PoliSci Exam 2

constituency

The citizens who reside in the district from which an official is elected

delegates

Legislators who vote according to the preferences of their constituents

trustees

Legislators who vote according to what they think is best for their constituents

agency representation

The type of representation in which representatives are held accountable to their constituents if they fail to represent them properly. That is, constituents have the power to hire and fire their representatives

bicameral legislature

A legislative body composed of two chambers, or houses

money bill

A bill concerned solely with taxation or government spending

incumbent

A current officeholder

casework

Efforts by members of Congress to gain the trust and support of constituents by providing personal services. One important type of casework is helping constituents obtain favorable treatment from the federal bureaucracy

patronage

Direct services and benefits that members of Congress provide to their constituents, especially making partisan appointments to offices and conferring grants, licenses, or special favors on supporters

pork-barrel legislation

Appropriations that members of Congress use to provide government funds for projects benefiting their home district or state

gerrymandering

The drawing of electoral districts in such a way as to give advantage to one political party

party caucus

A nominally closed meeting to select candidates or leaders, plan strategy, or make decisions regarding legislative matters. Termed a caucus in the Democratic Party and a conference in the Republican Party

party conference

A nominally closed meeting to select candidates or leaders, plan strategy, or make decisions regarding legislative matters. Termed a caucus in the Democratic Party and a conference in the Republican Party

Speaker of the House

The chief presiding officer of the House of Representatives; elected at the beginning of every Congress on a straight party vote, this person is the most important party and House leader

majority leader

The elected leader of the party holding a majority of the seats in the House of Representatives or in the Senate. In the House, the majority leader is subordinate in the party hierarchy to the Speaker

minority leader

The elected leader of the party holding less than a majority of the seats in the House or Senate

standing committee

A permanent legislative committee that considers legislation within its designated subject area

gatekeeping authority

The right and power to decide if a change in policy will be considered

proposal power

The capacity to bring a proposal before the full legislature

after-the-fact authority

The authority to follow up on the fate of a proposal once it has been approved by the full chamber

conference committee

A joint committee created to work out a compromise between House and Senate versions of a bill

oversight

The effort by Congress, through hearings, investigations, and other techniques, to exercise control over the activities of executive agencies

seniority

The priority or status ranking given based on how long an individual has served on a congressional committee

agency loss

The difference between what a principal would like an agent to do and the agent's performance

staff agencies

The agencies responsible for providing Congress with independent expertise, administration, and oversight capability

congressional caucus

An association of members of Congress based on party, interest, or social characteristics such as gender or race

closed rule

The provision by the House Rules Committee that restricts the introduction of amendments during debate

open rule

The provision by the House Rules Committee that permits floor debate and the addition of amendments to a bill

cloture

A procedure by which three-fifths of the members of the Senate can set a time limit on debate over a given bill

filibuster

A tactic in which members of the Senate prevent action on legislation they oppose by continuously holding the floor and speaking until the majority abandons the legislation. Once given the floor, senators have unlimited time to speak, and a cloture vote by three-fifths of the Senate is required to end a filibuster

veto

The president's constitutional power to reject acts of Congress

pocket veto

A veto that occurs automatically when Congress adjourns during the 10 days a president has to approve a bill and the president takes no action on it

distributive tendency

The tendency of Congress to spread the benefits of government programs and spending widely among many districts

party vote

A roll-call vote in the House or Senate in which at least 50 percent of the members of one party take a particular position and are opposed by at least 50 percent of the members of the other party

roll-call votes

Voting in which each legislator's yes or no vote is recorded

whip system

A party communications network in each house of Congress. ______ poll their party's members to learn their intentions on specific bills and also convey the leadership's views and plans to members

logrolling

Agreements among members of Congress to vote for one another's bills

executive agreement

An agreement between the president and another country that has the force of a treaty but does not require the Senate's "advice and consent"

impeachment

The process of charging a government official (president or other) with "Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors" and bringing that person before Congress to determine guilt

expressed powers

Powers that the Constitution explicitly grants to the federal government

delegated powers

Constitutional powers that are assigned to one branch of the government but exercised by another branch with the permission of the first

inherent powers

Powers claimed by a president that are not expressed in the Constitution but are said to stem from "the rights, duties, and obligations of the presidency"

commander in chief

The president's role as commander of the national military and of the state National Guard units (when they are called into service)

reprieve

Cancellation or postponement of a punishment

pardon

Forgiveness of a crime and cancellation of relevant penalty

amnesty

A pardon extended to a group of persons

executive privilege

The claim that confidential communications between a president and close advisers should not be revealed without the president's consent

War Powers Resolution

A 1973 resolution by Congress declaring that the president can send troops into action abroad only if Congress authorizes the action or if U.S. troops are already under attack or seriously threatened

legislative initiative

The president's inherent power to bring a policy agenda before Congress

executive order

A rule or regulation issued by the president that has the effect of law

Cabinet

The heads of the major departments of the federal government

National Security Council (NSC)

A presidential foreign policy advisory council made up of the president, the vice president, the secretary of state, the secretary of defense, and other officials invited by the president

