president Pro Tempore
senate presiding officer
executive
branch of government headed by the president, that carries out the nation's laws and policies
Legislative
Branch of government that makes the nation's laws
Judicial branch
refers to courts
breaking diplomatic relations
to ask a foreign country to withdraw its diplomatic official from this country
Quorum
minimum number of members that must be present for the H of R or Senate to vote
statute laws
laws passed by congress
immunity
members of Congress can't be sued or prosecuted for anything they say in Congress
Emoluments
salaries
revenue
income raised by the government - taxes
Naturalization
procedure by which a citizen of a foreign nation becomes a citizen of the US
eminent domain
the power of a government to take private property for public use, usually with compensation paid to the owner
prohibition
the act or process of forbidding something
repeal
to cancel an act or law
adjourn
to transfer to another place
good behaivior
judges usually serve for life or until they choose to retire
arms
weapons
Counterfeiting
illegally imitating or forging
extradition
a person convicted of a crime or a person accused of a crime must be returned to the state where the crime was committed
suffrage
the right to vote
due process of law
ideas that the government must follow procedures established by law and guaranteed by the constitution
judicial review
the right of the Supreme Court to determine if a law violates the Constitution
ratify
to give official approval to
constituents
people who live in the home state and districts as their members of Congress (people who the members of Congress work for)
elastic clause
directs congress to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for executing all the powers of government
necessary and proper laws
Laws must be related to one of the 17 enumerated powers
poll tax
the fee that persons were required to pay in order to vote in a number of southern states
bail
money that an accused person provides to the court as a guarantee that he or she will be present for a trial
checks and balances
the system in which each branch of government has a check on the other 2 branches so that no one branch becomes too powerful
Habeas Corpus
"you may have the body"
electors
one elected to an electoral college, voter
privilege and immunities
rights of citizens, guarantees each state's citizens equal treatment in all states
pocket veto
when the president fails to sign a bill within the 10 days allowed by the Constitution. Congress must be adjourned in order for a pocket veto to take effect
preamble
the introduction to a formal document
enumerated powers
powers belonging only to the federal government
impeach
to formally charge a public official with misconduct in office
common law
basic law that was based on over 5 centuries of judicial decisions
double jeopardy
when you may not be tried twice for the same crime
amendment
a change to the constitution
vacancy
open position
veto
constitutional right to reject a decision or proposal made by a law-making body