AP Government Unit II: Legislative & Judicial Branches

Vocabulary flashcards covering the key terms, institutions, procedures, and concepts of the Legislative and Judicial Branches from the AP Government Unit II Study Guide.

Standing committee

A permanent committee in Congress.

Speaker of the House

The highest ranking member of the majority party in the House of Representatives; third in line to be president after the president and vice president.

Filibuster

A delaying tactic, used in the Senate, that involves speechmaking to prevent action on a piece of legislation.

Cloture

A rule in the Senate that states that 60 out of the 100 senators must vote to end a filibuster.

Unanimous Consent

A request by a senator on the floor to set aside a specified rule of procedure so as to expedite proceedings; granted if no senator objects, but rejected if any one senator objects.

Rules Committee

A committee of the United States House of Representatives in charge of determining under what rule other bills will come to the floor, rather than being responsible for a specific area of policy.

Party polarization

A situation in which members of Congress cannot or will not come to agreement with each other based solely on their political party's stance on issues.

Gerrymandering

The process by which a political party in the majority manipulates the creation of districts in their state in such a way as to give their party the advantage in elections.

Redistricting

The process of creating new districts after the census.

Divided government

A condition where one political party controls the presidency and another political party controls one or both houses of Congress.

Lame duck period

The time period between the election and when the newly elected official takes office, during which the old elected official is still in office and does not have much influence.

Politico role of representation

A role where a representative uses the trustee role of representation sometimes and the delegate role of representation sometimes.

Trustee role of representation

A role where a representative votes based on what they think is best and does not follow what the majority of constituents want.

Delegate role of representation

A role where a representative votes based on what the majority of their constituents want.

Judicial review

The power of the federal judiciary, established by Marbury v. Madison, to analyze government actions to determine if those actions are constitutional or not.

Life tenure

The constitutional protection ensuring federal judges serve for life once appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate, though they can be impeached.

Precedent

A judicial ruling that serves as the basis for rulings in later cases.

Stare decisis

"Let the decision stand"; the principle of judicial decision-making based on precedent.

Judicial activism

A judicial philosophy whereby judges interpret existing laws and precedents loosely and interject their own values in court decisions.

Judicial restraint

A judicial philosophy whereby judges adhere closely to statutes and precedents in reaching their decisions.

Jurisdiction

The authority of a court to hear a case, or the geographic area over which a court or police department has authority.

Original jurisdiction

The authority of the court in which a case starts.

Apportionment

The process that determines House seats per census.

Bicameral

A legislature consisting of two houses (the House of Representatives and the Senate).

Bill

A proposed law.

Conference committee

A temporary committee created to reconcile House and Senate versions of a bill.

Select committee

A congressional committee created for a special purpose.

Impeachment

A process where the House of Representatives accuses an official of high crimes and misdemeanors, followed by a trial in the Senate.

Incumbent

The current officeholder running for re-election.

Majority/Minority Leaders

Congressional leaders who head their respective political party's strategy.

Whips

Party leaders who encourage members of Congress to vote along party lines.

President Pro Tempore

The officer who presides over the Senate in the absence of the Vice President.

Senatorial Courtesy

A custom whereby the Senate will not confirm a lower federal judge if the home-state senior senator opposes the nomination.

Seniority

The priority or status given to a member of Congress based on years of continuous service.

Amicus curiae brief

A brief filed by outside parties who are not directly involved in a case to persuade the Court.

Appellate court / appellate jurisdiction

A court or authority that reviews rulings made by lower courts without hearing new evidence.

Rule of Four

A Supreme Court practice permitting four of the nine Justices to grant a Writ of Certiorari to review a case.

Writ of Certiorari

An order requesting lower court files so that the Supreme Court can review a case.

Solicitor General

The official who argues on behalf of the federal government before the Supreme Court.