AP Government & Politics - Unit 2 Vocabulary

Pork Barrel Spending

legislation that directs specific funds to projects within districts or states

Logrolling

trading of votes on legislation by members of Congress to get their earmarks passed into legislation (You do this for me, I do this for you)

Oversight

efforts by Congress to ensure that executive branch agencies, bureaus, and cabinet departments, as well as their officials, are acting legally and in accordance with congressional goals

Constituency

a body of voters in a given area who elect a representative or senator

Apportionment

the process of determining the number of representatives for each state using census data

Redistricting

states' redrawing of boundaries of electoral districts following each census

Gerrymandering

the international use of redistricting to benefit a specific interest or group of voters

Partisan Gerrymandering

drawing of district boundaries into strange shapes to benefit a political party

Majority-Minority District

a district in which voters of a minority ethnicity constitute an electoral majority within that electoral district

Malapportionment

the uneven distribution of the population among legislative districts

Incumbency

being already in office as opposed to running for the first time

Incumbency Advantage

institutional advantages held by those already in office who are trying to fend off challengers in an election

Speaker of the House

the leader of the House of Representatives, chosen by an election of its members

Political Action Committee (PAC)

an organization that raises money for candidates and campaigns

House Majority Leader

the person who is the second in command of the House of Representatives

Whip

a member of Congress, chosen by his or her party members, whose job is to ensure party unity and discipline

Minority Leader

the head of the party with the second highest number of seats in Congress, chosen by the party's members

Senate Majority Leader

the person who has the most power in the Senate and is the head of the party with the most seats

Committee Chair

leader of a congressional committee who has authority over the committee's agenda

Vice President

official leader of the Senate, can only cast a vote in the event of a tie

President Pro Tempore

presides over the chamber's proceedings when the Vice President is not present

Standing Committee

handle bills in different policy areas, found in each chamber of Congress

Joint Committee

only a few of these and they have members from both chambers of Congress

Conference Committee

formed when there are different versions of the same bill to compromise

Select Committee

deal with specific issues and are done when the issue is resolved

Bill

a proposed law

Pigeonhole

the chair of a committee ignores a bill

Discharge Petition

a motion filed by a member of Congress to move a bill out of committee and onto the floor of the House of Representatives for a vote

House Rules Committee

a powerful committee that determines when a bill will be subject to debate and vote on the House floor, how long the debate will last, and whether amendments will be allowed on the floor

Committee of the Whole

consists of all members of the House and meets in the House chamber but is governed by different rules, making it easier to consider complex and controversial legislation

Filibuster

a tactic through which an individual senator may use the right of unlimited debate to delay a motion or postpone action on a piece of legislation

Cloture

a procedure through which senators can end a filibuster and proceed to action, provided 60 senators agree to it

Entitlement Programs

a program that provides benefits for those who qualify under the law, regardless of income

Mandatory Spending

spending required by existing laws that is "locked in" the budget

Discretionary Spending

spending for programs and policies at the discretion of Congress and the president

Budget Surplus

the amount of money remaining when the government takes in more than it spends

Budget Deficit

the annual shortfall when a government takes in less money than it spends

Delegate Role

the idea that the main duty of a member of Congress is to carry out constituents' wishes

Trustee Role

the idea that members of Congress should act as trustees, making decisions based on their knowledge and judgement

Politico Role

representation where members of Congress balance their choices with the interests of their constituents and parties in making decisions

Bipartisanship

agreement between the parties to work together in Congress to pass legislation

Partisanship

polarization of parties

Divided Government

control of the presidency and one or both chambers of Congress split between the two major parties

Gridlock

a slowdown or halt in Congress's ability to legislate and overcome divisions, especially those based on partisanship

Lame Duck Period

period at the end of a presidential term; outgoing president

22nd Amendment

limits the number of times a person can be elected to the office of President to two terms

Formal (Enumerated Powers)

powers expressly granted in the Constitution

Informal Powers

powers not laid out in the Constitution but used to carry out presidential duties

Treaty

an agreement with a foreign government negotiated by the president and requiring a two-thirds vote in the Senate to ratify

State of the Union Address

the annual speech from the president to Congress updating that branch on the state of national affairs

Veto

formal rejection by the president of a bill that has passed both houses of Congress

Pocket Veto

an informal veto caused when the president chooses not to sign a bill within ten days, during a time when Congress has adjourned at the end of a session

Pardon

presidential authority to release individuals convicted of a crime from legal consequences a set aside punishment for a crime

Reprieve

an order to postpone the punishment of someone

Executive Privilege

a right claimed by presidents to keep certain conversations, records, and transcripts confidential from outside scrutiny, especially that of Congress

Executive Agreement

an agreement between a president and another nation that does not have the same durability in the American system as a treaty but does not require Senate ratification

Signing Statement

written comments issued by presidents while signing a bill into law that usually consist of political statements or reasons for signing the bill but that may also include a president's interpretation of the law itself

Executive Order

policy directives issued by presidents that do not require congressional approval

War Powers Resolution

a law passed over President Nixon's veto that restricts the power of the president to maintain troops in combat for more than sixty days without congressional authorization

Impeachment

the process of removing a president from office, with articles of impeachment issued by a majority vote in the House of Representatives, followed by a trial in the Senate, with a two-thirds vote necessary to convict and remove

25th Amendment

allows for presidential succession and disability, clarifies the procedures for replacing the president or vice president in the event of death, removal, resignation, or incapacitation

Executive Office of the President

a collection of offices within the White House organization designed mainly to provide information to the president

Commander in Chief

the role of the president as the head of the armed forces, responsible for making military decisions and directing military operations

12th Amendment

a constitutional amendment that established the procedure for electing the President and Vice President of the United States, requiring them to run on the same ticket

20th Amendment

an amendment to the United States Constitution that establishes the dates for the commencement of presidential and congressional terms, as well as procedures for succession

23rd Amendment

an amendment to the United States Constitution that grants residents of Washington, D.C. the right to vote in presidential elections, treating the district as if it were a state for this purpose

Original Jurisdiction

the authority of a court to hear a case for the first time, rather than on appeal

Appellate Jurisdiction

the authority of a court to hear appeals from lower courts and to review their decisions

Judicial Review

the power of the courts to evaluate the constitutionality of legislative acts and executive actions

Criminal Law

a body of law that regulates crimes and punishments, defining offenses against society

Civil Law

a body of law that governs disputes between individuals or organizations, typically involving compensation or restitution

Federal District Courts

the general trial courts of the United States federal court system, where cases are tried, witnesses testify, and juries hear cases

Federal Courts of Appeals

the intermediate appellate courts in the federal system that hear appeals from Federal District Courts

Supreme Court

the highest court in the United States, which has the ultimate authority to interpret the Constitution and federal law

Precedent

a legal decision or form of case law that serves as an authoritative rule or example in future cases

Stare Decisis

the legal principle that requires courts to follow precedents set by previous decisions in similar cases

Majority Opinion

the official statement of the court's decision and rationale reflecting the view of the majority of justices in a case

Concurring Opinion

a legal opinion written by one or more judges that agrees with the majority opinion but offers different or additional reasoning

Dissenting Opinion

a legal opinion written by one or more judges expressing disagreement with the majority opinion of the court

Judicial Restraint

the judicial philosophy that courts should interpret the law strictly and defer to the elected branches of government

Judicial Activism

the judicial philosophy that courts should interpret the law broadly and take an active role in promoting social change