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Back to Political Terms

1. acquittal- a vote of not guilty

2. administration – officials who help the President plan and carry out policy

3. affirmative action – programs to help minority groups and women gain access to jobs and opportunities

4. alien – a person who lives in a country but is not a citizen of that country

5. alliance – a formal agreement or union among nations

6. ambassador – an official representative of a country’s government

7. amend – to change

8. amendment – any change to the Constitution

9. amnesty – a pardon granted to members of a group who have broken the law

10. Anti-Federalist – a person who opposed the Constitution before 1789

11. apathy – a lack of interest

12. appellate jurisdiction – the authority to review cases from lower district courts or from federal regulatory agencies

13. apportionment – the distribution of legislative seats according to population

14. apportions – funds reserved for a specific use

15. arbitrations – settling a dispute by agreeing to accept a third party’s decision

16. arraignment - a hearing in which a suspect is charged and pleads guilty or not guilty