U.S. Government - Middle School and High School

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. affirm
    declare solemnly and formally as true
  2. affirmative action
    a policy designed to redress past discrimination
  3. alliance
    the state of being joined in an association or coalition
  4. ambassador
    a diplomat of the highest rank
  5. amendment
    a statement that is added to a proposal or document
  6. American Dream
    the widespread aspiration of Americans to live better than their parents did
  7. amicus curiae brief
    a document filed by an outside party to influence a lawsuit
  8. antitrust law
    law intended to promote free competition in the market place by outlawing monopolies
  9. appeal
    earnest or urgent request
  10. appellate
    relating to challenges to a legal decision
  11. Articles of Confederation
    a written agreement ratified in 1781 by the thirteen original states; it provided a legal symbol of their union by giving the central government no coercive power over the states or their citizens
  12. bail
    money forfeited if the accused fails to appear in court
  13. balanced budget
    a budget is balanced when current expenditures are equal to receipts
  14. bill
    a statute in draft before it becomes law
  15. bill of attainder
    a legislative act pronouncing a person's guilt without trial
  16. Bill of Rights
    a statement of fundamental freedoms and privileges
  17. block grant
    a grant of federal money to state and local governments to support social welfare programs
  18. bureaucracy
    a government administered primarily by nonelective officials
  19. bureaucrat
    a nonelective government official
  20. cabinet
    a storage compartment for clothes and valuables
  21. campaign
    related operations aimed at achieving a particular goal
  22. candidate
    someone who is considered for something
  23. capitalism
    an economic system based on private ownership of assets
  24. caucus
    meet to select a candidate or promote a policy
  25. census
    a periodic count of the population
  26. centralization
    the act of consolidating power under a single authority
  27. chief of staff
    the senior officer of a service of the armed forces
  28. citizen
    a native or naturalized member of a state
  29. citizenship
    membership in a state with rights and duties
  30. civil disobedience
    refusal to comply with a law as a form of political protest
  31. civil law
    the non-criminal legal code established by a state or nation
  32. civil liberty
    freedom from arbitrary governmental interence
  33. civil right
    right belonging to a person by reason of citizenship
  34. civil service
    the government workforce exclusive of military service
  35. class action
    a lawsuit brought by a representative member of a large group of people on behalf of all members of the group
  36. clear and present danger
    a standard for judging when freedom of speech can be abridged
  37. closed primary
    a preliminary election for members of one party
  38. closed shop
    a company that hires only union members
  39. cloture
    a rule for limiting or ending debate in a deliberative body
  40. coattails effect
    the impact a candidate can have on others in the same party
  41. collective bargaining
    negotiation between an employer and a trade union
  42. commission
    the act of granting authority to undertake certain functions
  43. committee
    a special group delegated to consider some matter
  44. common law
    a law established by following earlier judicial decisions
  45. concurrence
    the property of two things happening at the same time
  46. confederation
    the state of being allied
  47. Congress
    the legislature of the United States government
  48. consensus
    agreement in the judgment reached by a group as a whole
  49. conservatism
    belief in preserving tradition and opposing radical change
  50. constituent
    one of the individual parts making up a composite entity
  51. Constitution
    the constitution written at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787 and subsequently ratified by the original thirteen states
  52. constitution
    the act of forming or establishing something
  53. constitutional
    existing as an essential characteristic
  54. Constitutional Convention
    the convention of United States statesmen who drafted the United States Constitution in 1787
  55. constitutionalism
    advocacy of government according to founding principles
  56. consumer price index
    an index of the cost of all goods and services to a typical consumer
  57. convention
    the act of meeting formally
  58. court of appeals
    a court whose jurisdiction is to review decisions of lower courts or agencies
  59. criminal law
    the body of law dealing with offenses and their punishment
  60. currency
    the metal or paper medium of exchange that is presently used
  61. dealignment
    a process whereby voters are moved toward nonpartisanship thus weakening the structure of political parties
  62. Declaration of Independence
    the document recording the proclamation of the second Continental Congress (4 July 1776) asserting the independence of the Colonies from Great Britain
  63. de facto segregation
    segregation (especially in schools) that happens in fact although not required by law
  64. defendant
    someone against whom an action is brought in a court of law
  65. Defense Department
    the federal department responsible for safeguarding national security of the United States; created in 1947
  66. deficit
    an amount that is less than expected or required
  67. deficit spending
    paying with money attained through loans
  68. de jure segregation
    segregation that is imposed by law
  69. delegate
