Vocabulary Unit 4: Government and Legislative Process

Vocabulary flashcards covering fundamental concepts of constitutional rights, legal principles, and congressional procedures from Vocabulary Unit 4.

Due Process

Idea that all citizens are guaranteed fair treatment by the government.

Double Jeopardy

Right of all citizens to not be charged with the same crime after they have been acquitted by a jury of that same crime.

Poll taxes

Payment that is required of a person before they are allowed to cast a vote; now illegal according to the 24th Amendment.

Slander

Legal term for publicly telling a false and damaging statement about someone.

Clear and Present Danger

Idea that one's speech is not free if that speech could endanger the lives of people around them; established by the Supreme Court in Schenck v. US.

Establishment Clause

Statement in the 1st Amendment that forbids the government from proclaiming an official religion within the United States.

Separation of Church and State

Famous phrase from a letter by Thomas Jefferson that discusses his belief in the role between the government and religion.

Libel

Legal term for the false and damaging printing of a statement about a person.

Probable Cause

Idea that the government must have some reason to believe a citizen has done something wrong in order to obtain permission to search their person or belongings.

Term Limitations

Idea that legislators should only be allowed a maximum number of years in office in order to encourage more involvement in government.

Apportionment

Term that refers to the number of representatives assigned to a state based upon its population.

Gerrymandering

Drawing a district's boundaries in an odd shaped manner in order to benefit one political party over another.

Constituents

Term defining the people who live within a legislator's district.

Franking Privilege

Right of a Congressmen to send job-related mail without postage.

Censure

Formal vote of disapproval of a legislator's conduct.

Power of the Purse

Power of the House of Representatives whereby all revenue producing bills must be introduced in the House of Representatives.

Appropriations

Term describing the acquiring of revenue for the government.

Majority Leader

Leader of the political party with the most members within the legislature.

Minority Leader

Leader of the political party who does not have the majority seats within a legislature.

Party Whip

Member of each political party who is responsible for preliminary voting intentions and trying to influence party members to vote as a group on important issues.

Speaker of the House

Leader of the House of Representatives and usually the majority leader of the House who has great power in setting the agenda for the House of Representatives.

President Pro-Tempore

Mostly symbolic position given to the longest serving Senator from the majority party.

Standing Committees

Permanent committees of Congress who study, revise, and pass legislation.

Seniority

Term that refers to how long a member has been in Congress and is important in assigning committee memberships.

Bill

Proposed law.

Pigeonhole

Action taken by a legislative committee that places a bill to the side without a vote of approval or denial.

Public Hearings

Meetings held by legislative committees in order to allow public comments and information to be given to legislative committees.

Filibuster

Right of a Senator to hold the Senate floor for an unlimited amount of time; usually threatened as a form of killing or revising a bill the Senator opposes.

Cloture

Special vote taken by the Senate that would require a Senator to give up the floor during a filibuster; requires a 2/3 vote and is very difficult to achieve.

Roll Call Vote

Type of Congressional vote where the name of each legislator is called out and a vote recorded; mostly done electronically today.