Studied by 0 people
Looks like no one added any tags here yet for you.
Judicial review
The power of federal courts (both lower federal courts and the Supreme Court have this power) to declare null and void laws passed by the congress or state legislatures that are unconstitutional.
Judicial restraint
An approach to judicial decision making whereby judges defer to the democratically elected legislative and executive branches of government.
Original jurisdiction
Judicial authority to hear cases for the first time and to determine guilt or liability by applying the law to the facts presented.
Appellate jurisdiction
Judicial authority to review the interpretation and application of the law in previous decisions reached by another court in a case.
Judicial activism
An approach to judicial decision making whereby judges are willing to strike down laws made by elected officials as well as step away from precedents.
Living-constitution theory
Places the meaning of the Constitution in light of the total history of the United States.
Original intent theory
Determines the constitutionality of a law by ascertaining the intentions of those who wrote the Constitution.
Plain meaning theory
Interprets the law in light of what the words of the Constitution obviously seem to say.
Dissenting opinion
A judicial opinion disagreeing both with the majority's disposition of a case and with their legal interpretations and conclusions.
Concurring opinion
A judicial opinion agreeing with the majority decision in the case but disagreeing with at least some of the legal interpretations or conclusions reached in the majority opinion.
Marbury v. Madison
The 1803 Supreme Court case that established the power of judicial review, which allows the Court to strike down laws passed by the other branches that it views to be in conflict with the Constitution.
Rule of law
Belief that a country should be governed by consistently applied and legitimately adopted policies and statutes, not by the will of an individual.
Stare decisis
When a court faces a legal argument, if a previous court has ruled on the same or a closely related issue, then the court will make their decision in alignment with the previous court's decision.
Discretionary jurisdiction
The authority of a court to select the cases it will hear from among all the cases appealed to it.
Common law
Judge-made law grounded in tradition and previous judicial decisions, instead of in written law.
Senatorial courtesy
Informal rule that the Senate will not confirm nominees within or from a state unless they have the approval of the senators of that state.
Judicial independence
Insulating judges from the need to be accountable to voters or elected officials so that they can make impartial decisions based on the law.
Statutory interpretation
Act of interpreting and applying ordinary laws, rather than the Constitution, to specific cases.
Writ of certiorari
Latin for 'a request to make certain'; issued by a higher court, this is an order for a lower court to make available the records of a past case it decided so that the higher court can review the case.
En banc
Typically three judges hear the case but in some cases they call an 'en banc' session where all appeals judges in the circuit hear the case.
Rule of four
Practice by which the Supreme Court justices determine if they will hear a case if four or more justices want to hear it.
Adversarial judicial system
A judicial system in which two parties in a legal dispute each present its case and the court must determine which side wins the dispute and which loses.
Attitudinal model
Judicial decision-making model that claims judicial decision making is guided by policy and ideological preferences of individual judges.
Strategic model
Judicial decision-making model that states that the primary guide for judges is their individual policy preferences; however, their preferences are tempered by their consideration of institutional factors, as well as concern over the legitimacy of the court system.
Direct provision
A policy tool whereby the government that creates a policy hires public servants to provide the service.
Indexed benefit
A government benefit with an automatic cost-of-living increase based on the rate of inflation.
In-kind assistance
A cash transfer in which the government pays cash to those who provide goods or services to eligible individuals.
Living wage
A wage high enough to keep workers and their families out of poverty and to allow them to enjoy a basic living standard.
NIMBY syndrome
A pattern of citizens' behavior in which people are not inspired to participate in politics until a government action or inaction threatens them directly.
Safety net programs
Various programs meant to protect low-income Americans from poverty and hardship, to get Americans back on their feet, or to protect those without sound body and mind with a minimum standard of living.
Progressive era
The Progressive movement was a turn-of-the-century political movement interested in furthering social and political reform, curbing political corruption caused by political machines, and limiting the political influence of large corporations.
Independent regulatory agencies
Federal agencies that have been established by Congress to have a certain amount of independence from the President.
Medicare
Federal health insurance for anyone age 65 and older, and some people under 65 with certain disabilities or conditions.
Medicaid
Public health insurance program for some people or families with limited incomes and resources, including children, pregnant women, older adults, and people with disabilities.
Entitlement programs
A program for which the government guarantees benefits to all who meet the eligibility criteria.
Redistributive policies
A government action that moves wealth and resources from one group of people to another - active intervention through policies, such as educational policies, to shape the distribution of market incomes in order to promote fairness and equal opportunities in society.
