Term
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Definition
Act establishing basic structure of federal courts still in use today; necessitated by
vagueness of Article III (only court specified is Supreme Court) |
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Term
Alien and Sedition Acts of
1798 |
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Definition
Authorized the president to imprison (or deport) any alien from an enemy nation (one
the United States was fighting), or any alien considered dangerous; made it a crime
to publish "false, scandalous, and malicious writing" against the government or its
officials. No aliens were actually deported, and only 10 people were convicted of
sedition; they were all pardoned by Jefferson when he became president in 1801. |
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Term
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Definition
Set up Civil Service Commission to fill government jobs based on merit rather than
patronage. |
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Term
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Definition
Main purpose was to protect southern blacks from the Ku Klux Klan by providing a
civil remedy for abuses then being committed in the South. |
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Term
| Social Security Act of 1935 |
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Definition
Created Social Security System still in use today, which provides old age benefits for
retirees, disability, and survivor benefits for spouses and children. Also created Aid
to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), which was the welfare system until
1996, and unemployment insurance. |
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Term
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Definition
Main provision was to prohibit civil service employees from engaging in political
activities. They may not: use official authority or influence to interfere with an
election; solicit or discourage political activity of anyone with business before their
agency; solicit or receive political; be candidates for public office in partisan
elections; engage in political activity while on duty; in a government office; wearing
an official uniform; using a government vehicle; also may not wear partisan political
buttons on duty. |
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Term
Administrative Procedure
Act, 1946 |
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Definition
Established procedures for federal agencies to issue regulations (public notice,
public comment period, public hearings) |
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Term
Presidential Succession Act
of 1947 |
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Definition
Designated order of succession should a president die in office or resign; after Vice
President, the order is: Speaker of the House; President Pro Tem of the Senate;
Secretary of State; followed by all other cabinet secretaries in the order in which
their departments were created |
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Term
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Definition
Aim was to increase number of blacks who were allowed to vote in southern states;
enforcement was so weak that it was ineffective |
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Term
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Definition
Main provision was to prohibit civil service employees from engaging in political
activities. They may not: use official authority or influence to interfere with an
election; solicit or discourage political activity of anyone with business before their
agency; solicit or receive political; be candidates for public office in partisan
elections; engage in political activity while on duty; in a government office; wearing
an official uniform; using a government vehicle; also may not wear partisan political
buttons on duty. |
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Term
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Definition
| Prohibits unequal pay for men and women for the same job. |
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Term
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Definition
Technically known as the Social Security Act Amendments of 1965; created system
of subsidized medical care for retirees, both for doctor visits and hospitalization,
though not for prescription drugs (added under President Bush in 2004). Also
created Medicaid, which provides medical care for the very poor. |
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Term
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Definition
Outlawed discrimination in public accommodations (any business open to the
public). Supreme Court upheld law under the Commerce Clause. |
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Term
| Voting Rights Act of 1965 |
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Definition
Allowed federal government to enforce voting rights in states which had a history of
voting discrimination. Black registration rates increased dramatically in the years
following passage. |
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Term
Freedom of Information Act,
1966 |
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Definition
Provides a system for the public to obtain government records, as long as they do
not invade individuals’ privacy, reveal trade secrets, or endanger military security. |
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Term
Federal Fair Housing Act of
1968 |
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Definition
Civil Rights Act of 1968 Title VIII is technical name of this legislation. Prohibits
discrimination against any person because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap,
familial status, or national origin in the sale, rental, leasing, financing and
advertising of housing. |
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Term
National Environmental Policy
Act, 1969 |
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Definition
Requires an Environmental Impact Statement be produced before a major
government project is undertaken |
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Term
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Definition
Established new standards for ambient air quality, set new limits on emissions from
stationary and mobile sources to be enforced by both state and federal
governments, and increased funds for air pollution research; soon discovered that
the deadlines set were overly ambitious (especially those for auto emissions).
Deadlines were extended and revised over the next 10 years |
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Term
Higher Education Act of 1972
(Title IX) |
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Definition
Commonly known just as Title IX, this law prohibits gender discrimination in
educational activities at any institution receiving federal funds. Most commonly
known for its effect on athletics, but it prohibits all types of gender discrimination in
education. |
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Term
Endangered Species Act,
1973 |
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Definition
This law is designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction due to
"the consequences of economic growth and development untempered by adequate
concern and conservation." |
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Term
| War Powers Resolution, 1973 |
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Definition
Requires president to notify Congress within 48 hours of sending troops into hostile
situation; if Congress does not approve the action within 60 days, the troops must be
brought home within an additional 30 days. Passed over President Nixon’s veto in
1973; every president since then has regarded it as unconstitutional. Can be seen
as an attempt on the part of Congress to take back some of its power to determine
when to go to war (as it says in the Constitution), but it has been a failed attempt; in
actuality, it codifies that the president can send troops for 48 hours without
Congress’s permission |
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Term
Budget Reform and
Impoundment Act, 1974 |
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Definition
Requires both houses of Congress to approve president’s decision not to spend
funds as appropriated (rescission); also unifies congressional budget process with
goal of restraining spending. |
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Term
Federal Election Campaign
Act, 1971 (amended 1974) |
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Definition
Created Federal Elections Commission (1975); contains disclosure requirements for
candidates; creates system of public funding for presidential campaigns; institutes
legal limits on contributions by individuals and organizations; prohibits direct
contributions from corporations, foreign nationals, government contractors,
contributions in someone else’s name; prohibits cash contributions over $100.
