Terms starting with "R"

Runoff A runoff is an additional election held when no candidate meets the vote threshold required to win the first election. Depending on the law, the runoff may include the two highest-finishing candidates or another set of candidates. Runoff rules vary by state and by type of election. Runoff Election Runoff Election is an elections and civic-participation term used to describe voting, ballots, registration, election administration, campaigns, or public participation. Rule In congressional procedure, a rule is a formal direction that sets how a chamber will consider a measure or conduct its business. In the House, a special rule can set debate time, determine which amendments are allowed, and specify other terms for floor consideration. Rule of Four The Rule of Four is the Supreme Court's practice of granting a petition for a writ of certiorari when at least four justices vote to hear the case. It allows a minority of the Court to secure review even when fewer than five justices initially favor taking a case. The rule governs whether the Court hears a case, not how it ultimately decides the merits. Rule of Law A foundational principle of governance asserting that all individuals, institutions, and entities, including the state itself, are accountable to laws that are publicly promulgated, equally enforced, and independently adjudicated. Rulemaking The process by which federal administrative agencies create, amend, or repeal regulations. It typically involves publishing a proposed rule in the Federal Register, allowing for a public comment period, and then issuing a final rule. Rules Committee The Rules Committee is the House committee that often decides how a bill will be debated, amended, and voted on by the full House. Rider A rider is a provision added to a bill that is not closely related to the bill's main subject. Riders can appear in many kinds of legislation, including appropriations bills. Chamber rules may restrict some riders, but those restrictions can be waived or otherwise addressed through legislative procedure. Right to Assemble The right to assemble is the First Amendment protection for people to gather peacefully for expressive purposes, including demonstrations, meetings, and public advocacy. Governments may impose certain content-neutral rules about time, place, and manner, but they cannot use those rules to suppress protected expression because of its viewpoint. Right to Counsel A constitutional guarantee (Sixth Amendment) that a person accused of a crime has the right to the assistance of a lawyer in all critical stages of the criminal justice process. If the defendant cannot afford an attorney, the government must provide one. Right to Petition The right to petition is the First Amendment protection for asking the government to address a grievance or take action. It can include contacting elected officials, filing petitions, seeking redress through courts, and participating in certain forms of advocacy. The right does not guarantee that the government will agree with a request. Ripeness Ripeness is the Article III requirement that a dispute has matured enough for a court to decide it. The Constitution Annotated explains that the doctrine serves two purposes: keeping courts out of abstract disagreements over administrative policies before they have taken concrete shape, and protecting agencies from judicial interference until a decision has been formalized and its effects felt. Under the standard from Abbott Laboratories v. Gardner (1967), courts evaluate the fitness of the issues for judicial decision and the hardship to the parties of withholding review.