AP Government: Branches of Government and Bureaucracy

Vocabulary terms and definitions covering U.S. Congress, the President, Judicial Branch, Bureaucracy, and key Supreme Court cases from AP Government lecture notes.

Bicameral Legislature

A legislative body consisting of two houses, which in the U.S. includes the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Senate Qualifications

Candidates must be at least $30$ years old, a U.S. citizen for at least $9$ years, and live in the state they represent.

House of Representatives Qualifications

Candidates must be at least $25$ years old, a U.S. citizen for $7$ years, and live in the state they represent.

Enumerated Powers

Specific powers listed in Article I, Section $8$ of the Constitution, such as the power to coin money, declare war, and raise revenue through taxes.

Necessary and Proper Clause

The basis for Congress's implied powers, allowing it to pass laws deemed necessary to carry out its enumerated powers.

Standing Committee

A permanent committee that remains from session to session and deals with ongoing issues, such as the House Ways and Means Committee.

House Rules Committee

Known as the gatekeeper for legislation, it decides when votes take place and assigns bills to committees for debate and revision.

Conference Committee

A committee formed when both houses cannot agree on an identical bill to resolve differences between the versions.

Speaker of the House

The leader of the House of Representatives, voted on by house members, who determines committee assignments.

President Pro Tempore

A member of the majority party in the Senate chosen to lead when the Vice President is unavailable.

Discharge Petition

A majority vote in the House that allows a bill stuck in committee to go immediately to the floor for a vote.

Filibuster

An attempt to stall or kill a bill in the Senate by talking for an extended period to prevent a vote.

Cloture Rule

A procedure requiring a $rac{3}{5}$ vote ($60$ senators) to end a filibuster.

Pork Barrel Spending

Funds designated for a specific representative's district within a bill.

Logrolling

The practice of exchanging favors in politics, such as two representatives agreeing to vote for each other's bills.

Mandatory Spending

Federal funds allocated by law for programs such as Medicare and Medicaid.

Gridlock

A situation where the legislative process gets stalled due to ideological divisions and partisan fighting.

Baker v. Carr (1962)

Supreme Court case ruling that redistricting is justiciable, leading to the principle of "one person, one vote."

Shaw v. Reno (1993)

Supreme Court case ruling that racial gerrymandering violates the Equal Protection Clause of the $14$th Amendment if race is the dominant factor.

Delegate Model

A model of representation where officials vote based on the beliefs of the people they represent rather than their own.

Trustee Model

A representation model where officials believe they are trusted to use their own judgment and beliefs when voting.

Pocket Veto

An indirect veto that occurs when the president does not sign a bill within $10$ days while Congress is not in session.

Bully Pulpit

The president's use of their platform to sway public opinion and influence policy, famously used during FDR’s Fireside Chats.

Original Jurisdiction

The court's power to hear a case for the first time, such as in cases between two states or involving ambassadors.

Judicial Review

The power of the court to rule on the constitutionality of laws, established in Marbury v. Madison (1803).

Stare Decisis

A legal principle meaning "let the decision stand," where courts use previous rulings as precedents for current cases.

Amicus Curiae Brief

A "friend of the court" brief written by parties not directly involved in a case (such as interest groups) to influence the decision.

Judicial Activism

A philosophy where judges are more likely to overrule other branches or strike down past decisions to act as policymakers.

Federalist No. 70

An essay by Alexander Hamilton arguing for a strong, single executive to ensure decisiveness, accountability, and energy.

Federalist No. 78

An essay by Alexander Hamilton explaining the role of an independent judiciary and the power of judicial review.

Pendleton Civil Service Act

A law that reformed the bureaucracy to be merit-based rather than relying on the spoils system.

Department of Homeland Security

A federal department that protects Americans from terrorism and maintains border control.

Power of the Purse

The constitutional power given to Congress to fund agencies and authorize all spending measures.