AP GOVPOL VOCAB UP TO 222

Appropriations

Sum of money devoted for a purpose

Authorization of spending

Agency can't spend public funds until a committee approves this

Civil Service Commission

Prevented officers from requiring federal employees to contribute to campaigns

Civil Service Reform Act

Altered how bureaucrats were dismissed, limited preferences for veterans to balance genders, and gave upper level appointments to the president

Competitive service

Merit-based jobs that require some type of exam or ambitious hiring process

Compliance monitoring

Making sure the firms and companies subject to industry regulations are following standards and provisions

Discretionary authority

congress granted certain groups the ability to develop rules and interpret legislation within their sphere of influence

Excepted service

non-tested jobs

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

works with state and local law enforcement to find criminals and terrorist organizations threating the USA

Freedom of Information Act

gives the public the right to request access to records or information

Hatch Act

distanced state and federal employees paid with federal funds from politics

Legislative veto

congress' attempt to nullify an action, unconstitutional according to the supreme court

Merit system

Competitive, written exams for job applicants

National Performance Review (NPR)

organized to identify problems and offer solutions and ideas for government spending

Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA)

regulations that have a significant impact on the economy, public health or other major aspects of policy undergo close review

Office of Personnel Management (OPM)

Human resources department for the federal government and runs the merit system

Patronage

practice of rewarding loyal party leaders with federal jobs

Pendleton Civil Service Act

prevented constant reward to loyal party members

Red tape

vast amount of paperwork, procedures, forms, and formal steps citizens must take to accomplish a government mandated task

Senior Executive Service

system that placed more emphasis on a bureaucrat's skills and experiences than on the lab

Spoils system

appointing regional and local postmasters based on their efforts to help elect presidents

Sunshine Act

requires most federal agencies to hold their meetings in publicly accessible places

Whistleblower Protection Act

Protects federal workers who report or disclose evidence of illegal or improper government action

Appellate jurisdiction

power of federal courts to hear appeals from lower courts and amend or overrule lower courts

Attorney general

leads the department of justice and is the lop legal officer

Binding precedent

when a case parallels an already decided case from a higher court, lower courts are obliged to rule in the same way

Certiorari

an appeal to make more certain an incorrect verdict in the trial court

Class action suit

large groups of plaintiffs claiming common damage by one party

Common law

refers to the body of court decisions that make up part of the law

Concurring opinion

those that agree with the majority opinion but have reservations about the legal reasoning and explain it separately

Defendant

the party answering the action

Dissenting opinion

has no force of law but allows a justice to explain their disagreement with the majority opinion

Dred Scott v. Sandford

ruled Americans of the African descent weren't citizens and could not sure in federal courts. Also, ruled congress lacked the power to ban slavery.

Injunction

court order to the losing party making them act or refrain from acting to address a wrong

Judicial activism

when a judge strikes down laws or reverse public policy

Judicial self-restraint

Courts should not decide a dispute unless there is injury to be relieved by the decision

Liberal constructionist

Someone who believes the Constitution should be interpreted taking the times and social conditions into account

Litmus test

quick determination of an appointee's political philosophy

Majority opinion

the court's opinion, decision, and rationale

Marbury v. Madison

Established judicial review

John Marshall

father of the supreme court, established customs, and had other justices unite rulings to shape national law

Original jurisdiction

supreme court has authority to hear a case for the first time when affecting ambassadors, public ministers, and states

Per curium opinion

when the court issues a decision without the full explanation

Persuasive precedent

Using past decisions or rulings as a guiding basis for their decision

Petition for certiorari

a brief arguing why the lower court erred

Plaintiff

party initiating the action

Plea bargain

allows the government and defendant to agree to a lesser sentence in exchange for the defendant's admission of guilt

Precedent

a ruling the firmly establishes a legal principle

John Roberts

prefers to apply laws instead of make law and writes more narrow opinions to address questions before the court

