Fichas de aprendizaje ABEKA American Government: Chapter 11 | Quizlet

1. Convention proposal

2. Legislative proposal

3. Initiative proposal

Three methods of proposing constitutional amendments that are used among the states

recall

procedure whereby voters can remove an elected official from office

ex oficio

by virtue of office or position (describes a state governor's membership in various boards and commissions)

executive order

order that dictates how a law should be carried out

item veto

the power to reject particular parts of a bill

clemency power

The governor's power to pardon, parole, commute sentences, and grant reprieves to convicted criminals.

1) Pardon

2) Parole

3) Commute a sentence

4) Grant reprieves

Four clemency powers

Town meeting

What unique feature of traditional town government in New England serves as an example of direct democracy?

constitution

a written plan which sets up a form of government and establishes its basic governing principles

Massachusetts constitution

the oldest written constitution now in force anywhere in the world

revision

a major change in a state constitution

amendment

a minor change in a state constitution

constitutional convention

the most traditional method for revising a constitution or adopting a new one

1) Voters approve the calling of the convention

2) Voters elect delegates to the convention

3) Convention delegates revise the old constitution or propose a new one

4) Voters ratify or reject the new or revised constitution

Four steps involved in revising a state constitution or adopting a new one

initiative

A procedure by which voters can propose a law or a constitutional amendment.

Referendum

A state-level method of direct legislation that gives voters a chance to approve or disapprove proposed legislation or a proposed constitutional amendment.

law enforcement

one of the most important functions of state government

governor's mansion

name for the governor's official residence provided by his (or her) state

plurality

Candidate or party with the most votes cast in an election, not necessarily more than half.

impeachment

the process used by a legislative body to bring charges of wrongdoing against a public official

Lieutenant governor

the executive officer of a state who is next in rank to a governor and who takes the governor's place in case of disability or death.

secretary of state

keeps state records and carries out election laws

attorney general

is the state's chief legal officer and gives legal advice to the governor and other state officials; is also the state's chief prosecutor

treasurer

Guardian of state funds

auditor (comptroller)

state official who sees that the state's funds are spent properly

superintendent of public instruction (commissioner of education)

state officer who oversees the operation of its public school system

Nebraska

the only state with a unicameral legislature

Baker v. Carr

1962 case in which the Supreme Court ruled that federal courts had jurisdiction in cases involving state apportionment

Reynolds v. Sims

1964 case in which the Supreme Court ruled that apportionment of both houses of state legislatures must be based upon population

direct primary

an election in which voters choose party nominees

non-legislative powers

Powers that do not have to do with creating laws

constituent power

the power to propose constitutional amendments

speaker

officer who presides over the lower house of a bicameral legislature

president of the senate

officer who presides over the upper house of a bicameral legislature

president pro tempore

Officer of the senate selected by the majority party to act as chair in the absence of the president of the senate

sergeant at arms

officer who keeps order in the state legislature

doorkeeper

term for the officer who keeps unauthorized people from entering a state's legislative chamber while the legislature is in session

page

run errands for legislators

committee system

method under which members of the legislative branch form into smaller groups to facilitate such business as considering proposed legislation and holding investigations

joint committee

legislative committee composed of members of both houses

voice vote

A voting procedure in which members shout "yea" in approval or "nay" in disapproval, permitting members to vote quickly or anonymously on bills

standing vote

a vote in which members stand to be counted for or against a bill

teller vote

A voting procedure in which members pass between two tellers, the "yeas" first and the "nays" second.

roll-call vote

A voting procedure that consists of members answering "yea" or "nay" to their names.

mandatory referendum

when an act of the legislature must be referred to the voters for approval or rejection

90 percent

percentage of court cases handled in the US that are decided by state courts

justice of the peace courts

local trial courts with limited jurisdiction over small claims and very minor criminal misdemeanors

magistrate courts (police courts)

courts in sparsely populated urban areas that are presided over by an elected judge or magistrate who hears minor cases

municipal courts

local trial courts with limited jurisdiction over violations of city ordinances and very minor criminal misdemeanors

special small claims courts

type of courts that exist in many larger cities to help people collect small sums of money allegedly due them

general trial courts

state courts of original jurisdiction that hear all kinds of criminal and civil cases

courts of record

courts in which trial proceedings are transcribed

1. lower courts

2. general trial courts

3. appellate courts

4. supreme court

Four basic levels of state courts

judge

a public official appointed to decide cases in a court of law.

court clerk

court official who keeps the court's records

bailiff

the police officer for the court

intermediate appellate court

a state appellate court that relieves the case burden on the supreme court by hearing certain types of appeals (reviews court cases to find possible errors in their proceedings)

state supreme court

A state's highest court which typically decides matters of law appealed from lower courts

court of last resort

the highest court in a court system

jury

a body of citizens sworn to give a true verdict according to the evidence presented in a court of law

witness

someone who saw the crime being committed and can provide some information

county

a major unit of local government in most states

parish

the Louisiana term for counties.

borough

Alaskan name for a county

county seat

a town where the county courthouse is located

county board

the governing body of most counties

board of commissioners

county board which consists of three-seven members; hold no public office

board of supervisors

county board which consists of of 12 to to 50 to 100 member

sheriff

the chief law enforcement officer in a county

county assessor

appraises taxable property within the county

treasurer

caretaker of county funds

auditor

supervises a county's financial records and authorizes the spending of county funds

recorder

maintains county records and issues various kinds of licenses

prosecuting attorney (district attorney, or state's attorney)

conducts criminal investigations and prosecutes cases tried in local courts

coroner

A public officer whose chief duty is to investigate questionable deaths.

county medical examiner

term for the highly trained person who has replaced the elected coroner in some counties in recent years

superintendent of schools

Heads the administration of all or some of the public elementary and secondary schools in the county

county president (county supervisor)

term for the elected chief executive of a county

1. Executive Plan

2. County Manager Plan

Two plans of county government

county manager plan

term for a plan under which the county board hires a professional county manager who, ideally, is highly trained in his field

county manager

a highly trained professional who is hired by the county board to direct county affairs

county administrator plan

variation of the county manager plan

town

the most important unit of local government in New England

town meeting

a gathering of local citizens to discuss and vote on important issues

selectmen

a member of the local government board of a New England town.

township

a subdivision of a county that has its own government

incorporated

A municipality is _______, meaning that it has been designated as a legal governmental organization withe certain rights and responsibilities.

unincorporated

describes a community that has no government of its own

city charter

a legal document granted by the state which outlines a form of government for the city

1. Mayor-Council form

2. Council manager form

3. Commission form

Three basic forms of city government

mayor-council form

a form of municipal government where the voters elect a mayor and a city council (the oldest and most widely used form of city government)

ward (district)

a unit into which cities are often divided for the election of city council members

commission form

a form of municipal government in which voters elect commissioners, each of whom is the head of a department within city government

commissioner

the officer in charge of a department or bureau of the public service

council-manager form

a form of municipal government in which voters elect a city council, which hires a city manager responsible for the day-to-day operations of the city

planning commission

An agency of local government charged with planning the development, redevelopment or preservation of an area.

zoning

dividing an area into zones or sections reserved for different purposes such as residence and business and manufacturing etc

1. residential

2. commercial

3. industrial

Three main kinds of zones

suburbs

the developed areas outside the city limits

annexing

the act of extending a city's limits by adding suburban areas