Regulations
The means by which Federal agencies implement and enforce the laws and legislation passed by Congress.
Negative externalities
Occur when the people who make decisions that impact others do not bear the full costs of their actions.
Recession
An economic downturn during which unemployment is high and the production of goods and services is low.
Business cycle
The fluctuation of the economy between periods of growth and contraction.
Fiscal policy
Government spending and taxing and their effect on the economy.
Monetary policy
The body of Federal Reserve actions aimed at adjusting the amount of money (coin, currency, and bank deposits) in the economy to maintain a stable, low level of inflation.
Budget deficit
More money spent than collected through revenues.
Budget surplus
Money left over after all expenses are paid.
Progressive tax
A tax that takes a larger percentage of the income of wealthier taxpayers and a smaller percentage of the income of lower-income taxpayers.
Regressive tax
A tax that takes a greater percentage of the income of lower-income earners than of higher-income earners.
Proportional tax
A tax that takes the same percentage of each taxpayer's income.
Inflation
The decreased value of money as evidenced by increased prices.
Unemployment
Unemployment adversely affects the disposable income of families, erodes purchasing power, diminishes employee morale, and reduces an economy's output.
Moral Hazard
A situation where someone takes on more risk because they believe they are protected from the consequence.
Federal Reserve Board
The central bank of the United States.
Debt ceiling
The legal borrowing limit for the national government.
Deficit spending
Government expenditures costing more than is raised in taxes, during the budget year, leading to borrowing and debt.
Discretionary spending
Payment on programs for which Congress and the president must approve budget authority each year in appropriation legislation.
Gross Domestic Product
The total market value of all goods and services produced by labor and properties within a country's borders.
Monetarism
The theory that says the government's proper economic role is to control the rate of inflation by controlling the amount of money in circulation.
Keynesian economics
The theory that recommends that during a recession the national government increase its spending and decrease taxes, and during a boom, cut spending and increase taxes.
Supply-side economics
The theory that advocates cutting taxes and deregulating business to stimulate the economy.
Regulated capitalist economy
An economy in which private ownership of the modes of production dominate and the government enacts policies to influence the health of the economy.
Tariff
A special tax on imported goods paid by the importer.
Tax base
The overall wealth (income and assets of citizens and corporations) that the government can tax to raise revenue.
National debt
The total amount of money the government owes to all the individuals and groups that loaned it money.
Treaties
Written agreements between sovereign states (or between states and international organizations) governed by international law.
Protectionist foreign policy
The establishment of trade barriers to shelter domestic goods from foreign competition.
Free trade
The elimination of tariffs and nontariff trade barriers so that international trade is expanded.
Fair trade
A movement that aims to help producers in developing countries get a fair price for their products so as to reduce poverty, provide for ethical treatment of workers and farmers, and promote environmentally sustainable practices.
World Trade Organization
The organization created in 1995 to negotiate, implement, and enforce international trade agreements.
World Bank
The international financial institution created by the Bretton Woods Agreement of 1944 and charged with lending money to nations in need.
Globalization
The process of increasing interdependence and interconnectedness between the world's economies, cultures, and populations.
NATO
An international mutual defense alliance formed in 1949 that created a structure for regional security for its 15 member nations.
Idealists
Foreign policy context holds that a nation-state should make its internal political philosophy the goal of its conduct and rhetoric in international affairs.
Realists
There are no universal principles with which all states may guide their actions. Instead, a state must always be aware of the actions of the states around it and must use a pragmatic approach to resolve problems as they arise.
Cold War
The political, ideological, and military conflict that lasted from 1945 until 1990 between communist nations led by the Soviet Union and Western democracies led by the United States.
European Union
A political and economic union of 27 European countries that was established after World War II to promote stability and economic cooperation.
Interventionism
A foreign policy characterized by a nation's willingness to participate and intervene in international situations, including another country's affairs.
War Powers Act
A law that limits presidential use of military forces to 60 days, with an automatic extension of 30 additional days if the president requests such an extension.
Multilateral
Many-sided; having the support of numerous nations.
Sanctions
Penalties that halt economic exchanges.
Regional security alliances
An alliance typically between a superpower and nations that are ideologically similar in a particular region.
Isolationism
A foreign policy characterized by a nation's unwillingness to participate in international affairs.
Hegemony
A form of imperial geographic dominance.
Diplomacy
The conduct of international relations, particularly involving the negotiation of treaties and other agreements between nations.
