844-856 EM-860053 12/6/04 11:06 AM Page 844 Glossary abridge–brief arraignment the procedure during which the judge A reads the formal charge against the defendant and abridge limit (p. 363) the defendant pleads guilty or not guilty (p. 441) absentee ballot one that allows a person to vote with- arrest warrant an order signed by a judge naming out going to the polls on Election Day (p. 491) the individual to be arrested for a specific crime absolute monarch a monarch that has complete and (pp. 85, 438) unlimited power to rule his or her people (p. 19) article one of seven main divisions of the body of the acreage allotment the program under which the gov- Constitution (p. 64) ernment pays support prices for farmers’ crops assessment the complicated process involved in calcu- grown on an assigned number of acres (p. 586) lating the value of property to be taxed (p. 674) action alert a message from an interest group to its at-large as a whole; for example, statewide (p. 128) members, calling upon them to respond immediately audit check more closely (p. 556) by telephone, fax, or e-mail to a specific lawmaker, authorization bill a bill that sets up a federal program group of lawmakers, or other official (p. 547) and specifies how much money may be appropriat- administrative assistant member of a lawmaker’s per- ed for the program (p. 191) sonal staff who runs the lawmaker’s office, super- autocracy a system of government in which the power vises the schedule, and gives advice (p. 147) to rule is in the hands of a single individual (p. 18) administrative law law that spells out the authority, procedures, rules, and regulations to be followed by B government agencies (p. 425) adversary system a judicial system in which opposing backgrounders information given by top government lawyers present their strongest cases (p. 428) officials to reporters who can use it in a story, but advisory opinion a ruling on a law or action that has cannot reveal their source (p. 535) not been challenged (p. 340) balanced budget plan requiring that what the govern- affidavit a written statement to prove statements of fact ment spends will not exceed its income (p. 77) signed by a witness under oath (p. 435) bankruptcy the legal proceedings to administer the affirmative action government policies that award assets of a person or business that cannot pay its jobs, government contracts, promotions, admission debts (p. 161) to schools, and other benefits to minorities and biased sample in polling, a group that does not accu- women in order to make up for past discriminations rately represent the larger population (p. 520) (p. 412) bicameral two-house legislative body (p. 641) alien a person who lives in a country where he or she is bicameral legislature a two-chamber legislature (p. 123) not a citizen (p. 387) bilateral treaty agreement between two nations (p. 629) ambassador an official of the government who represents bill a proposed law (p. 135) the nation in diplomatic matters (p. 615) bill of attainder a law that establishes guilt and punish- amendment a change to the Constitution (p. 65) es people without a trial (p. 158) amicus curiae (uh•mee•kuhs KYUR•ee•EYE) Latin for bipartisan consisting of members of both major politi- “friend of the court”; a written brief from an individ- cal parties (p. 619) ual or group claiming to have information useful to a bloc coalition that promotes a common interest (p. 344) court’s consideration of a case (p. 333) block grant a grant of money to a state or local govern- amnesty a group pardon to individuals for an offense ment for a general purpose (pp. 658, 675) against the government (pp. 254, 390) bond a contractual promise by a borrower to repay anarchy political disorder (p. 57) a certain sum plus interest by a specified date answer a formal response by a defendant to the charges (p. 657) in a complaint (p. 433) borough a political division in Alaska, similar to a apartheid strict segregation of the races (p. 693) county in other states (p. 664) appellate jurisdiction authority held by a court to hear boss a powerful party leader (p. 465) a case that is appealed from lower court (p. 306) bourgeoisie capitalists who own the means of produc- appropriation approval of government spending tion (p. 29) (p. 191) brief a written statement setting forth the legal argu- appropriations bill a proposed law to authorize spend- ments, relevant facts, and precedents supporting one ing money (pp. 160, 191) side of a case (p. 333) 844 GLOSSARY 844-856 EM-860053 12/6/04 11:06 AM Page 845 Glossary broadcast spectrum–compensation broadcast spectrum the range of frequencies over civil service system practice of government employment which electronic signals may be sent (p. 547) based on competitive examinations and merit (p. 286) bureaucracy government administrators (p. 115) civil society a complex network of voluntary associa- bureaucrat one who works for a department or agency tions, economic groups, religious organizations, and of the federal government—civil servant (p. 275) many other kinds of groups that exist independent of government (p. 24) C client group individuals and groups who work with a government agency and are most affected by its cabinet secretaries of the executive departments, the decisions (p. 295) vice president, and other top officials that help the closed primary an election in which only members of president make decisions and policy (p. 228) a political party can vote (p. 465) calendar a schedule that lists the order in which bills closed rule rule that forbids members of Congress to will be considered in Congress (p. 136) offer amendments to a bill from the floor (p. 190) campaign manager the person responsible for the over- closed shop a place of employment where only union all strategy and planning of a campaign (p. 476) members may be hired (p. 583) canvass the vote count by the official body that tabulates cloture a procedure that allows each senator to speak election returns and certifies the winner (p. 487) only 1 hour on a bill under debate (p. 140) canvassing board the official body that counts votes cluster sample a polling method that groups people by and certifies the winner (p. 490) geographical divisions (p. 521) capital the means of production—money, factories, coalition government one formed by several parties heavy machinery—used to produce other products who combine forces to obtain a majority (p. 454) and goods (p. 718) collective bargaining the practice of negotiating labor capitalism an economic system providing free choice contracts (p. 581) and individual incentive for workers, investors, con- collective farm farm in which the land is owned by the sumers, and business enterprises (pp. 26, 718) government but rented to a family (p. 728) casework the work that a lawmaker does to help con- collective naturalization a process by which a group of stituents with problems (p. 200) people become American citizens through an act of caseworker a member of a lawmaker’s personal staff Congress (p. 394) who handles requests for help from constituents collective security a system by which the participating (pp. 148, 201) nations agree to take joint action against a nation caucus a private meeting of party leaders to choose that attacks any one of them (p. 629) candidates for office (pp. 134, 464) command economy an economic system in which cede to yield (p. 50) the government controls the factors of production censure a vote of formal disapproval of a member’s (pp. 30, 717) actions (p. 129) commission form a form of municipal government that census a population count (p. 124) combines executive and legislative powers in an elect- central clearance Office of Management and Budget’s ed commission (p. 667) review of all legislative proposals that executive committees of correspondence colonial committees agencies prepare (p. 236) urging resistance to the British and keeping in touch centralized planning government control of the econo- with one another as events unfolded (p. 44) my (p. 724) committee staff the people who work for House and change of venue new trial location (p. 86) Senate committees (p. 147) checks and balances the system where each branch of common law law made by judges in the process of government exercises some control over the others resolving individual cases (p. 426) (p. 65) communism an economic system in which the central civil case one usually involving a dispute between two government directs all major economic decisions or more private individuals or organizations (p. 646) (pp. 30, 718) civil law one relating to disputes among two or more comparative advantage economic principle that individuals or between individuals and the govern- each country should produce those goods it can ment (pp. 103, 430) make more efficiently and trade for other goods civil rights movement the efforts to end segregation (p. 732) (p. 410) compensation salary (p. 214) GLOSSARY 845 844-856 EM-860053 12/6/04 11:07 AM Page 846 Glossary complaint–democratic socialism complaint a legal document filed with the court that constitutional monarch a monarch that has shared has jurisdiction over the problem (p. 433) governmental powers with elected legislatures or concurrent jurisdiction authority shared by both serves mainly as a ceremonial leader of a govern- federal and state courts (p. 306) ment (p. 19) concurrent powers powers that both the national consul a government official who heads a consulate in government and the states have (p. 97) a foreign nation (p.