    a person appointed or elected to represent others
  70. democracy
    the orientation of those who favor government by the people
  71. Democratic Party
    the older of two major political parties in the United States
  72. demographic
    a statistic characterizing human populations
  73. department
    a specialized division of a large organization
  74. Department of Health and Human Services
    the United States federal department that administers all federal programs dealing with health and welfare; created in 1979
  75. deregulation
    the act of freeing from rules
  76. devolution
    the delegation of authority
  77. diplomacy
    negotiation between nations
  78. diplomat
    an official engaged in international negotiations
  79. direct primary
    an election where voters pick general election candidates
  80. discrimination
    unfair treatment of a person or group based on prejudice
  81. dissent
    a difference of opinion
  82. district
    a region marked off for administrative or other purposes
  83. docket
    a temporally organized plan for matters to be attended to
  84. domestic
    of or relating to the home
  85. double jeopardy
    prosecution of the same crime twice
  86. due process
    administration of justice according to rules and principles
  87. earmark
    give or assign a resource to a particular person or cause
  88. elector
    a citizen who has a legal right to vote
  89. electoral college
    the body that formally selects the United States president
  90. embargo
    a government order imposing a trade barrier
  91. eminent domain
    a right of the state to take private property for public use
  92. employment
    the state of having a job
  93. entitlement
    right granted by law or contract
  94. equal protection of the laws
    a right guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment to the US Constitution and by the due-process clause of the Fifth Amendment
  95. ethnicity
    an affiliation resulting from racial or cultural ties
  96. ethnocentrism
    belief in the superiority of one's own ethnic group
  97. excise tax
    a fee measured by the amount of business done
  98. exclusionary rule
    a rule that provides that otherwise admissible evidence cannot be used in a criminal trial if it was the result of illegal police conduct
  99. executive
    a person responsible for the administration of a business
  100. Executive Office of the President
    the branch of the United States government that is responsible for carrying out the laws
  101. expatriation
    migration from a place
  102. extradition
    surrender of an accused by one state or country to another
  103. faction
    a dissenting clique
  104. Federal Communications Commission
    an independent government agency that regulates interstate and international communications by radio and television and wire and cable and satellite
  105. federalism
    government divided between central and regional powers
  106. federalist
    advocate of government with both central & regional powers
  107. Federal Reserve System
    the central bank of the United States
  108. felony
    a serious crime, such as murder or arson
  109. Fifth Amendment
    an amendment to the Constitution of the United States that imposes restrictions on the government's prosecution of persons accused of crimes; mandates due process of law and prohibits self-incrimination and double jeopardy; requires just compensation if private property is taken for public use
  110. filibuster
    a tactic for delaying legislation by making long speeches
  111. First Amendment
    an amendment to the U.S. Constitution guaranteeing freedoms
  112. fiscal policy
    a government policy for dealing with the budget
  113. food stamp
    a government-issued stamp that can be used in exchange for food
  114. foreign policy
    a plan of action governing international relations
  115. Fourteenth Amendment
    an amendment to the Constitution of the United States adopted in 1868; extends the guarantees of the Bill of Rights to the states as well as to the federal government
  116. framer
    someone who writes a new law or plan
  117. freedom of speech
    the right to express your ideas and opinions
  118. free trade
    the exchange of goods without governmental interference
  119. fundamentalist
    a supporter of sacred texts as literal truth
  120. gag order
    a court ruling restricting information during a lawsuit
  121. general election
    a vote conducted at the national or state level
  122. gerrymander
    divide voting districts unfairly and to one's advantage
  123. globalization
    growth to a worldwide scale
  124. government bond
    a bond that is an IOU of the United States Treasury
  125. grand jury
    a panel to determine if a case should be brought to trial
  126. grant
    let have
  127. grassroots
    of or involving the common people rather than those in power
  128. Green Party
    an environmentalist political party
  129. gross domestic product
    the value of all things made and sold by a country in a year
  130. habeas corpus
    a writ ordering a prisoner to be brought before a judge
  131. health maintenance organization
    group insurance that entitles members to services of participating hospitals and clinics and physicians
  132. honeymoon
    the early period of a relationship; business or political
  133. House of Representatives
    the lower legislative assembly of the United States Congress
  134. humanitarian
    marked by devotion to popular welfare
  135. idealism
    belief that the best possible concepts should be pursued
  136. ideology
    an orientation that characterizes the thinking of a group
  137. immigration
    movement of people into a country or area
  138. immunity
    the condition in which an organism can resist disease
