AP Gov Unit 4 Vocab Flashcards!!

17th Amendment

Gave the power of voting for senators to the people instead of the state legislatures.

Pork barrel spending

Directing money to a specific group to benefit the constituents.

Logrolling

Voting on one person’s earmarks in return for votes on your own.

Oversight

One role of Congress and a check of the executive and judicial branches.

Mandatory spending

Spending towards programs that must receive funding in the federal budget, like welfare programs (ex:SS).

Discretionary Spending

Spending that is optional and is decided each year based on the needs of the current country.

Budget surplus

When the government has more money left over than it intended.

Budget deficiency

What the government always has; when it spends more than it planned to or had money for.

Constituency

Body of voters in one area who vote for their representatives.

House Majority Leader

2nd most powerful in the House, represents the majority party.

Whip

Representative who works with party and party leaders to ensure unity and discipline within their party.

Minority leader

The leaders in the House and Senate who represent the minority party.

Senate Majority Leader

The person with the most power in the Senate, representing the majority party.

Committee chair

Chair of a committee that is selected by the majority party and/or party leader.

Standing committee

Committee that is always active in the House/Senate that works to introduce legislation and represent the constituents best.

Joint committee

Committee between the House and Senate to bring attention to one issue, is temporary.

Conference committee

Committee that is between the House and Senate and serves to only resolve difference between two visions of a bill.

Select/special committee

Committee usually established temporarily to investigate an executive individual and provide oversight.

Rules committee

Committee in the House that decides how long a bill will be debated for, when it will be voted on, and what rules apply to the debate.

Filibuster

Attempt by a Senator during debate to delay or stop a legislative bill from passing due to objection.

Cloture

Vote needed in the Senate to end a filibuster, needs 60 votes.

Apportionment

Spreading out constituents evenly among congressional districts to best represent the people.

Gerrymandering

The uneven distribution of constituents or unfair drawing of congressional districts to benefit a certain group.

Partisan gerrymandering

Gerrymandering done to benefit one political party over another.

Packing

Consolidating all members of a party into one district.

Cracking

Spreading members of a political party into many different districts.

Majority-minority district

District where a minority population becomes a majority of constituents.

Baker v

Said that states had to obey their state rules and allowed the federal government to weigh in on topics of state redistricting, enhancing the “one person, one vote” idea, stated that Tennessee not residing for 60 years lead to malapportionment, which is a violation of the 14th amendment’s equal protection clause.

"One person, one vote"

The idea that every person’s vote is worth as much as somebody else’s.

Shaw v

Said that states couldn’t racially gerrymander as it violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, but still had to obey the Voting Rights Act of 1965 as well.

14th Amendment

Amendment that contains the Equal Protection Clause, was used in Shaw v. Reno and was used to rule racial gerrymandering unconstitutional, also contains the Due Process Clause, which requires states to hold all citizens equally to the law.

Equal Protection Clause

Found in the 14th amendment, used in Shaw v. Reno and ensures that all voters are represented equally in the government, used in Baker v. Carr to rule malapportionment unconstitutional.

Due Process Clause

Clause in the 14th amendment that requires states to treat all criminals fairly and equally, and to hold all citizens equally to the law.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Prohibited racial discrimination in elections, was used in Shaw v. Reno to rule racial gerrymandering unconstitutional.

Malapportionment

The uneven distribution of constituents between congressional districts.

Racial gerrymandering

Gerrymandering done to benefit one race over another, used to create majority-minority districts.

Delegate role

Idea that representatives in Congress are there to best represent their constituents and their decisions should solely reflect the people’s wants.

Trustee role

Idea that representatives in Congress are there to use their expert knowledge and should only base their decisions on what’s for the greater good, and not

US Court of Appeals

The second highest level of the federal judiciary, which hears appellate jurisdiction from district courts, federal administrative agencies, and special cases involving patents, international trade, and federal claims.

Supreme Court

The highest level of the federal judiciary, consisting of one chief justice and 8 other judges, with appellate jurisdiction over regular cases and original jurisdiction involving ambassadors, foreign ministers, consuls, and states.

Marbury v

The Supreme Court case that established the power of judicial review and made the Supreme Court the supreme interpreter of the Constitution.

Judicial review

The power of the Supreme Court to declare a law unconstitutional.

Rule of four

The principle that the Supreme Court will hear a case if at least four justices vote to do so.

Precedent

A judicial decision that serves as a basis for deciding similar cases in the future, influencing the likelihood of granting cert by the justices.

Stare decisis

The principle that the Supreme Court may avoid creating a new precedent by following an old one.

Judicial restraint

The belief that the court should only use judicial review when necessary and should generally defer to the legislative and executive branches.

Judicial activism

The belief that justices should be willing to overturn laws when necessary, sometimes leading to the creation of bold, new policy.

Criminal law

The branch of law that covers actions that harm the community, such as committing acts of violence against others.

Prosecution

The state or federal government that tries to prove the guilt (burden of proof) of the defendant in a criminal case.

Civil law

The branch of law that covers cases involving private rights and relationships between individuals and groups, with judges and juries involved.

Plaintiff

The party who argues that they have been wronged in a civil case.

Defendant

The party accused of violating a right or agreement in a civil case.

Majority opinion

The written ruling and reasoning behind a court decision, written by one of the justices in the majority.

Concurring opinion

An opinion written by a justice who agrees with the majority decision but has different logic or reasoning behind their support.

Dissenting opinion

An opinion written by a justice who disagrees with the majority ruling and wants to state their reasoning for not supporting it.