AP GoPo Midterm pt 1

Marbury v. Madison

Established the principle of judicial review, allowing the Supreme Court to declare legislation unconstitutional.

Judicial Review

The power of the Supreme Court to declare a legislative act unconstitutional.

Baker v. Carr

Supreme Court case that established the principle of 'one man, one vote' and allowed federal courts to intervene in state apportionment processes.

Citizens United v. FEC

Supreme Court case that ruled the First Amendment prohibits government from limiting independent political expenditures by corporations and unions.

Tinker v. Des Moines

Supreme Court case that ruled students do not lose their First Amendment rights when they enter school.

New York Times v. United States

Supreme Court case that ruled the government could not prevent the publication of the Pentagon Papers.

Engel v. Vitale

Supreme Court case that declared mandatory school prayer unconstitutional, citing the Establishment Clause.

Wisconsin v. Yoder

Supreme Court case that ruled the state could not compel Amish children to attend school past 8th grade, violating the Free Exercise Clause.

McDonald v. Chicago

Supreme Court case that applied the Second Amendment right to bear arms to the states through the 14th Amendment.

Gideon v. Wainwright

Supreme Court case that ruled the right to counsel is a fundamental right and applies to state courts.

Roe v. Wade

Supreme Court case that established a woman's right to have an abortion under the constitutional right to privacy.

Brown v. Board of Education

Supreme Court case that declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional.

Shaw v. Reno

Supreme Court case that determined that racial gerrymandering violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.

McCulloch v. Maryland

Supreme Court case that established the supremacy of federal law over state law and confirmed the constitutional existence of a national bank.

U.S. v. Lopez

Supreme Court case that limited Congress's power under the Commerce Clause for gun control regulations.

Federalist No. 10

Written by James Madison, argues that factions are a necessary evil in a free society that can prevent tyranny.

Federalist No. 51

Written by James Madison, discusses the importance of checks and balances in government.

Federalist No. 70

Written by Alexander Hamilton, argues for a strong executive leader in government.

Federalist No. 78

Written by Alexander Hamilton, addresses the judicial branch and the need for independent judges.

Brutus No. 1

Written by Robert Yates, argues against the Constitution and warns of the dangers of centralized government power.

Letters from Birmingham Jail

Written by Martin Luther King Jr., advocates for nonviolent protest against racism and injustice.

Budget

A policy document that allocates financial resources, including taxes and government expenditures.

Medicare

A federal program providing health coverage for the elderly.

Social Security Act

A law intended to provide financial assistance to older Americans.

Patronage

The practice of giving government jobs to individuals based on political reasons rather than merit.

Pendleton Civil Service Act

An act that established a merit-based system of selecting government employees.

Bureaucracy

A hierarchical authority structure characterized by task specialization and adherence to rules.

Regulation

The use of governmental authority to control or change some practice in the private sector.

Schenck v. United States

Supreme Court case that established the 'clear and present danger' test for limiting free speech during wartime.

First Amendment

Protects freedoms of speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition.

Second Amendment

Protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms.

Third Amendment

Prohibits the quartering of soldiers in private homes without the owner's consent.

Fourth Amendment

Protects against unreasonable searches and seizures and sets requirements for search warrants based on probable cause.

Fifth Amendment

Provides for the rights of the accused, including protection against self-incrimination and double jeopardy.

Sixth Amendment

Guarantees the rights to a fair and speedy trial, an impartial jury, and legal counsel.

Seventh Amendment

Ensures the right to a jury trial in civil cases.

Eighth Amendment

Prohibits excessive bail, excessive fines, and cruel and unusual punishment.

Ninth Amendment

Affirms that the enumeration of certain rights in the Constitution does not deny or disparage other rights retained by the people.

Tenth Amendment

Reserves powers not delegated to the federal government to the states or the people.

Eleventh Amendment

Limits the ability of individuals to sue states in federal court.

Twelfth Amendment

Revises the procedures for electing the President and Vice President.

Thirteenth Amendment

Abolishes slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime.

Fourteenth Amendment

Grants citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S. and guarantees equal protection under the laws.

expenditures

government spending

revenue

the financial resources of the government

income tax

shares of individual wages and corporare revenues collected by the government

16th Amendment

the constitutional amendment adopted in 1913 that explicitly permitted Congress to levy an income tax

deficit

an excess of federal expenditures over federal revenues

national debt

all the money borrowed by the federal government over the years and still outstanding

tax expenditures

revenue losses that result from special exemptions, exclusions, or deductions allowed by federal tax law

incrementalism

a description of the budget process in which the best predictor of this year’s budget is last year’s budget plus a little more

uncontrollable expenditures

expenditures that are determined by how many eligible beneficiaries there are for a program or by previous obligations of the government that Congress therefore cannot easily control

entitlements

policies for which Congress has obligated itself to pay X level of benefits to Y number of recipients

budget resolution

a resolution binding Congress to a total expenditure level, supposedly the bottom line of all federal spending for all programs

reconciliation

a congressional process through which program authorizations are revised to achieve required savings

authorization bill

an act of Congress that establishes, continues, or changes a discretionary government program or an entitlement

appropriations bill

an act of Congress that actually funds programs within limits established by authorization bills, usually cover one year

continuing resolutions

when Congress cannot reach agreement and pass appropriations bills, these allow agencies to spend at the level of the previous year

civil service

a body of government employees who are hired and promoted through a system based on the merit principle and the desire to create a nonpartisan government service

merit principle

the idea that hiring should be based on entrance exams and promotion ratings to produce administration by people with skills

Hatch Act

a federal law prohibiting government employees from active participation in partisan politics while on duty

Senior Executive Office

an elite cadre of about 9000 federal government managers at the top of the civil service system

independent regulatory commission

a government agency with responsibility for making and enforcing rules to protect the public interest in some sector of the economy and for judging disputes over these rules

government corporation

a government organization that provides a service that could be delivered by the private sector and typically charges for its services

independent executive agencies

the government agencies not accounted for by cabinet departments

policy implementation

the stage of policymaking between the establishment and the consequences of the policy for the people affected, involves translating goals of a policy into an operating program

administrative discretion

the authority of administrative actors to select among various responses to a given problem, best when routines don’t fit a case

command and control policy

typical system of regulation whereby the government tells businesses how to reach certain goals, checks commands are followed, and punishes offenders