  139. impeachment
    the act of charging an official with an offense committed while in office
  140. implementation
    the act of providing a means for accomplishing something
  141. incumbent
    necessary as a duty or responsibility; morally binding
  142. independent
    free from external control and constraint
  143. independent agency
    an agency of the United States government that is created by an act of Congress and is independent of the executive departments
  144. indexation
    a system of economic regulation: wages and interest are tied to the cost-of-living index in order to reduce the effects of inflation
  145. indictment
    an accusation of wrongdoing
  146. individualism
    the quality of being a single thing or person
  147. inflation
    the act of filling something with air
  148. initiative
    readiness to embark on bold new ventures
  149. integration
    the act of combining into a whole
  150. interest group
    people uniting around a specific issue to meet a common goal
  151. internationalism
    quality of being global in scope
  152. international law
    the body of laws governing relations between nations
  153. interstate
    of relations between individual divisions of a country
  154. intervention
    the act of putting something between two things
  155. isolationism
    a policy of nonparticipation in international relations
  156. Jim Crow
    barrier preventing blacks from participating in activities
  157. Joint Chiefs of Staff
    the executive agency that advises the President on military questions; composed of the chiefs of the United States Army and the United States Navy and the United States Air Force and the commandant of the United States Marine Corps
  158. judicial
    expressing careful judgment
  159. judicial activism
    an interpretation of the U.S. constitution holding that the spirit of the times and the needs of the nation can legitimately influence judicial decisions (particularly decisions of the Supreme Court)
  160. judicial review
    the court's power to decide whether a law is constitutional
  161. jurisdiction
    the territory within which power can be exercised
  162. jury
    a body of citizens sworn to give a verdict in a court of law
  163. Justice Department
    the United States federal department responsible for enforcing federal laws (including the enforcement of all civil rights legislation); created in 1870
  164. Keynesianism
    the economic theories of John Maynard Keynes who advocated government monetary and fiscal programs intended to stimulate business activity and increase employment
  165. laissez faire
    a doctrine that government should not interfere in commerce
  166. legislation
    the act of making or enacting laws
  167. legislative
    relating to a lawmaking assembly
  168. levy
    impose and collect
  169. libel
    a false and malicious publication
  170. liberalism
    a political orientation favoring social progress by reform
  171. libertarianism
    an ideological belief in freedom of thought and speech
  172. limited war
    a war whose objective is less than the unconditional defeat of the enemy
  173. lobby
    a large entrance or reception room or area
  174. lobbyist
    someone who is employed to persuade how legislators vote
  175. logroll
    work toward the passage of some legislation by exchanging political favors such as trading votes
  176. loophole
    an ambiguity that makes it possible to evade an obligation
  177. majority
    the main part
  178. majority leader
    leader of the majority party in a legislature
  179. majority opinion
    the judgement joined by more than half of the court
  180. majority rule
    the doctrine that the numerical majority of an organized group can make decisions binding on the whole group
  181. mandate
    a formal statement of a command to do something
  182. manifest destiny
    a policy of imperialist expansion said to be inevitable
  183. mass medium
    a technology that publicly transmits to a large audience
  184. Medicaid
    government-funded health care for those with low income
  185. Medicare
    federally administered health care for older individuals
  186. merit system
    the system of employing and promoting civil servants on the basis of ability
  187. military-industrial complex
    armed forces and businesses and agencies that support them
  188. minority leader
    leader of the minority party in a legislature
  189. Miranda rule
    the rule that police (when interrogating you after an arrest) are obliged to warn you that anything you say may be used as evidence and to read you your constitutional rights (the right to a lawyer and the right to remain silent until advised by a lawyer)
  190. misdemeanor
    a crime less serious than a felony
  191. monetarism
    an economic theory holding that variations in unemployment and the rate of inflation are usually caused by changes in the supply of money
  192. monopoly
    a market in which there are many buyers but only one seller
  193. Monroe Doctrine
    an American foreign policy opposing interference in the western hemisphere from outside powers
  194. movement
    change of position that does not entail a change of location
  195. multiculturalism
    the doctrine that different peoples can coexist peacefully
  196. national debt
    the debt of the national government
  197. National Intelligence Community
    a group of government agencies and organizations that carry out intelligence activities for the United States government; headed by the Director of Central Intelligence
  198. National Security Council
    a committee in the executive branch of government that advises the president on foreign and military and national security; supervises the Central Intelligence Agency
  199. naturalization
