Glossary
Abridging:
To deprive someone of rights or privileges.
Allegations:
A statement relating to the wrongdoing or misconduct on somebody's part that has yet to be proven.
Amendments:
Changes in, or additions to, a constitution. In the United States proposed by a two-thirds vote of both houses of Congress or by a convention called by Congress at the request of two-thirds of the state legislatures. Ratified by approval of three-fourths of the states.
Beneficent:
Doing things that are intended to help people.
Bipartisan:
Involving two political parties with different ideas or policies.
Bureaucratic:
Relating to the way administrative systems are organized.
Conciliation:
A process that is intended to end an argument between two groups of people.
Consigned:
To hand something over to the care of another.
Conventions:
A gathering or meeting.
Cornerstone:
Something important.
Corrode:
To undermine or destroy something gradually.
Discharge:
To arrange for or allow somebody to leave an institution or service.
Disparage:
To refer disapprovingly to something.
Dissent:
A written disagreement with the majority court opinion.
Disserved:
To not serve.
Entrenched:
Feelings or attitudes that have existed for a long time and are difficult to change.
Enumeration:
To name a number of things on a list one by one.
Federalists:
The first American political party started in the 1790's with a belief in the need for a strong central government.
Franchise:
The right to vote.
Gerrymandering:
The process of dividing a region in which people vote in a way that gives one political group an unfair advantage.
Ideological:
Based on a set of beliefs, values and opinions.
Inclusivity:
Not excluding any group or section of society.
Indictment:
A formal accusation or charge of a serious crime.
Infamous:
Punishable by imprisonment or loss of civil rights.
Infringed:
To limit or reduce someone's legal rights or freedoms.
Injunctive relief:
A court order that orders somebody involved in a legal action to do or not do something.
Jurisdiction:
The authority to enforce laws or pronounce legal judgments.
Litigation:
Use of the legal system to settle a disagreement; a lawsuit.
Mediation:
To work with both sides in a dispute in an attempt to help them reach an agreement.
Nonpartisan:
Not supporting or belonging to a political party.
Omissions:
To leave out or ignore something.
Outreach:
To provide services to groups in society who might otherwise be neglected.
Preamble:
A section at the beginning of a speech, report, or formal document that introduces what follows.
Preclearance:
Permission for something to take place.
Presentment:
A formal statement made on oath by a grand jury to a court concerning facts and matters within their own knowledge.
Quartered:
To provide living space within a house.
Ratify:
Sign or give formal consent to (a treaty, contract, or agreement), making it officially valid.
Redistricting:
The redrawing of the boundaries of legislative districts for electoral purposes.
Redress:
To provide compensation or reparation for a loss or wrong experienced; to adjust a situation in order to make things fair or equal.
Reprisal:
Retaliation for an action somebody has taken.
Segregation:
A policy of keeping people from different racial groups separate or apart.
Seizures:
The action of taking something or taking control of something.
Thwarting:
To prevent a plan from being successful.
Treatment:
Treatment of a topic includes the information that is included or omitted, the author's point of view, bias or purpose for writing, and the strength of the evidence presented by the author to support a claim.
Viz:
Namely.
