Civics & Econ Dictionary

By: Amanda

Goal 1

Albany Plan of Union

Benjamin Franklin’s plan for a permanent union of the colonies under one represented government.

Aristocracy

A government in which power rest in the hands of the upper classes.

Autocracy

A government in which power rest in the hands of a single individual. (ex. King or Emperor)

Bacon’s Rebellion

Nathanial Bacon rallied forces to fight Native Americans of Virginia frontier.

Committees of Correspondence

Groups dedicated to organizing colonial resistance against the crown .

Declaratory Act

An act that stated that parliament had the authority to impose laws on the colonies.

Enlightenment

A time that featured revolutionary ideas in philosophy and political thought .

Egalitarianism

The idea that all men are created equal and possess “natural rights” simply because they are human beings.

Eminent Domain

The government’s power to take private property for public use.

Establishment Clause

Forbids congress from establishing a religion.

Jean Jacque Rousseau (1712- 1778

Promoted equality, a principle on which the Declaration of Independence was based.

Land of Ordinance of 1785

Divided the land into townships and allowed Congress to raise money by selling the land to settlers.

Montesquieu (1689-1755)

A French political leader who believed that the best form of government was one that featured a separation of powers.

Oligarchy

A government whose power is the hands of a small group of people.

Theocracy

A government based on religion

Goal 2

Associate Justices

Associate Justices are the other eight justices after the lead justice

Budget Deficit

The government spends more money than it has in a yearly revenue.

Censure

A senator or representative is publicly reprimanded.

Shame on you

Deficit Spending

The willingness of the government to spend more money than they have.

Expenditures

Things that the government must pay for. (Ex. National Defense, government salaries, federal programs, etc.

Filibuster

A tactic in which a senator delays a vote by continuously talking.

Blah Blah

Blah!!!

Impeachment

The removal of a president who violates the constitution.

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Loose Interpretation

Allows the three branches of government to take actions not specifically delegated to them.

Medicaid

A health insurance program funded by both the federal and the states; provides benefits for those with low income.

Medicare

A federal program that provides health insurance to those over 65 and those with certain disabilities.

Precedence

Past court decisions are used to make legal ruling because the law is open to interpretation.

Reprieves

Delays the implementations of a sentence; for example, if new evidence should be considered.

TickTock

Social Security

A program meant to give an income for those who have reached legal retirement age.

YAY! I am

over 65!

Speaker of the House

This is the top post in the House; he/she is elected by the members of the house and is therefore usually a member of the majority party.

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House

Speaker

U.S Census Bureau

Takes the census and compiles important information on it.

Goal 3

Alderman

A member of the city council that, particularly in larger cities.

Board of Elections

Responsible for carrying out the process of election efficiently.

Constitutional Convention

A special convention called for the purpose of revising or amending the constitution.

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Corporate Income Tax

Taxes placed on businesses

Excise Taxes

Taxes placed on specific products (i.e. taxes placed on cigarettes)

Federal Grants in Aid

Federal money issued to a state to help finance things like Medicaid.

Gerrymandering

A process in which are drawn for the purpose of ensuring election outcomes.

Impact Fees

Are used to finance the building or expansion of government building.

Mayor-Council Plan

It is the city council that passes city ordinances (laws specific to a particular city)

Property Tax

Must be paid for those who use certain kind of property, such as a home or land.

Goal 4

Arbitration

Some cases, have the two sides decide that they may agree to make the decision of having a third party legally binding.

Canvassing

Volunteers go door to door in certain neighborhoods, or station themselves in public places to persuade voters to vote for a candidate.

KnockKnock

!

Caucus

In the caucus system, party members hold local meetings to choose delegates.

Counter-sue

In some cases, the defendant decides to counter sure, meaning that if the defendant wins then the plaintiff has to pay the defendant even though they were not the one to file the suit un court.

Civic Responsibilities

Responsibilities that citizens must be willing to take on in order in order for US society to function properly.

Democrats

The US is a two party systems with the two systems being republicans and democrats. Democrats are considered to be more liberal, so they tend to favor a more active government.

Exit Polls

Surveys taken by either campaign workers or news broadcasters, in which voters are asked who they voted for as they leave the voting area.

General Election

These elections are held in November of an election year. At General Elections voters chooses between republican, democratic, or any other third party.

“Grassroots”

To get their supporters to the polls, parties often rely on “grassroots” efforts. Grassroots are like the roots that lie unseen under the surface but are still a necessity for grass to grow. Grassroots campaigners are those who labors are often unseen but still important.

Initiative

When citizens force a vote on a particular issue by getting enough citizens to sign a petition.

“Jumping on the Bandwagon”

1. Candidates often “bandwagon when they adopt new ideas because they know it will bring in voters. 2. Voters also “bandwagon” when they vote for candidates because it appears that they will win.

“Just Plain Folks”

When a candidate is foreseen as relatable to the voter themselves.

Political Action Committee

Groups organized to ensure that the candidates who will back issues most important to the PAC get elected and remain in office.

Goal 5

Adversarial System

A system in which court cases are typically argued by attorneys for opposing sides.

I believe that my client is

innocent!!

I have the evidence to prove

otherwise!!!

Annexation

The process where a city expands by taking outlying and previously independent areas.

Cove City

Concurrent Jurisdiction

Refers to cases where more than one court has jurisdiction.