    the proceeding whereby a foreigner is granted citizenship
  200. natural law
    a body of inherent rules governing human conduct in society
  201. neoconservatism
    an approach to politics or theology that represents a return to a traditional point of view (in contrast to more liberal or radical schools of thought of the 1960s)
  202. news media
    all magazines, TV, etc. that deliver info to the public
  203. Nineteenth Amendment
    an amendment to the Constitution of the United States adopted in 1920; guarantees that no state can deny the right to vote on the basis of sex
  204. nomination
    the act of officially naming a candidate
  205. nongovernmental organization
    an organization that is not part of the local or state or federal government
  206. nonpartisan
    free from party affiliation or bias
  207. Office of Management and Budget
    the executive agency that advises the President on the federal budget
  208. offshore
    away from shore; away from land
  209. open primary
    an initial election in which any registered voter can vote
  210. open shop
    a company whose workers are hired without regard to their membership in a labor union
  211. opinion
    a personal belief or judgment
  212. opinion poll
    an inquiry into public opinion conducted by interviewing a random sample of people
  213. Oval Office
    the office of the President of the United States in the White House
  214. override
    travel on the back of (a horse) too hard
  215. oversight
    an unintentional omission from failure to notice something
  216. pardon
    accept an excuse for
  217. partisanship
    an inclination to favor one group or view over alternatives
  218. patronage
    the business given to an establishment by its customers
  219. petition
    a formal request that something be submitted to an authority
  220. petit jury
    the group that decides the outcome of a legal trial
  221. photo op
    an occasion that lends itself to (or is deliberately arranged for) taking photographs that provide favorable publicity for those who are photographed
  222. plaintiff
    a person who brings an action in a court of law
  223. plea
    a humble request for help from someone in authority
  224. plea bargain
    (criminal law) a negotiation in which the defendant agrees to enter a plea of guilty to a lesser charge and the prosecutor agrees to drop a more serious charge
  225. pluralism
    a social organization in which diversity is tolerated
  226. plurality
    the state of being more than one
  227. pocket veto
    indirect veto of legislation by refusing to sign it
  228. political action committee
    a group that raises money and distributes it for elections
  229. political party
    a group that tries to run the government
  230. political science
    the study of government of states and other political units
  231. polling place
    a site where voters go to cast their votes in an election
  232. pollster
    someone who conducts surveys of public opinion
  233. poll tax
    an amount to be paid as a requirement for voting
  234. populism
    political doctrine that supports the rights of common people
  235. Populist Party
    a former political party in the United States
  236. pork barrel
    appropriations designed to ingratiate constituents
  237. poverty line
    a level of income that provides for basic necessities
  238. preamble
    a preliminary introduction, as to a statute or constitution
  239. precedent
    an example that is used to justify similar occurrences
  240. preemption
    the judicial principle asserting the supremacy of federal over state legislation on the same subject
  241. President
    the person who holds the office of head of state of the United States government
  242. press
    the print media responsible for publishing news
  243. primary
    of first rank or importance or value
  244. primary election
    an election to choose a candidate for the general election
  245. probable cause
    (law) evidence sufficient to warrant an arrest or search and seizure
  246. progressive tax
    any tax in which the rate increases as the amount subject to taxation increases
  247. progressivism
    the political orientation of those who favor progress toward better conditions in government and society
  248. proliferation
    a rapid increase in number
  249. property right
    the legal right of ownership
  250. proportional representation
    representation of all parties in proportion to their popular vote
  251. protectionism
    the policy of taxing imports to shield domestic industries
  252. proxy war
    a war instigated by a major power that does not itself participate
  253. public assistance
    governmental provision of economic assistance to persons in need
  254. public defender
    a lawyer who represents indigent defendants at public expense
  255. public opinion
    a belief or sentiment shared by most people
  256. quid pro quo
    something given in exchange for something else
  257. racial profiling
    the practice of targeting people due to their ethnicity
  258. random sample
    a sample in which every element in the population has an equal chance of being selected
  259. ratify
    approve and express assent, responsibility, or obligation
  260. rationalism
    the doctrine that reason is the basis for regulating conduct
  261. realism
    the attribute of accepting the facts of life
  262. recall
    bring to mind
  263. referendum
    a legislative act referred for approval to a popular vote
  264. regime
    the governing authority of a political unit
  265. register
    an official written record of names or events
  266. regulation
    the act of bringing to uniformity
  267. remand
    refer a matter or legal case back to another authority
  268. repeal
    cancel officially
