GOV FINAL VOCAB

Criminal Law

Branch of law that regulates the conduct of individuals, defines crimes and specifies punishments for criminal acts.

Plaintiff

Party that brings charges to court.

Defendants

Those who are found guilty of charges brought against them; may be fined or sent to jail.

Civil Law

Branch of law that deals with disputes that do not involve criminal penalties.

Precedent

A prior case whose principles are used by judges as the basis for their decision in present case.

Trial Court

The 1st court to hear a case.

Court of Appeals

The court that hears appeals from trial courts.

Appellant

The party filing an appeal.

Supreme Court

The highest court in the state.

Plea Bargain

A negotiated agreement in a criminal case in which a defendant agrees to plead guilty in return for the state’s agreement to reduce the severity of the criminal charge.

Jurisdiction

Sphere of power & authority of the federal courts.

Original jurisdiction

The authority to consider a case initially.

Due process of law

The right of every individual against arbitrary action by national or state governments.

Writ of habeas corpus

A court order that the individual in custody be brought into court and shown the cause for detention.

Judicial Review

Power of courts to review and, if necessary, declare laws or executive actions invalid or unconstitutional.

Supremacy Clause

Laws passed by the national government and all treaties are the supreme law of land and superior to all laws adopted by any state.

Standing

A substantial stake in the outcome of the case.

Mootness

A criterion used to dismiss cases that no longer require a resolution.

Writ of certiorari

A decision of at least 4 of the 9 Supreme Court justices to review a lower-court decision.

Solicitor general

The top government lawyer in all cases before the U.S Supreme Court in which gov. Is a party.

Amicus curiae

”Friend of the court”.

Judicial restraint

Judicial philosophy whose adherents refuse to go beyond the clear words of Constitution in interpreting the document’s meaning.

Judicial activism

Judicial philosophy that posits that the Court should go beyond the words of the Constitution or a statute to consider the broader societal implication of its decisions.

Domestic Policy Council (DPC)

Drives the development and implementation of the President’s domestic policy agenda in the White House & across the Federal government.

Fiscal Policy

The government’s use of taxing, monetary, & spending powers to manipulate the economy. olicy enacted by the legislative branch of government. It deals with tax policy and government spending.

Tariffs

Taxes on imported goods.

Progressive taxes

The rate of taxation hits upper income brackets more heavily.

Regressive taxes

Burden lower-income brackets more heavily.

Redistribution

Raise revenue and reduce disparities in wealth.

Budget deficit

The financial situation where expenses exceed revenues.

National debt

The total amount of money that a country's government has borrowed.

Subsidies

Government grants of cash or commodities to support certain economic sectors.

Contracting power

Allows the government to set conditions on companies selling goods or services to government agencies.

Monetary policies

Efforts to regulate the economy through the manipulation of the supply of money and credit. enacted by a government's central bank. It deals with changes in the money supply of a nation by adjusting interest rates, reserve requirements, and open market operations.

Federal Reserve System

The central banking system of the United States.

Antitrust Policy

Government's efforts to regulate large businesses that have established monopolies in some market.

Monopoly

A single firm in a market that controls all the goods and services of the market, with no competition.

Deregulation

The reduction or elimination of government rules controlling how businesses can operate.

Laissez-faire capitalism

An economic system where the government should do little in managing the economy.

Keynesian economics

An economic theory that advocates for government intervention to stabilize economic cycles. The government can pull an economy out of a recession by stimulating demand and creating a cycle of increased production & jobs.

Supply-side economics

An economic theory that beliefs lower taxes will stimulate the economy.

Welfare State

The collection of policies a nation must promote and protect the economic and social well-being of its citizens.

Contributory programs

Social programs financed wholly or in part by taxation or other mandatory contributions by their present or future recipients.

Indexing

A periodic process of adjusting social benefits or wages to account for increases in the cost of living.

Noncontributory programs

Social assistance programs that aid people based on demonstrated need rather than any contributions they have made.

Medicaid

Federally and state-financed, state-operated program providing medical services to low-income people.

Equality of opportunity

The idea that all individuals should have the same chances to pursue their goals.

Hard power

The use of military and economic means to influence the behavior or interests of other political bodies.

Soft power

The ability to attract and co-opt rather than coerce.

Nation-states

Sovereign entities characterized by defined territorial boundaries and a government.

Non-state actors

Groups other than nation-states that attempt to play a role in the international system; example is terrorist groups.

Isolationism

Avoidance of involvement in the affairs of other nations.

Containment

A policy designed to curtail the political and military expansion of a hostile power.

Preventive war

A policy of striking first when a nation fears that a foreign foe is contemplating hostile action.

Appeasement

An effort to forestall war by giving in to the demands of a hostile power.

Deterrence

An effort to prevent hostile action by promising to retaliate forcefully against an attacker.

Bush Doctrine

Based on the idea that the US should take preemptive action against threats to its security.

Executive agreements

Agreements between the president and another country that have the force of a treaty but do not require Senate approval.

Diplomacy

Representation of a government to other governments.

International Monetary Fund

Provides loans and facilitates international monetary exchanges.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was formed in

1949

torts

one;s negligence or bad conduct that cause harm or loss, leading to legal liability.

stare decisis

the legal principle of adhering to precedent in court decisions.