Originally put limits on how much candidates could spend; such limits were ruled
unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in Buckley v. Valeo (1976), together with
limits on how much of his or her own money a candidate could spend in a campaign.
Candidate spending cannot be limited unless the candidate accepts federal funds
(only available to presidential candidates). Amended by BCRA in 2002 (see below). |
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Term
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Definition
Government agencies may not disclose any record to any person, or to another
agency, except after a written request by, or with the prior written consent of, the
individual to whom the record pertains. Protects the privacy of government records
pertaining to individual citizens. |
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Term
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Definition
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act requires that a free appropriate public
education be provided to all students, regardless of their disabilities. |
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Term
Ethics in Government Act,
1978 |
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Definition
Sets requirements for financial disclosure for elected public officials, and placed
restrictions on former government officials’ lobbying activities |
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Term
Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act,
1985 |
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Definition
This law provided for automatic across-the-board spending cuts (“sequesters”) to
take effect if the president and Congress failed to reach established targets;
because the automatic cuts were declared unconstitutional, a revised version of the
act was passed in 1987; it failed to result in reduced deficits because leaders found
ways around the requirements of the law. |
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Term
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Definition
Lowered tax rates and reduced loopholes (previously the tax code provided for high
marginal rates and many deductions; after this law, marginal rates were much lower
and deductions were greatly reduced). Top rate went from 50% to 28%; now 35%. |
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Term
Americans with Disabilities
Act, 1990 |
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Definition
Prohibits discrimination against disabled people in employment, public
accommodations, and housing. Disabled people must be “qualified” for the
employment for the ADA to apply; for instance, a blind person would not be able to
sue under ADA if a bus company refused to hire him or her as a driver. Signed into
law by President George H. W. Bush; took effect in 1992. |
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Term
Motor Voter Registration Act
of 1993 |
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Definition
Requires states to allow citizens to register to vote when they apply for a driver’s
license or have other contact with state agencies, such as for unemployment or
welfare benefits. Has not dramatically increased overall voter registration. Was
opposed by Republicans because they feared Democrats would increase their voter
registration advantage. Was passed by Democratic Congress but vetoed by Pres.
G. H. W. Bush; passed again and signed by Pres. Clinton in 1993. |
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Term
Family and Medical Leave Act
of 1993 |
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Definition
Requires employers to provide employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for
personal illness, family illness, or the addition of a child to the family. Signed by
Pres. Clinton in 1993 after being vetoed by Pres. G. H. W. Bush in 1992. |
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Term
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Definition
North American Free Trade Agreement provides for the removal of trade barriers
between US, Canada, and Mexico |
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Term
| Welfare Reform Act of 1996 |
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Definition
Eliminated the old AFDC program and replaced it with Temporary Assistance for
Needy Families. Sets time limits of 2 years at a time and 5 years lifetime that federa l
money can be used to provide benefits. Goal is to move people off of welfare and
into jobs; number of welfare recipients has dropped dramatically since passage of
this law. |
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Term
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Definition
Passed in the immediate aftermath of 9/11/2001, the Patriot Act dramatically
expands the authority of U.S. law enforcement for the stated purpose of fighting
terrorist acts in the United States and abroad. Most of the law had “sunset”
provisions, meaning they would expire unless renewed by Congress later. Most of
these provisions were made permanent in 2006. |
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Term
No Child Left Behind Act,
2002 |
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Definition
Passed in the immediate aftermath of 9/11/2001, the Patriot Act dramatically
expands the authority of U.S. law enforcement for the stated purpose of fighting
terrorist acts in the United States and abroad. Most of the law had “sunset”
provisions, meaning they would expire unless renewed by Congress later. Most of
these provisions were made permanent in 2006. |
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Term
Bipartisan Campaign Reform
Act of 2002 (BCRA or
McCain-Feingold) |
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Definition
Banned collection and use of “soft money” (unlimited donations to party
organizations for party-building activities); placed limitations on timing of “issue
ads” during campaigns; increased contribution limits; was upheld by Supreme
Court; led to increased donations to “527” organizations, as seen in the 2004
election when “Swift Boat Veterans for Truth” collected money to run ads against
John Kerry. In other words, “soft money” found another way to get into campaigns. |
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Term
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Definition
Makes many provisions of the original PATRIOT Act permanent; includes provisions
allowing collection of information from ISPs, friends, relatives, and businesses,
without informing people; expanded reach of secret courts; increases government
secrecy. |
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