Government Scale 5

amend

a formal change

due process

the principle that no person can be deprived of life, liberty, or property without fair legal procedures and safeguards

Electoral College

a body of electors from each state who cast votes to elect the president and vice president

executive privilege

the right to keep internal discussions and documents of the White House private

judicial review

the power of the courts to declare laws and executive acts unconstitutional

Lame Duck

an official (especially the president) in the final period of office, after the election of a successor.

loose construction

a flexible approach to interpreting the U.S. Constitution, taking into account current conditions in society

original intent

what the framers of the U.S. Constitution meant or were trying to achieve when they wrote the first document

precedent

a decision by a court that serves as an example or guide for future decisions

Presidential Succession

the order of U.S. political officeholders gaining the office of president, as outlined in the U.S. Constitution, Article II, Section I, and in the Twentieth and Twenty-fifth amendments to the Constitution.

strict construction

a literal approach to interpreting the U.S. Constitution, using the exact words of the document

term limits

is a legal restriction that caps the number of times an officeholder may serve in a particular elected office