obtain their offices? How long do they serve? How many currently serve? 

* Justices of the Supreme Court and Judges of the Court of Appeals shall be elected by the qualified voters of the State.


* they serve until their death, retirement, or conviction by the Senate.


* There are 9 justices

Precedent

a ruling that is used as the basis for a judicial decision in a later, similar case

In which type of court do federal trials and lawsuits usually begin?

District Courts

What happens when an accused person cannot afford an attorney?

If you cannot afford a lawyer, the court will appoint a lawyer for you, like a public defender.

original jurisdiction

the authority to hear cases for the first time

litigant

A person involved in a lawsuit

defendant

the person in a civil case who is said to have caused the harm; the person who is being sued

tenure

the right to hold an office once a person is confirmed

Ruling

currently exercising authority or influence.

concurrent jurisdiction

authority for both state and federal courts to hear and decide cases

Judiciary Act of 1789

established the structure and jurisdiction of the federal court system and created the position of attorney general.

Opinion

a detailed explanation of the legal thinking behind a court’s decision in a case

preliminary

something that introduces or comes before something else

dual court system

a court system made up of both federal and state courts

subpoena

an order that requires a person to appear in court

appellate jurisdiction

the authority of a court to hear a case appealed from a lower court

exclusive jurisdiction

authority of only federal courts to hear and decide cases

judicial review

the power of the Supreme Court to say whether any federal, state, or local law or government action goes against the Constitution

Challenge

to object to a decision or outcome

constitutional

in accordance with the Constitution

Nullify

to cancel legally

concurring opinion

a statement written by a justice who votes with the majority, but for different reasons

stare de cisis

the doctrine that courts will adhere to precedent in making their decisions.

writ of certiorari

an order a higher court issues to a lower court to obtain the records of the lower court in a particular case

docket

a court’s calendar, showing the schedule of cases it is to hear

Caseload

a judge’s or court’s workload of cases in a period of time

brief

a written document explaining the position of one side or the other in a case

dissenting opinion

a statement written by a justice who disagrees with the majority opinion, presenting his or her opinion

Draft

the mandatory enrollment of individuals into the armed forces

unanimous opinion

the Supreme Court rules on a case in which all justices agree on the ruling

How does the power of judicial review act as a check on the legislature and executive branches?

The judicial branch can check the legislative by declaring acts of Congress unconstitutional through the power of judicial review. -To check the executive branch, the judicial can declare executive acts unconstitutional.

Which case clarified that the Constitution overrides all other laws?

lessy v. Ferguson.

Federalist beliefs

They favored weaker state governments, a strong centralized government, the indirect election of government officials, longer term limits for officeholders, and representative, rather than direct, democracy.

Main event at a national party convention

to select the party's nominee for popular election as President, as well as to adopt a statement of party principles and goals known as the party platform and adopt the rules for the party's activities

Polling place

building where people go to vote in an election.

15th amendment

granted African American men the right to vote.

How often are general elections held?

Every Two years

How do presidential elections begin?

U.S. elections, candidates are elected directly by popular vote. (But not the prez or vice prez)

Requirements for voting in elections in the U.S.

* Are a U.S. citizen (some areas allow non-citizens to vote in local elections only)
* Meet your state’s residency requirements
* Are 18 years old on or before Election Day (some areas allow 16 year olds to vote in local elections only)

absentee vote

a ballot submitted (as by mail) in advance of an election by a voter who is unable to be present at the polls

Purpose of a campaign

Awareness, Consideration and Conversion, the objective that you choose should fall within the category that is closest to your current advertising goals.

The political party that began as a group who opposed slavery?

Liberty Party

Essential to running a successful political campaign

* Set a Goal. The best marketing campaigns have a well-defined goal in mind.
* Speak to One Person.
* Give a Gift.
* Choose the Right Medium.
* Show the Value.
* Express Your Personality.
* Educate Customers.
* Grab Attention With Design.

I9th Amendment

granted women the right to vote.

precinct

a geographic area that contains a specific number of voters

closed primary

an election in which only the declared members of a party are allowed to vote for that party’s nominees

Voter turnout rate

percentage of eligible voters who actually vote

canvassing

to seek votes from voters

direct primary

an election in which voters choose candidates to represent each party in a general election

suffrage

The right to vote

Electoral College

legislature to select the president and vice president

Ballot

the list of candidates for which you cast your vote

plurality

the most votes among all those running for a political office

Issue

a matter of debate or dispute

platform

set of principles, goals, and strategies designed to address pressing political issues.

Recall

a special election in which citizens can vote to remove a public official from office; action that causes an unsafe product to be removed from store shelves

Apathy

a lack of interest

referendum

a way for citizens to vote on state or local laws

grassroots

one which uses the people in a given district as the basis for a political or economic movement.

primary election

an election by the political parties to nominate their candidates for the General Election ballot.

caucus 

a meeting of political party members to conduct party business

Which political party was formed to oppose Andrew Jackson? 

The Whig Party

Examples of polling places

Public buildings, Schools, Colleges, ex

The presidential election is won by the candidate who?

Wins the most votes \n

A total of 538 electors form the Electoral College. Each elector casts one vote following the general election. The candidate who gets 270 votes or more wins.

25th Amendment

In case of the removal of the President from office or of his death or resignation, the Vice President shall become President.

Purpose of third party candidates 

because they sometimes speak for groups the major parties do not represent and introduce ideas the two major parties may not address.

Total number of Electors

538 electores

Democrat Symbol

Donkey

Republican Symbol

Elephant

regulatory

describing an agency that controls or governs

Mass Media

a mechanism of mass communication, including television, radio, the Internet, newspapers, magazines, books, recordings, and movies

malice

evil intent

Watchdog

the role played by a media organization that exposes illegal practices or waste

biased

favoring one view

Push Poll

an interactive marketing technique, most commonly employed during political campaigning

intensity

the quality of being intense.

Libel

the act of publishing a statement about someone that is not true and that gives a bad impression about the person.

nonpartisan group

A person or group who does not support or help a particular political party or group.

interest group

a group of people who share a point of view about an issue and unite to promote their beliefs

pollster

a specialist whose job is to conduct polls regularly

public agenda

issues considered most significant by government officials

stability

The state of being stable

prior restraint

the act of stopping information from being known by blocking it from being published

direction

a course along which someone or something moves.

leak

to release secret government information by anonymous government officials to the media

Roles of public opinion in democracy

public opinion and policy-making are fundamental to a democracy

Reasons a public official might leak information to the press

To test the public reaction to a story.

shield laws

a law that protects a reporter from revealing his or her sources

Federal Communications Commission

an independent agency of the United States federal government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the United States

Influences on public opinion

family, school/education, mass media, peer groups, opinion leaders, and historic events.

Features of public opinion

Direction, intensity, and stability.

propaganda 

information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view.

* Card Stacking
* Testimonial
* Bandwagon
* Stereotyping
* Transfer Technique
* Glittering Generalities
* Fear Appeals
* Plain Folks

1st Amendment

freedom of speech, the press, assembly, and the right to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Public Policy

the decisions and actions a government takes to solve problems in the community

Master Plan

a plan that states the set of goals and explains how the government will carry them out to meet changing needs over time

infrastructure

a community's system of roads, bridges, water, and sewers

Short-Term plan

a government policy being carried out over the next few years

Long-Term plan

a government plan for policy that can span 10 to 50 years