| 11th Amendment |
an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that guarantees a level of sovereign immunity to states by forbidding federal courts from ruling on cases brought against a state by a citizen of another state. |
| Bundestag |
the lower house of the federal assembly of Germany, whose members are chosen by popular election. |
| CB |
abbreviation of "citizens band," a series of short wave frequencies set aside by the federal government for private use. |
| chancellor |
the head of state in Austria or the Federal Republic of Germany. [1/4 definitions] |
| chapter 11 |
a provision of the U.S. Federal Bankruptcy Act that allows a company to reorganize and remain in business, provided it pays its current debts by a date set by a court. |
| CIA |
abbreviation of "Central Intelligence Agency," a U.S. agency of the federal government that oversees intelligence operations outside of the country. |
| citizens band |
a series of short wave frequencies set aside by the federal government for private use; CB. |
| Comoros |
an African country comprising three of the Comoro Islands; Federal and Islamic Republic of Comoros. |
| controlled substance |
any drug whose sale or use is subject to U.S. federal law. |
| court of appeals |
(sometimes cap.) a state or federal court, to which requests for case reviews or retrials are presented, that decides whether the rulings and judgment of the court below were correct or not; appellate court. |
| D.C.2 |
abbreviation of "District of Columbia," a federal area on the Maryland side of the Potomac River that encompasses only the U.S. capital city of Washington (often used informally to refer to the city.) |
| Department of Defense |
the U.S. federal department of the executive branch of government responsible for national security, military policy, and military forces. The Department of Defense includes the Army, Navy, and Air Force. |
| Department of Homeland Security |
an executive department of the U.S. federal government whose mission is to protect U.S. citizens and property from terrorist assault. |
| district court |
a U.S. Federal trial court in each judicial district. [1/2 definitions] |
| District of Columbia |
a federal area on the Maryland side of the Potomac River that encompasses only the U.S. capital city of Washington. (abbr.: DC) |
| Fannie Mae |
Federal National Mortgage Association; FNMA. |
| FBI |
abbreviation of "Federal Bureau of Investigation," a U.S. agency of the Justice Department responsible for investigating violations of federal criminal law. |
| FCC |
abbreviation of "Federal Communications Commission," a U.S. agency whose duty is to regulate the various communications industries including telephone, radio and television, and satellites. |
| FDA |
abbreviation of "Food and Drug Administration," a federal government agency that regulates the food, drug, medical device, and cosmetics industries to ensure public safety. |
| FDIC |
abbreviation of "Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation," a U.S. governmental agency that insures deposits in member commercial banks up to a certain amount to protect the public against a bank's failure, and can act to prevent a bank's failure. |
| Fed. |
abbreviation of "Federal." |