Rule of four

when four of nine justices accept a case, one less than majority to reflect commitment to claims by minorities

Senatorial courtesy

a senator's ability to recommend district judge appointments to the white house

Solicitor general

determines which cases to appeal to the supreme court and represents the US in Supreme Court room

Stare decisis

Let the decision stand and governs common law

Supreme Court

top federal court

U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals

Middle federal court

U.S. District Courts

Lowest federal court

Earl Warren

Activist that upheld the individual rights of minorities and the accused

Writ of certiorari

an appeal to the Supreme Court to review a lower court's decision

Ambassadors

Official diplomatic representatives of countries

Bully pulpit

Brightly lit stage to pitch ideas to the American people

Cabinet

Principal officers in each of the executive departments

Chief of staff

President's gatekeeper and is responsible for the smooth operation of the White House

Commander in chief

Executive is given control over the military

Executive agreement

An agreement between two heads of state and resembles a treaty but does not need the Senate's 2/3 majority

Executive Office of the President

Office that coordinates several independent agencies and carries out constitutional duties that handle the budget, economy, and staffing

Executive order

Empowers the president to carry out the law or to administer the governmentthrough directives or regulations that have the force of law.

Executive privilege

The president's right to withhold information or their decision-making process from another branch

Honeymoon period

First 100 days of a president's first term where a president lays out plans, appoints his Cabinet, and first family decorates the White House

Impeachment

Accusation from the House and trial in front of the Senate

Imperial presidency

Powerful executive position guided by a weaker Congress

Inherent powers

May not be explicitly listed in the Constitution but are within the jurisdiction of the executive

Lame duck period

Time after the nation has elected a new president and before the exit of the old president

Line-item veto

A measure that empowers an executive to eliminate a line of spending from an appropriations bill allowing a partial rejection of a bill

National Security Council

Group that regularly informs the president to the dangers that America may face

Pocket veto

When a president receives a bill in the final 10 days of a congressional session and does nothing to a bill, it dies

Presidential Succession Act

Establishes 18 positions beyond the president in case of illness, impeachment, or death of the president

Recess appointments

President can temporarily create replacements for Senate until the Senate reconvenes and is able to vote

Signing statements

A president's interpretation of a bill and how to carry it out

State of the Union

Yearly address/speech to Congress to give the administration's views of the nation and plans for legislation

Stewardship theory

President should exercise as much authority as possible to take care of the American people

Veto

Rejection of congressional bills accompanied with the president's objections

White House Staff

President's immediate staff of specialists that run the White House Office

Baker v. Carr

Helped establish the "one person-one vote" principle that greatly expanded democratic participation and the voting rights of minorities

Cloture rule

Requires 2/3s supermajority to close up or stop debate on a bill and call for a vote

Committee of the Whole

Allows for longer debate among fewer people, vote as a group instead of individuals, and when they are done reshaping/examining a bill, returns it to Congress

Committee on Committees (R) and Steering and Policy Committee (D)

Both determine which of their members are assigned to the standing committees

Conference chair

Takes care of party matters like heading the organization of party centered groups

Conference committees

Created temporarily to compromise on similar bills that passed each house

Congressional oversight

Ensures that executive branch agencies carry out the policy/program as defined by Congress

Deficit

The difference between spending and revenue

Delegate model

Members of Congress trying to reflect the will of their constituency

Discharge petition

Brings a bill out of a reluctant committee to keep bills moving

Discretionary spending

Optional spending that congressional committees debate and decide how to divvy

Earmark/Pork barrel spending

Funds directed for a specific purpose

Expressed powers

Powers specifically stated in Article I Section 8 of the Constitution

Filibuster

Stall or even kill a bill by speaking for a long time to let time run out on a bill

Floor leaders

Lead debate among their party and guide discussion from their side of the aisle

Germane

Staying on the topic of a bill

Gerrymandering

Illogical district lines drawn to give the advantage to one party

Gridlock

Congestion from opposing sides that nothing can move forward