Unit 4 Gov review

constituency

Residents in the area from which an official is

elected

Delegate

A representative who votes according to the preferences of his or her constituency

Trustee

A rep. who votes based on what he/she thinks is best for their constituents

Incumbency

holding the political office for which one is running

Pork-Barrel Legislation

Appropriations (spending) made by legislative bodies for local projects that are often not needed, but are created so that local Representatives can win re-election in their home districts

earmark

Members insert language into bills that provide special benefits for their own constituents

Private Bills

A proposal in Congress to provide a specific person with some kind of relief, such as a special exemption from immigration quotes

Speaker of the House

the chief presiding officer of the HoR; Speaker is the most important party/House leader and can influence the legislative agenda, the fate of indv. bills , and members’ positions in the chamber

Majority Leader

elected leader of the majority party - is subordinate in the party hierarchy to the Speaker of the House

Minority Leader

the elected leader of the minority party

Maj/Min. Whip

a party member responsible for coordinating the party’s legislative strategy, building support for key issues, and counting votes

Most powerful figure in Congress

Speaker of the House – Mike Johnson

president pro tempore

a ceremonial leadership role - to help conduct business on the Senate floor, or lead debates

Standing Committees

Permanent committee with the power to propose and write legislation that covers a particular subject

—>where most of the work of legislating takes place

—>each committee covers a particular subject matter

TWO MOST IMPORTANT in HoR

Ways and Means

Rules

Select Committees

temporary legislative committees set up to highlight or investigate a particular issue or address an issue not w/i the jurisdiction or existing committees

Joint Committees

Legislative committees formed of members of BOTH the House and Senate

—> do not have the power to present legislation instead offer “teamwork” opportunity to

research and collect information by both chambers in 4 broad areas

Conference Committees

Joint committees are created to work out a compromise on the House and Senate versions of a piece of legislation

Temporary committees are charged with reconciling any differences in legislation that the two different chambers have passed

Staff Agencies

Legislative support agencies responsible for for policy analysis - designed to provide legislative branch with resource/expertise

Caucuses

Associations of members based on party, interest, or social group, such as gender, or

race

HoR- The rules committee

Determines rules to govern action on the floor, Allots time for debate + extent of

amendments allowed from the floor

closed rule

no amendments

open rule

amendments

Standing Committees

Main structure - remaining from session to session, over broad policy areas

Select Committees

Generally temporary - made for special issues that fall outside of existing committees - to highlight or investigation a particular problem

Filibuster

Bills on Senate floor open for “unlimited” debate - meaning senators can speak for as long as they want, trying to prevent measures from passing

Cloture vote

ends filibuster, ⅗ since 1975, or 60 votes)

veto

presidential trump of law/policy

pocket veto

if end of session is sooner than 10 days when bill is sent to President - can “pocket veto

Oversight

Congress- Evaluating bureaucratic agencies and the effectiveness of their programs

appropriations

The funding of agencies and govt programs

Impeachment

to charge a government official (president or otherwise) with “Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors” and bring him before Congress to determine guilt

Expressed powers

Specific powers granted by the Constitution to the President in Article II

Implied powers

not specifically expressed in the Constitution, Powers that can be considered necessary to allow the president to exercise his expressed powers

Inherit Powers

powers claimed by pres. that are not expressed in the Constitution but are inferred from it

Delegated Powers

Constitutional powers that are assigned to one governmental agency, but are exercised by another with the express permission of the first

Executive Agreements

An agreement, made between the president and another country that has the force of a treaty, but does not require Senate approval

Legislative Initiative

The president’s inherent power to bring a legislative agenda before Congress and Congress depends on the president to set the agenda of public policy

Executive Orders

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

—> provide for reorganization of structures and procedures or affairs of the executive branch

War Powers Resolution

outlined that president can only send troops into action abroad with authorization of Congress

the bully pulpit

A president, governor, or mayor uses their "bully pulpit" to pressure a reluctant Congress or local council to pass legislation

MANDATORY SPENDING

Spending required by existing laws that is “locked-in” the budget each year

Entitlement programs

programs that provide benefits for those who qualify under the law, regardless of income

DISCRETIONARY SPENDING

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

budget resolution

a non-binding, yearly blueprint passed by both houses of Congress that sets top-line targets for federal spending, revenue, and debt,

Bureaucracy

the complex structure of offices, tasks, rules, and principles of organization that is employed by all large-scale institutions to coordinate the work of their personnel

Independent Agencies

Agency set up by Congress outside of the departmental structure of a Cabinet department

• have broad powers to provide public services

Government Corporations

Agency that performs a market-oriented public service and raises revenues to fund its activities

Independent regulatory agency

Investigative bodies to enforce law

—> have commission in title

“least dangerous branch”

judicial

stare decisis

“let the discission stand”

Lawyers will search legal/judicial history for similar judgments - to show the court they should rule similarly in a case before them

original jurisdiction

a court's authority to hear a case for the first time, acting as a trial court to examine evidence and testimony before any appellate review

Chief Justice

first to speak and vote, in charge of deciding which justice will write formal opinion of the majority

Senate Judiciary Committee

standing committee responsible for conducting hearings on federal judicial nominations—including Supreme Court Justices—and overseeing the Department of Justice.

Judicial Review

power of judiciary toexamine and, if necessary, invalidateactions undertaken by the legislative and executive branches if it finds them unconstitutional

Marbury vs. Madison

The Court found that Section 13 of the Judiciary Act of 1789 allowed the Court to hear cases of mandamus (like Marbury's) directly, which expanded the Supreme Court’s original jurisdiction beyond what was defined in Article III of the Constitution.

• judiciary is a co-equal branch of government

writ of certiorari

an order to a lower court to deliver the records of the case

rule of 4

Four justices must be convinced that the case satisfies necessary standing to be heard

amicus curiae

a person or organization not directly involved in a legal case who offers specialized information/ expertise to assist a court in its decision-making process

Judicial Restraint:

“strict constructionists” - look strictly to the words of the Constitution in interpreting its meaning

Judicial Activism

“loose constructionists” - believe the Court should go beyond the words of the Constitution to consider broader societal implications in their decisions