2

Question 1

Articles of Confederation

Answer 1

America’s first national constitution, which loosely bound the states under a weak national congress.

Question 2

Attack journalism

Answer 2

Journalism that aims to undermine political leaders.

Question 3

Australian ballot

Answer 3

A ballot printed by the government that allows voting to be secret.

Question 4

Authoritarian regime

Answer 4

A government that can do whatever it wants, without limits.

Question 5

Authority

Answer 5

The ability of the government to exercise power without resorting to violence.

Question 6

Authorization

Answer 6

A formal declaration by a congressional committee that a certain amount of money is available to an agency.

Question 7

Autocracy

Answer 7

A regime in which the government holds all the power.

Question 8

Bad-tendancy rule

Answer 8

A rule to judge if speech can be limited: If the speech could lead to some sort of “evil”, it can be prohibited.

Question 9

Bakke Case

Answer 9

This Supreme Court case decided in 1978 that affirmative action is legal as long as race is not the only factor considered.

Question 10

Balanced budget

Answer 10

When a government spends exactly as much as it takes in.

Question 11

Bicameral legislature

Answer 11

A legislature with two houses

Question 12

Bilateral

Answer 12

A state acting in cooperation with another state.

Question 13

Bill

Answer 13

A proposed law or policy.

Question 14

Bill of attainder

Answer 14

A bill passed by the legislature that declares a person guilty of a crime.

Question 15

Bill of Rights

Answer 15

The ten first amendments to the Constitution, which safeguard some specific rights of the American people and the states.

Question 16

Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform act

Answer 16

A law passed in 2002, that banned soft money, put limits on issue advertising, and increased the amount people can donate to candidates; also called the McCain-Feingold bill

Question 17

Bipolar system

Answer 17

An international system characterized by two superpowers that roughly balance each other.

Question 18

Blanket primary

Answer 18

A primary in which voters can choose candidates from more than one party; declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

Question 19

Block grant

Answer 19

A grant-in-aid with few restrictions or rules about how it can be spent

Question 20

Blog

Answer 20

A weblog on the Internet; the thoughts and opinions of a person or group posted online.