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92 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
constitutional powers of congress
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Levy & collect taxes
Borrow money Regulate commerce Establish federal courts Declare war Spend & tax for the “general welfare” Enact such laws as “necessary and proper” |
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election qualification for congress
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House of Representatives: 25 years of age, citizen of US for 7 years, inhabitant of the state from which they are elected
Senate: 30 years of age, citizen of US for 9 years, inhabitant of the state |
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speaker of the house
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Presides over meetings
Appoints members to joint & conference committees Schedules legislation for floor action Decides points of order & interprets rules Refers bills and resolutions to committees |
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factors that determine how legislators vote
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Party affiliation
Interest groups Colleagues Staff President Constituents |
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vice president
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Second in command
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functions of congress
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lawmaking
representing the people agency |
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majority and minority leaders
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majority party spokesperson
minority spokesperson no actual authority carry communications to party & press |
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president
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head of executive branch
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cabinet
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President → Vice President → Cabinet
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constitutional powers of the president
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Commander in chief
Require opinion in writing from executive officials Grant reprieves & pardons Make treaties with the advice and consent of the Senate Informs Congress on the state of the union May convene congress (on extraordinary occasions Commissions all officers of the US Receives representatives of foreign governments Faithfully execute the laws |
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election qualifications for the president
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must be natural born citizen
at least 35 years of age must have resided in the US for at 14 years |
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electoral college
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All the electors who vote for president and vice president
538 electors- need 270 to win |
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emergency power of the president
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Power to do what he needs to do in a time of great need
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executive orders
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Relates to departments, what the president does administratively
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limits on presidential powers
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Judicial actions
Congressional limitations The media The bureaucracy Public opinion |
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bureaucracy
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An administrative system which carries out policy – uses standardized procedures, based on specialization of duties
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functions of the bureaucracy
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Administers the policies of government
Introduce specialized knowledge Decision making on the basis of rules and objective standards |
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the executive departments
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• The state department
• The treasury department • The defense department • The justice department • The interior department • The agriculture department • The commerce department • The transportation department • The department of housing and urban development • The department of health and human services • Education department • The energy department • Veterans affairs department • Homeland security |
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federal agencies
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administrative units of government appointed by the president
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governmental corporations
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Government run corps. like Amtrak and the post office
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independent regulatory commissions
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deal with specific areas
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independent central services and control
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do general workings of government
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the white house staff
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immediate advisors
communications specialists promoters of political supports lesser staff roles |
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the executive office of the president
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have a policy function
office of management and budget council of economic advisors national security council |
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factors associated with the increase in bureaucratic powers
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size
expertise delegation of power by congress & president the agency , congressional committee, and interest group triangle |
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judicial functions
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• To settle disputes and conflict
• To administer justice • Umpire federalism • Special protection of minority rights • To communicate • To make policy |
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jurisdiction of the federal court system
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• Cases arising under the constitution, federal laws and treaties
• Cases involving foreign officials and Maritimes and admiralty laws • Cases in which the U.S. government is a party • Cases between two or more states cases between a state and a citizen of another state • Cases between citizens of different states • Cases between a state or citizen of a state and a foreign government |
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constitutional courts
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a court that deals primarily with constitutional law
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legislative courts
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District of Columbia courts
Territorial courts Tax courts Court of military appeals |
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primary sources of american law
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• Constitutional law
• Statutory law • Administrative law • Case law • Criminal law • Civil law |
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Courts Similarities with Other Branches
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Courts decide policy
Judges decide issues by a vote Interest groups are involved in judicial decision making (amicus curiae) |
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Courts Dissimilarities with Other Branches
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Courts consider only conflict that adversaries bring before them
Judges are appointed for life Judges are supposed to be impartial The courts use a jury system (grand jury & trial jury) Override lower courts Constitution does not list powers No constitutional qualifications Decisions made in secret |
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Types of Resolutions
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Simple
Concurrent Joint |
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veto
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the power or right vested in one branch of a government to cancel or postpone the decisions, enactments, etc., of another branch, especially the right of a president, governor, or other chief executive to reject bills passed by the legislature.
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incumbent
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The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office.
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caucus
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A caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a political party
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earmarks
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a legislative provision that directs funds to be spent on specific projects
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pork barreling
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Pork barrel is the appropriation of government spending for localized projects secured solely or primarily to bring money to a representative's district.
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franking privilege
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The franking privilege refers to the right of members of Congress to send mail to their constituents at the government's expense.
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marginal district
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Political districts in which candidates elected to the House of Representatives win in close elections, typically with less than 55 percent of the vote.
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safe district
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A safe district is a legislative district in which the likely voters support one political party or the other by an overwhelmingly large margin.
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pocket veto
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A pocket veto is a legislative maneuver in lawmaking that allows a president or other official with veto power effectively to exercise that power over a bill by taking no action.
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line-item veto
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The line-item veto, or partial veto, is a special form of veto that authorizes a chief executive to reject particular provisions of a bill enacted by a legislature without vetoing the entire bill.
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legislative veto
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A legislative veto exists in governments that separate executive and legislative functions if actions by the executive can be rejected by the legislature.
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prime minister
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A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system.
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bully pulpit
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A bully pulpit is a position sufficiently conspicuous to provide an opportunity to speak out and be listened to.