White House staff

The analysts and advisers to the president, often given the title "special assistant"

Executive Office of the President (EOP)

The permanent agencies that perform defined management tasks for the president; created in 1939, it is made up of the Office of Management and Budget, the Council of Economic Advisers, the National Security Council, and other agencies

regulatory review

The Office of Management and Budget's function of reviewing all agency regulations and other rule making before they become official policy

signing statement

An announcement made by the president when signing a bill into law, sometimes presenting the president's interpretation of the law, as well as remarks predicting the benefits it will bring to the nation

bureaucracy

The complex structure of offices, tasks, rules, and principles of organization that large institutions use to coordinate the work of their personnel

implementation

The development of rules, regulations, and bureaucratic procedures to translate laws into action

rule making

A quasi-legislative administrative process that produces regulations by government agencies

administrative adjudication

The application of rules and precedents to specific cases to settle disputes with regulated parties

clientele agency

A department or bureau of government whose mission is to promote, serve, or represent a particular interest

regulatory agency

A department, bureau, or independent agency whose primary mission is to make rules governing a particular type of activity. Compare clientele agency

administrative legislation

Rules made by regulatory agencies that have the force of law

fiscal policy

Regulation of the economy through taxing and spending powers

monetary policy

Regulation of the economy through manipulation of the supply of money, the price of money (interest rates), and the availability of credit

Federal Reserve System (Fed)

The system of 12 Federal Reserve banks that facilitates exchanges of cash, checks, and credit among banks; regulates member banks; and uses monetary policy to fight inflation and deflation in the United States

bureaucratic drift

The tendency of bureaucracies to implement laws in ways that tilt toward the bureaucrats' policy preferences and possibly away from the intentions of the elected officials who created the laws

coalitional drift

The prospect that enacted policy will change in the future because the composition of the enacting coalition is temporary and provisional

deregulation

The policy of reducing the number of rules issued by federal regulatory agencies

devolution

The policy of delegating a program or passing it down from one level of government to a lower level, such as from the national government to state and local governments

privatization

The act of moving all or part of a program from the public sector to the private sector

criminal law

Cases arising out of actions that allegedly violate laws protecting the health, safety, morals, and welfare of the community

civil law

Cases involving disputes among individuals or between the government and individuals that do not involve criminal penalties

precedents

Past cases whose principles are used by judges as the bases for their decisions in present cases

stare decisis

Literally, "let the decision stand"; the doctrine whereby a previous decision by a court applies as a precedent in similar cases until that decision is overruled

public law

Cases involving the powers of government or rights of citizens. Compare civil law and criminal law

trial court

The first court to hear a criminal or civil case. Compare court of appeals and supreme court

court of appeals

A court that hears the appeals of lower-court decisions. Also called appellate court. Compare trial court and supreme court

supreme court

The highest court in a particular state or in the country. Compare trial court and court of appeals

jurisdiction

The domain over which an institution or member of an institution has authority; the types of cases over which a court has authority

appellate jurisdiction

The class of cases provided in the Constitution and by legislation that may be appealed to a higher court from a lower court

original jurisdiction

The class of cases provided in the Constitution (Article III) that may be taken directly to a federal court

due process

The requirement that citizens be treated according to the law and be provided adequate protection for individual rights

habeas corpus

a court order demanding that an individual in detention be brought into court and shown cause for the detention; guaranteed by the Constitution and can be suspended only in cases of rebellion or invasion

chief justice

The justice on the Supreme Court who presides over the Court's public sessions

senatorial courtesy

The practice whereby the president, before formally nominating a person for a federal district judgeship, finds out whether the senators from the candidate's state support the nomination

judicial review

The power of the courts to determine whether the actions of the president, the Congress, and the state legislatures are consistent with the Constitution

supremacy clause

A clause of Article VI of the Constitution stating that all laws and treaties approved by the national government are the supreme laws of the United States and superior to all laws adopted by any state or local government

ripeness

The requirement that a case must involve an actual controversy between two parties, not a hypothetical one

standing

The requirement that anyone initiating a court case must show a substantial stake in the outcome

class-action suit

A lawsuit in which a large number of persons with common interests join together under a representative party to bring or defend a lawsuit

moot

No longer requiring resolution by the courts, typically because the facts of the case have changed or the problem has been resolved by other means

writ of certiorari

A formal request to have the Supreme Court review a decision of a lower court

rule of four

The rule that certiorari will be granted for petitions to the Supreme Court only if at least four justices vote in favor of the petition

amicus curiae

"Friend of the court"; an individual or group that is not a party to a lawsuit but has a strong interest in influencing the outcome

brief

A written document in which an attorney explains—using case precedents—why a court should rule in favor of a client

oral argument

The stage in Supreme Court proceedings in which attorneys for both sides appear before the Court to present their positions and answer questions posed by the justices

opinion

The written explanation of the Supreme Court's decision in a particular case

concurrence

An opinion agreeing with the decision of the majority in a Supreme Court case but with a rationale different from the one provided in the majority opinion

dissenting opinion

A decision written by a justice who voted with the minority opinion in a particular case, which fully explains the reasoning behind the justice's opinion