AP Government and Politics Part 5

Direct Democracy

citizens meet and make decision about public policy issues; there are no elected officials; also called participatory democracy

direct primary

party members vote to nominate their candidate for the general election

discharge petition

a device by which any member of the House, after committee has had a bill for 30 days, may petitions to have it brought to the floor; requires 218 votes

discretionary spending

federal spending set by the government through appropriation bills, including operating expenses and salaries of government employees

discrimination

unfair treatment of a person based on race or group membership

dissenting opinion

justice or justices who voted in the minority, explaining the reasons for opposing the majority opinion

district courts

lowest level of federal courts, where most federal cases begin and trials are held

divided government

one party controls the executive (president) and the other party controls one of both house of Congress

double jeopardy

a rule that says a person can't be tried twice by the same court under the same charges twice; provided for in the 5th amendment

dual federalism

a model of the relationship between the federal government and the states in which each is supreme in its own sphere; "layer cake federalism"

due process

protection against the arbitrary loss of life, liberty. and property provided for under under the 5th and 14th amendments

earmark

a designation within a spending bill that provides for a specific expenditure

elastic clause

the necessary and proper clause (article 1,s section 8, clause 18) that allows for congress to pass laws to carry out its expressed powers

electoral college

representative from each states who formally cast ballots for the president and vice president

electorate

people qualified to vote

elite theory of democracy

the idea that societies are divided along class lines and that an upper class elite will rule, regardless of the formal niceties of governmental organization

eminent domain

allows the government to take private property for public use, as long as just compensation is paid