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due process clause
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Key Terms
Term
Definition
due process clause
Part of the Fourteenth Amendment guaranteeing that persons cannot be deprived of life, liberty, or property by the United States or state governments ...
Earned Income Tax Credit
Also known as the EITC, a refundable federal income tax credit for low-to moderate-income working individuals and families, even if they did not earn ...
Eighth Amendment
The constitutional amendment that forbids cruel and unusual punishment.
elastic clause
The final paragraph of Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution, which authorizes Congress to pass all laws 'necessary and proper' to carry out the e...
electioneering
Direct group involvement in the electoral process, for example, by helping to fund campaigns, getting members to work for candidates, and forming poli...
Electoral College
A unique American institution created by the Constitution, providing for the selection of the president by electors chosen by the state parties. Altho...
Related Flashcard Decks
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
due process clause | Part of the Fourteenth Amendment guaranteeing that persons cannot be deprived of life, liberty, or property by the United States or state governments without due process of law. |
Earned Income Tax Credit | Also known as the EITC, a refundable federal income tax credit for low-to moderate-income working individuals and families, even if they did not earn enough money to be required to file a tax return. |
Eighth Amendment | The constitutional amendment that forbids cruel and unusual punishment. |
elastic clause | The final paragraph of Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution, which authorizes Congress to pass all laws 'necessary and proper' to carry out the enumerated powers. |
electioneering | Direct group involvement in the electoral process, for example, by helping to fund campaigns, getting members to work for candidates, and forming political action committees. |
Electoral College | A unique American institution created by the Constitution, providing for the selection of the president by electors chosen by the state parties. Although the electoral college vote usually reflects a popular majority, less populated states are over represented and the winner-take-all rule concentrates campaigns on close states. |
electronic media | Television, radio, and the Internet, as compared with print media. |
elitism | A theory of American democracy contending that an upper-class elite holds the power and makes policy, regardless of the formal governmental organization. |
Endangered Species Act of 1973 | A law requiring the federal government to protect all species listed as endangered. |
Engel v. Vitale | The 1962 Supreme Court decision holding that state officials violated the First Amendment when they wrote a prayer to be recited by New York's schoolchildren. |
entitlement programs | Government programs providing benefits to qualified individuals regardless of need. |
entitlements | Policies for which Congress has obligated itself to pay X level of benefits to Y number of recipients. Social Security benefits are an example. |
enumerated powers | Powers of the federal government that are specifically addressed in the constitution; for Congress, including the powers listed in Article I, Section 8, for example, to coin money and regulate its value and impose taxes. |
environmental impact statement | A detailing of a proposed policy's environmental effects, which agencies are required to file with the EPA every time they propose to undertake a policy that might be disruptive to the environment. |
Environmental Protection Agency | The largest federal independent regulatory agency, created in 1970 to administer much of U.S. environmental protection policy. |
equal protection of the laws | Part of the Fourteenth Amendment emphasizing that the laws must provide equivalent 'protection' to all people. |
Equal Rights Amendment | A constitutional amendment passed by Congress in 1972 stating that 'equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.' The amendment failed to acquire the necessary support from three-fourths of the state legislatures. |
establishment clause | Part of the First Amendment stating that 'Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.' |
European Union | A transnational government composed of most European nations that coordinates monetary, trade, immigration, and labor policies, making its members one economic unit. |
exclusionary rule | The rule that evidence cannot be introduced into a trial if it was not constitutionally obtained. The rule prohibits use of evidence obtained through unreasonable search and seizure. |
executive orders | Regulations originating with the executive branch. Executive orders are one method presidents can use to control the bureaucracy. |
exit poll | Public opinion surveys used by major media pollsters to predict electoral winners with speed and precision. |
expenditures | Government spending. Major areas of federal spending are social services and national defense. |
extradition | A legal process whereby a state surrenders a person charged with a crime to the state in which the crime is alleged to have been committed. |
factions | Groups such as parties or interest groups, which according to James Madison arose from the unequal distribution of property or wealth and had the potential to cause instability in government. |
Federal Election Campaign Act | A law passed in 1974 for reforming campaign finances. The act created the Federal election Commission and provided for limits on and disclosure of campaign contributions. |
Federal Election Commission | A six-member bipartisan agency created by the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1974. The Federal Election Commission administers and enforces campaign finance laws. |
Federal Reserve System | The main instrument for making monetary policy in the United States. It was created by Congress in 1913 to regulate the lending practices of banks and thus the money supply. |
federalism | A way of organizing a nation so that two or more levels of government have formal authority over the same land and people. It is a system of shared power between units of government. |
Federalist Papers | A collection of 85 articles written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison under the name 'Publius' to defend the Constitution in detail. |
Federalists | Supporters of the U.S. Constitution at the time the states were contemplating its adoption. |
feminization of poverty | The increasing concentration of poverty among women, especially unmarried women and their children. |
Fifteenth Amendment | The constitutional amendment adopted in 1870 to extend suffrage to African Americans. |
Fifth Amendment | A constitutional amendment designed to protect the rights of persons accused of crimes, including protection against double jeopardy, self-incrimination, and punishment without due process of law. |
filibuster | A strategy unique to the Senate whereby opponents of a piece of legislation use their right to unlimited debate to prevent the Senate from ever voting on a bill. Sixty members present and voting can halt a filibuster. |