Govt 2305

Front 1

Rule of four

Back 1

-to issue a writ, a minim of 4 justices must agree that the case should be heard by the supreme court

Front 2

Precedent

Back 2

-a court rule on legal decisions in similar cases (judges rely on precedents in deciding cases)
- common law is judge-made laws based on prevailing custom and legal precedent

Front 3

Which countries have proven nuclear weapons?

Back 3

-US -Russia - Britain -France -China -Isreal
-India - Pakistan

Front 4

Mutually assured destruction (MAD)

Back 4

-was a Cold War principle
-neither superpower would launch an attack if an act would lead to its own destruction

Front 5

Containment Policy

Back 5

- US diplomatic policy to contain Communist power within its existing boundaries

Front 6

Isolation Foreign Policy

Back 6

-abstaining from an active role in international affairs or alliances

Front 7

Department of defense

Back 7

-created to bring all branches of military under the jurisdiction of a single department headed by a civilian secretary of defense
-responsible for US troop readiness

Front 8

National security council

Back 8

-advise the president on domestic, foreign, and military policies relating to national security

Front 9

The department of state

Back 9

-chief diplomatic arm of US govt.
-supervises US relations around the world
-staffs embassies and consulates
-headed by secretary of state

Front 10

War powers resolution

Back 10

-1973
-president can commit troops w/o congressional approval

Front 11

The power of the purse

Back 11

-control of funding for the troops

Front 12

Intelligence Community

Back 12

-govt. agencies that gather info about the capabilities and intentions of foreign govt. (covert actions)

Front 13

Who makes foreign policy?

Back 13

-Executive branch

Front 14

Defense policy

Back 14

-a subset of national security policies
-decision about the use of military force in national security

Front 15

Economic aid

Back 15

-assistance to other nations (grants,loans, credit)
to purchase goods

Front 16

Diplomacy

Back 16

-states carry on political relations with each other, settling conflict amount nations by peaceful means

Front 17

Foreign policy

Back 17

-nation's external goals and the technique and strategies used to achieve them

Front 18

-Social security

Back 18

-1935
-pay-as-you-go (not pension)
-a 1-40 ratio
-a 6.2%rate 97,500
- total effective rate 12.4%

Front 19

Progressive taxes

Back 19

-taxes that rise in % as income rises
-federal,state, corporate, estate taxes

Front 20

Regressive taxes

Back 20

-a tax that falls in % as income rises
-medicare,state sales, real estate

Front 21

Tight Monetary Policy

Back 21

-reducing the rate of growth (makes credit expensive to slow economy)

Front 22

Loose Monetary Policy

Back 22

-Increasing the rate of growth (makes credit inexpensive, leading to inflation)

Front 23

Monetary Policy

Back 23

-controlling the rate of growth of the money supply

Front 24

Net Public debt

Back 24

-the accumulation of all past federal govt. deficits
-total amount owed by federal govt. to people, businesses and foreigners

Front 25

Gross Public debt

Back 25

-the net public debt plus interagency borrowing within govt.

Front 26

Recession

Back 26

-2 or more successive quarters in which the economy shrinks

Front 27

Public Policy

Back 27

-anything the govt. chooses to do or not to do

Front 28

Domestic policy

Back 28

-all govt. laws planning and action that concerns internal issues of national importance (poverty, crime, environment)

Front 29

Medicare

Back 29

-federal health insurance program that covers US people over 65
-Costs are met by tax on wages and salaries
(govt. impose arbitrary reimbursement caps)

Front 30

Medicaid

Back 30

-Joint federal program that provides medical for the poor
-funded out of govt. revenues
-federal govt. pays for 60% and state pays the rest

Front 31

In-kind subsidies

Back 31

-a goods service such as food stamps, housing, or medical provided by the govt. to low income families

Front 32

Fiscal policy

Back 32

-concerned with achieving economic policy goals through changes in spending or levels of taxation

Front 33

Keynesian economics

Back 33

-school of economic thought that favors active federal govt. policy making to stabilize economy-wide fluctuations

Front 34

Majority Opinion

Back 34

- written by 1 member of the court on behalf of at least 5 members as a precedent
-if court is unanimous, 1 justice will be assigned to write the opinion of the court
-is divided there will be a majority opinion and dissenting opinion

Front 35

What checks our courts?

Back 35

-Executive checks
*new judges
* US solicitor general
-Legislative checks
*amendments
*revision of laws
-Public opinion

Front 36

Broad Construction

Back 36

-looks to the context and purpose of a law

Front 37

Strict Construction

Back 37

-judicial philosophy that looks to the "letter of the law"

Front 38

Judicial Restraint

Back 38

-argues that court should make policy or challenge other branches unless absolutely necessary

Front 39

Judicial Activism

Back 39

-court should make public policy and review govt. policies

Front 40

Judicial Review

Back 40

-the power of courts to determine a law or action by the other branches of govt. is constitutional (marbury vs. madison)

Front 41

FISA Court

Back 41

-specialized federal court (terrorism)
-federal intelligence surveillance act
-a court to hear requests for warrants for surveillance

Front 42

US Supreme court

Back 42

-the ultimate decision maker

Front 43

US courts of appeal

Back 43

-a court having jurisdiction to review cases and issues that were originally tried in lower courts
-US circuits courts
-dont look at questions of fact, or questions of law

Front 44

US district court

Back 44

-trial courts (trail and testimony)
-general jurisdiction

Front 45

Diversity of citizenship

Back 45

-parties to a lawsuit are citizens of different states
-parties are citizens of a US state and a different country

Front 46

Judicial requirements

Back 46

-the federal courts have jurisdiction in cases that meet one of the following criteria
*jurisdiction: federal questions (constitution, acts of congress, or treaties)
*Standing to sue: "stake: in a matter to justify bringing suit

Front 47

The current supreme court justices

Back 47

-chief: John Roberts (by Bush jr.)
1. S. Alito 2. S.Breyer 3. R.B. Ginsburg 4. E. Kegan
5. A. Kennedy 6. A. Scalia 7. S. Sotomayor
8. C. Thomas 9. Bush jr. 10 Clinton 11. obama
12. Reagan 13. Bush sr.

Front 48

How do cases reach the supreme court? (process of appeal)

Back 48

-2 lower courts' ruling conflicts with an existing supreme court ruling
-a case has broad importance (abortion)
-state court has decided a big federal law invalid
-federal court holds an act of congress unconstitutional
-the solicitor general is pressuring the court to hear a case