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impeachment
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Impeachment is a formal process in which an official is accused of unlawful activity, the outcome of which, depending on the country, may include the removal of that official from office as well as criminal or civil punishment.
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authorization legislation
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A bill that creates a new federal program, extends the life of an existing program, or repeals existing law
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appropriation
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money designated for a specific purpose by a state or federal legislature.
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judicial restraint
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Judicial restraint is a theory of judicial interpretation that encourages judges to limit the exercise of their own power.
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activist approach
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An activist approach is when you take steps to make a change. For example, the Supreme Court has been accused of taking an activist approach to the law. They have actively created laws on their own.
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stare decisis
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“Let the decision stand” or allowing prior rulings to control the current case
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senatorial courtesy
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President wants to appoint district judge, asks senior senator’s opinion
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class action
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a legal action undertaken by one or more plaintiffs on behalf of themselves and all other persons having an identical interest in the alleged wrong
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power
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authority and influence over others
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politics
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seeking and effectively using power to make decisions on how our resources will be allocated
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government
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the administrative organization with authority to govern a political state
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amendements 1-10
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1- The people are allowed to practice any religion, press, speak freely, assembly, and petition.
2-You can bare arms. 3-Soldiers can not stay in people house's without their consent. 4-The government cannot just come into people's house and search and take their belongings without a search warrant. 5-Due process of law-going through the steps of legal proceedings. Prohibits double jeopardy- you cant be tried twice for the same crime until there is new evidence. 6-In all criminal trials, you have the right to a speedy and impartial trial. 7-Trial by jury in certain civil cases 8-Prohibits excessive fines or bans. Prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. 9-the rights not specifically granted to the people in the Bill of Rights, still belong to the people. 10-limits the powers of the federal government to those powers listed in the Constitution. |
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amendement 11-27
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11-prohibits federal courts from hearing cases lodged against a state by a citizen of another state
12-requires that choices for president and vice president be designated as such 13-abolished slavery 14-defined citizenship 15-right to vote can't be denied because of race 16-federal income tax 17- senators can be elected directly by people 18-prohibition 19- women's right to vote 20-president and vice president begin jan 20, congress begin jan 3 21-repealed 18 22- 2 terms for presidents 23- dc is given right to vote 24-prohibits tax as requirement to vote 25- presidential succesion 26-voting age 18 27- congress can't increase salary |
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sovereignty
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Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area
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pluralism
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by being born, everyone belongs to groups citizens participate through their leaders.
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elitism
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society divided into the few with power and the masses without
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democracy
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individual participation in the decision making process with the majority ruling the minority and the minority has the right to try and become the majority
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representative democracy
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when people elect officials to make decisions for them in government
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pure democracy
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when everyone takes part in making decisions
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majority rule
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public policy set by the wishes of the majority
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political science
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the study of power and government
the study of who gets what,when,how, and why |
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the articles of confederation
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nation's first, short lived constitution. it established a confederate model of government .
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declaration of independence
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first formal american state paper
- set forth ideas and reflects the standards of the american creed |
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confederation
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an alliance among independent states
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separation of powers
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no one branch have total power, they do different tasks
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checks and balances
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every branch has power of other branches making sure one doesn't get too powerful
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judicial review
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supreme court making decisions on what is constitutional or not
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articles of constitution
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1- stated the powers of the three branches
2-executive branch 3-judicial branch 4-inter-state relations 5-amending the constitution 6- national debts, supremacy 7-ratifying the constitution |
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civil rights
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those government rights that may not deny b/c of race,gender,ethnicity and other various characteristics
13th and 14th amendement |
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mass media (functions)
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communication of information
gate keeper- emphasizes big issues/ downplay non-important watchdog- our eyes and ears |
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civil liberties
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the rights and protections a society guarantees to everyone.
( 1st,4th,5th,6th, and 7th amendments) |
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brown vs board of education
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a landmark court case in the 1950s which put an end to segregation. Overturned plessy v ferguson
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plessy vs ferguson
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a landmark court case which set the precedent for legal segregation "separate but equal"
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public opinion
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the opinion of the mass public
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political socialization
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study of the developmental processes by which children and adolescents acquire political cognition, attitudes, and behaviors
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motor voter act of 1993
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let people register to vote in the dmv
amendment 26 of the constitution |
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general election
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In a parliamentary system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen.
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primary election
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A primary election is an election that narrows the field of candidates before an election for office.
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referendum election
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A referendum is a process that allows citizens to approve or reject a law passed by a legislature.
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initiative election
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In political terminology, the initiative is a process that enables citizens to bypass their state legislature by placing proposed statutes and, in some states, constitutional amendments on the ballot.
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recall election
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Recall is a procedure that allows citizens to remove and replace a public official before the end of a term of office.
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political party
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Political Parties are the association of voters with broad, common interests who want to influence or control decision-making in government by electing the parties candidates to public office.
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independents
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In politics, an independent or nonpartisan politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party.
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faction
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a group of people connected by a shared belief or opinion within a larger group
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interest groups
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An interest group (also called an advocacy group, lobbying group, pressure group, or special interest) is a group, however loosely or tightly organized, that is determined to encourage or prevent changes in public policy without trying to be elected. The textbook used in class defines this as "An organization of people with shared ideas and attitudes who attempt to influence public policy."
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standing
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A legal rule stating who is authorized to start a lawsuit
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