CIVICS

Preparer Taxpayer Identification Number (PTIN)

A Preparer Taxpayer Identification Number (PTIN) is a unique eight-digit number preceded by the letter P, issued by the Internal Revenue Services (IRS) for enrolled agents and any person who prepares or assists in preparing federal tax...

Presidential signing statements

Presidential signing statements are short documents that the President of the United States may issue when signing a bill into a statute. Presidents can use these documents for just about any commentary purpose they choose: to describe a bill, to...

presumed maximum value (PMV)

A cap of the amount of in-kind support that a person can receive from supplemental security income (SSI). This rule only applies when an individual or couple receives some form of in-kind support or maintenance but does not receive food and shelter...

prior restraint

In First Amendment law, prior restraint is government action that prohibits speech or other expression before the speech happens.

Prior restraint typically happens in a few ways. It may be a statute or regulation that requires a speaker to...

priority date

Priority date is the date on which an application was filed with the immigration authorities.

It is used by the Department of State (DOS) to determine an individual’s place in line in the visa queue where there are a limited...

prisoner

A prisoner is someone being held in confinement.

Commonly, a prisoner is a criminal who is serving a prison sentence after being convicted of a crime, or a person who has been arrested by law enforcement and is being held...

prisoners' rights

Overview

Federal and state laws govern the establishment and administration of prisons as well as the rights of those who are incarcerated. Although prisoners do not have full constitutional rights, they are protected by the Eighth Amendment's...

privacy

Overview:

There is a long and evolving history regarding the right to privacy in the United States. In the context of American jurisprudence, the Supreme Court first recognized the “right to privacy” in Griswold v. Connecticut (1965). Before...

privilege against self-incrimination

Privilege against self-incrimination is a privilege guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution. It bans a witness from being compelled to give testimony that is self-incriminating.

The Fifth...

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