Gov AP exam Vocab

Adversary system

Legal system where two parties present their case to a neutral judge.

Criminal law

Laws defining crimes against society.

Civil law

Laws governing disputes between individuals.

Justiciable dispute

Legal dispute that can be resolved by the courts.

Defendant

Person accused of a crime.

Plea bargain

Agreement to plead guilty to a lesser charge to avoid trial.

Public defender system

Government-funded legal assistance for those who can’t afford it.

Original jurisdiction

Court's authority to hear a case first.

Appellate jurisdiction

Court's authority to review lower court decisions.

Precedent

Previous court decisions that influence future cases.

Bureaucracy

Government organization operating under standardized rules.

Bureaucrat

Career government employee.

Department

Largest government organization with a broad mission.

Independent agency

Government agency independent of the three branches.

Independent regulatory commission

Agency regulating certain sectors, with independence protected by Congress.

Government corporation

Agency functioning like a business.

Senior Executive Service

Senior government executives working closely with presidential appointees.

Spoils system

Hiring based on political loyalty.

Merit system

Hiring based on qualifications and performance.

Office of Personnel Management (OPM)

Agency managing federal employee rules.

Hatch Act

Law restricting political activity of federal employees.

Implementation

Putting laws into action through bureaucratic rules.

Administrative discretion

Authority given to bureaucracy to interpret laws.

Regulations

Formal rules to implement laws.

Rule-making process

Procedure for creating regulations.

Uncontrollable spending

Spending on entitlement programs, difficult to cut.

Entitlement programs

Government programs that provide benefits to all eligible citizens.

Indexing

Adjusting benefits to keep up with inflation.

Oversight

Review of government programs by the legislature or executive.

Parliamentary system

Government where the legislature selects the prime minister.

Presidential ticket

Joint listing of president and vice president candidates.

Treaty

Formal agreement with other nations requiring Senate approval.

Executive agreement

Agreement with other nations not needing Senate approval.

Congressional-executive agreement

Agreement needing approval by both houses of Congress.

Veto

President’s rejection of a bill.

Take care clause

Requirement for the president to ensure laws are faithfully executed.

State of the Union Address

President’s annual address to Congress and the nation.

Executive orders

Presidential directives to federal agencies.

Line item veto

President’s ability to reject specific parts of a spending bill (unconstitutional).

Chief of staff

Head of the White House staff.

Executive Office of the President

Agencies assisting the president in carrying out duties.

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

Agency overseeing federal budget and management.

Cabinet

President’s advisory group consisting of department heads.

Rally point

Public approval boost following a crisis.

Mandate

President’s claim of strong public support.

Cycle of decreasing influence

Tendency for a president’s support to decline.

Cycle of increasing effectiveness

Tendency for a president to gain skills over time.

Closed rule

Rule limiting amendments during House debate.

Open rule

Rule allowing amendments during House debate.

Hold

Senate procedure blocking bill or nomination consideration.

Filibuster

Senate tactic to delay action on a bill.

Cloture

Senate procedure to end debate and filibusters.

Senatorial courtesy

Tradition of consulting senators before presidential appointments.

Standing committee

Permanent committee focusing on specific policy areas.

Special/select committee

Committee formed for a specific purpose or investigation.

Joint committee

Committee with members from both House and Senate.

Earmarks

Special spending provisions for specific districts or projects.

Seniority rule

Assigning committee leadership to the longest-serving majority member.

Conference committee

Committee to resolve differences between House and Senate bills.

Delegate

Legislator expected to represent constituent views.

Trustee

Legislator expected to use personal judgment on votes.

Logrolling

Vote trading among legislators.

Discharge petition

Petition to force a bill out of committee for a vote.

Rider

Provision added to a bill to secure its passage or defeat.

Pocket veto

President’s veto when Congress adjourns without action.

Override

Congressional action reversing a presidential veto.

Speaker

House leader chosen by the majority party.

Party caucus

Meeting of party members to choose leaders and set policies.

Majority leader

Party leader managing strategy and party cohesion.

Minority leader

Leader of the opposing party in the legislature.

Whip

Party leader coordinating with members on votes.

President pro tempore

Senate officer acting in the vice president's absence.

Constituents

Residents of a congressional district or state.

Reapportionment

Redistribution of congressional seats after each census.

Redistricting

Redrawing district boundaries based on population shifts.

Gerrymandering

Drawing district lines to favor a party, group, or incumbent.

Incumbent

Current officeholder.

Mass media

Communication forms like newspapers, TV, and online platforms.

News media

Media that focuses on news reporting.

Selective exposure

Tendency to consume media that aligns with existing beliefs.

Selected perception

Interpreting media messages according to personal views.

Horse race

Media focus on who’s ahead in the election, not the issues.

Single-member district

District where one representative is chosen.

Electoral college

System where electors vote for president and vice president.

Safe seat

Office predictably won by one party.

Coattail effect

Success of lower candidates due to a popular higher candidate.

National tide

Focus on national issues in elections.

Name recognition

Advantage incumbents have due to voter familiarity.

Interested money

Contributions aimed at influencing election outcomes.

Public opinion

Distribution of people's preferences on an issue, candidate, or institution.

Random sample

A sample where each individual has an equal chance of being chosen.

Manifest opinion

Widely shared and consciously held views.

Attentive public

Citizens who follow public affairs closely.

Voter registration

System to ensure only eligible voters can cast ballots.

Australian ballot

A secret, state-printed ballot.

General election

Election where voters choose officeholders.

Primary election

Election to select party nominees.

Presidential election

Election held to choose the president.

Midterm election

Election held halfway through a president's term.

Turnout

The percentage of eligible voters who vote.