  269. representative
    serving to typify
  270. reprieve
    postpone the punishment of a convicted criminal
  271. republic
    a form of government whose head of state is not a monarch
  272. Republican Party
    the younger of two major political parties in the United States; GOP is an acronym for grand old party
  273. revenue sharing
    the distribution of tax money to different government areas
  274. revolution
    a single complete turn
  275. rider
    a traveler who actively sits and travels on an animal
  276. rugged individualism
    individualism in social and economic affairs
  277. rule of law
    a state of order in which events conform to the law
  278. sales tax
    a tax based on the cost of the item purchased and collected directly from the buyer
  279. sanction
    official permission or approval
  280. scarcity
    a small and inadequate amount
  281. search warrant
    a warrant authorizing law enforcement officials to search for objects or people involved in the commission of a crime and to produce them in court; the warrant describes the locations where the officials may search
  282. Secretary of State
    the position of the head of the State Department
  283. secret ballot
    a voting system in which each person's vote is private
  284. sedition
    an illegal action inciting resistance to lawful authority
  285. segregation
    the act of keeping apart
  286. select committee
    a parliamentary group appointed for some special purpose
  287. Senate
    the upper house of the United States Congress
  288. senator
    a member of a legislative assembly
  289. slander
    words falsely spoken that damage the reputation of another
  290. socialism
    a political theory advocating state ownership of industry
  291. Social Security
    social welfare program in the U.S.
  292. socioeconomic
    involving social as well as economic factors
  293. socio-economic class
    a group of people sharing similar wealth and status
  294. soft money
    funds given to a party or PAC rather than a candidate
  295. solicitor general
    a law officer appointed to assist an attorney general
  296. sound bite
    a very short speech; usually on radio or television
  297. spoils system
    the practice of helping supporters after winning an election
  298. staff
    a strong rod or stick with a specialized utilitarian purpose
  299. standing committee
    a permanent legislative group that works on one subject
  300. state
    the way something is with respect to its main attributes
  301. statecraft
    wisdom in the management of public affairs
  302. State Department
    the federal department in the United States that sets and maintains foreign policies
  303. state government
    the government of a state in the United States
  304. state senator
    a member of a state senate
  305. states' rights
    a doctrine that federal powers should be curtailed and returned to the individual states
  306. statute
    an act passed by a legislative body
  307. subcommittee
    a small working group that is part of a larger group
  308. suffrage
    a legal right to vote
  309. supply-side economics
    the theory that lower taxes leads to financial prosperity
  310. Supreme Court
    the highest federal court in the United States
  311. tariff
    a government tax on imports or exports
  312. tax
    a charge that a citizen pays to support government programs
  313. tax credit
    a direct reduction in tax liability
  314. term
    a limited period of time during which something lasts
  315. theocracy
    a political unit governed by a deity
  316. third party
    a political group opposed to others in a two-group system
  317. ticket
    a list of candidates nominated by a political party to run for election to public offices
  318. tort
    a wrongdoing for which an action for damages may be brought
  319. trade deficit
    an excess of imports over exports
  320. treaty
    a written agreement between two states or sovereigns
  321. trust
    belief in the honesty and reliability of others
  322. turnout
    attendance for a particular event or purpose
  323. unilateralism
    a doctrine that nations should conduct affairs individually
  324. value-added tax
    a tax levied on the difference between a commodity's price before taxes and its cost of production
  325. veto
    a vote that blocks a decision
  326. Vice President of the United States
    the vice president of the United States who presides over the United States Senate
  327. voter turnout
    the total number who cast ballots in an election
  328. war power
    an extraordinary power exercised (usually by the executive branch) in the prosecution of a war and involving an extension of the powers that the government normally has in peacetime
  329. weapon of mass destruction
    a weapon that kills or injures civilian as well as military personnel (nuclear and chemical and biological weapons)
  330. welfare
    something that aids or promotes well-being
  331. whip
    a legislator appointed by the party to enforce discipline
  332. whistleblower
    a person within an organization who exposes wrongdoing
  333. World Trade Organization
    an international organization based in Geneva that monitors and enforces rules governing global trade
  334. writ of certiorari
    a legal document requesting a higher court to review a case
  335. writ of mandamus
    an extraordinary writ commanding an official to perform a ministerial act that the law recognizes as an absolute duty and not a matter for the official's discretion; used only when all other judicial remedies fail
  336. yellow journalism
    sensationalist reporting or headlines
Created on Mon Mar 06 15:11:20 EST 2017 (updated Mon Mar 06 16:13:33 EST 2017)

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