Court Docket

Schedule of court proceedings for either a trial or a preliminary hearing if one is yet to be held.

Court Schedule10:00am-11:00am

1:30-2:45pm

3:00pm-4:15pm

Dissenting Opinion

Judges who voted differently give their reasons for coming to a different conclusion.

I Thin

k

I Thin

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Think

I Thin

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Felonies

Serious crimes like rape, murder, or drug trafficking.

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General Court Trials

Are referred as Superior Courts. These courts have general jurisdiction over more serious cases and civil cases.

Infrastructure

Services that some cities offer. Such as; utilities, sewage, water, and other resources.

Issue of Fact

Means that certain facts about a case were not given proper consideration.

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XX

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Subpoena

Legal documents ordering a particular person to appear in court to testify. If he/she refuses to show up they can be arrested for “contempt of court”

You Must Come To

Court!!

Writ of Certiorari

The power of higher courts to request that a certain lower court decisions be referred to them for review.

Goal 6

Accessible Public Officials

These people make sure that the public is informed by making themselves available to the press and to the people that they serve.

There is a new Law being Passed!

Drivers under 18Are no longer

Allowed to text

While driving.

Boot Camps

Sometimes judges send juveniles to boot camps as an alternative to detention centers. Boot camps are military-style camps designed to rehabilitate juvenile defenders by teaching discipline and respect for authority.

Consumer Products Safety Commission Also known as CPSC

regulates the sale and manufacture of consumer products to make sure that they do not pose unreasonable risk of injury.

Central Intelligence Agency

The CIA is a primary government agency responsible for espionage. The CIA gather information on the activities of other nations.

CIA Symbol

Detention

Detention is the restrictions of a person’s liberty to leave a given location, sometimes, this comes in the form of house arrest.

Deterrence

Deterrence is meant to prevent future crimes. People who are in favor of retribution believe that this is best accomplished by using harsher punishments.

Environmental Protection Agency

The EPA makes sure that laws regulation pollution, the use of certain chemicals/pesticides, and waste disposal are properly followed.

Federal Trade Commission

The FTC ensures consumer protection by making sure companies do not engage in false advertising and that they disclose important information, like heath concerns.

FTC Symbol

Franking Privilege

This this the privilege to send mail for free. Elected officials can use this privilege to respond to letters from constituents or when sending out newsletters that are keeping people informed.

Mayflower Compact

The mayflower compact was a document that guaranteed the people of Massachusetts a voice in the government.

Regulatory Commission

Regulatory commissions are commissions that are established by the government to oversee certain areas.

Retribution

Is when a person is punished for committing a crime.

Goal 7

Agribusiness

Agribusiness is the replacement of small family owned farms with larger, capital-intensive company owned farms.

Automation

Automation is the process of replacing human labor with machines; this occurs when a business learns that machine can be more efficient than human workers.

Basic Factors of Production

The our basic factor of production are land, labor, capital, and entrepreneurship.

Blue Collar/White Collar Workers

Blue collar jobs are jobs that require manual labor, while white collar jobs are ones that typically do not require manual labor.

(Blue Collar Job ex. Mechanics)

(White Collar Job ex. Doctor)

What are your

symptom

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Decision-Making Model

The decision-making model is a series of steps that are followed in order to make a decision.

Define the Problem

List the Alternatives

1 2 3

State the Criteria

Evaluate the Alternatives

Decide

Economic Exchange

A trade of one thing for another. In a market economy this exchange is often a good, service, or other resources.

Immediate Gratification

It is a demand because it offers immediate relief. For example, if you went for a run and you ran by a lemonade stand there would be a demand for lemonade because it would offer you immediate gratification from the heat and the thirst that you felt.

Invention

An invention is any new form of technology created to meet a need.

Dell

Keynesian Theory

Advocates an aggressive governmental fiscal policy. A fiscal policy is a government’s strategy for using changes in public spending, purchases by the government.

Producer Price Index (PPI)

The PPI measures the average changes in prices for different goods.

Goal 8

Command Economy

This economy is controlled by the government. The government owns everything.

Horizontal Merger

This is two companies that make the same, or similar products merger together. One company buys the other.

Market Economy

This system of economics is when resourses are owned by the people and they come up with their own prices.

Mixed Economy

A mixed economy is a mixture of market and command economies.

Surplus

This is when there are more goods being produced than people need or want. So the demand is lower but the productivity is higher.

Vertical Merger

This is when a company is bought out by someone they previously suplied.

Goal 9

Bear Market

This is a time where the prices in the economy are falling.

Bull Market

A time when the stock market experiences and steady rise in prices.

Contraction

Occurs after an economic peaks and then shortly after starts to decline.

Expansion

This is the steady rise, or growth of an economy.

Multinational Conglomerates

Businesses that own many numerous companies around the world.

Goal 10

Ageism

A form of discrimination based on someone’s age.

Baby Boomers

The generation of Americans born after World War II.

E pluribus unum

This saying can be found on the presidential seal, meaning from many, the one.

Earning Capacity

The amount of income someone will most likely make in their lifetime.

Melting Pot Theory

A theory that says that all people should blend together where they are undistinguishable; leaving their beliefs to have the same as everyone else.

Racism

A form of discrimination based on someone’s ethnic group.