ap gov

Pocket veto

pres doesnt sign bill and congress adjourns in under 10 days and so bill dies, congress can’t veto override

what can pres do to bill -Take no action

same as pocket veto but over 10 days (when they know theres support and itll pass but they dont wanna attach their name to it)

line item veto

not anymore, can veto specific parts

sign bill into law

2/3 in both chambers can veto override

fed 70

strong single executive pres is essential for good gov (ensure energy, accountability, and exec leadership) (unitary executive)

state of union address

annual address to joint session of congress (highlights conditions and agenda); pres’s most powerful tool (persuasion)

treaties 

President negotiates treaties; Senate approves with 2/3.

Appointment Power

President appoints judges, ambassadors, agency heads (Senate confirms).

Commander-in-Chief

President leads the military; major influence over war and foreign policy.

faithfully execute clause

duty of enforcing, supervising executive branch and makes sure laws are enforced

25th amendment

vp becomes pres if they cant work or die

22nd amendment

limit to pres terms

20th amendment

shortens time for pres elections and innauguration bc of lame duck period

12th amendment

made seperate ballots bc pres and vp would b different parties which was problem

clemency

pardoning/reprieving power used to help unfairly treated individuals

midnight pardon

pardoning ppl at end of term that u wouldnt pardon while in office bc of media backlash 

reprieve

halt/pauses

bully pulpit

good speaking opportunity where they can speak directly to public

Impeachment

House impeaches, Senate removes; ultimate check on abuse.

War Powers Resolution

Notify Congress in 48 hours, withdraw troops in 60 days w/o approval.

Departments

Largest units (e.g., State, Defense), led by Cabinet secretaries.

Agencies

Smaller units within departments or independent (e.g., FBI, NASA).

Commissions

Independent bodies that regulate specific areas, often bipartisan (e.g., FCC, SEC).

Iron Triangle

A stable relationship between a congressional committee, an interest group, and a bureaucracy.

Issue Network

A more fluid, temporary alliance of experts, media, interest groups, and government officials around a policy issue.

Patronage

Jobs given based on loyalty or political connections.

Merit System

Jobs awarded based on qualifications and exams

Pendleton Act

created the civil service system and required government jobs to be filled based on merit, not political patronage — ending the spoils system.

Discretionary Rule-Making

Bureaucrats decide how to write regulations to enforce laws.

Implementation

Carrying out and enforcing the laws and rules that already exist.

Congress

Oversight, budget control, hearings, laws.

President

Appointments, executive orders, reorganization.

Courts

Judicial review — can rule actions unconstitutional.

Partisanship

Members vote with party over president → more gridlock.

Formal powers (pres-constitution)

Veto, military,treaty,appointment,pardon

Informal powers (pres)

exec orders, bully pulpit, sign laws

Reapportionment

Redistributing House seats among states after each census based on population changes.

Redistricting

Drawing new district boundaries within each state after reapportionment.

Gerrymandering

Manipulating district boundaries to favor one party or group.

pass a bill house

More rules and structure; strict time limits; Rules Committee decides debate terms.

pass a bill senate

More flexible and individual power; unlimited debate (filibuster possible); no Rules Committee control.

Casework

Helping constituents solve problems with the government (e.g., social security, visas).

Franking Privilege

Free mail for members of Congress to communicate with constituents.

Party Leadership

Roles like Speaker, Majority/Minority Leader, Whip—based on party power and influence.

Seniority System

Longest-serving members get key committee positions regardless of party loyalty.

Party Polarization

Increasing ideological distance between parties.

Divided Government

Different parties control Congress and the Presidency.

Gridlock

Little to no legislation passes due to political conflict or division.

Filibuster

Delaying tactic in Senate using prolonged debate to block a vote.

Cloture

Ends a filibuster; requires 60 Senate votes.

Rules (House)

Sets debate and amendment terms for bills

Ways & Means (House)

Handles taxation and revenue.

Standing committee

Permanent committees handling specific policy areas (e.g., Judiciary).

Select committee

Temporary for specific investigations/issues.

Joint committee

Includes members of both chambers; coordinates work.

Conference committee

Reconciles House and Senate versions of a bill.

Constituent

A resident of a representative’s district or state

Electorate

The body of people eligible to vote in an election.

Incumbency Advantage

Incumbents have a high chance of reelection due to name recognition, casework, funding, and media access.

Incumbent

Current officeholder

Lame Duck

Official still in office after losing re-election or nearing the end of their term.

Veto

President rejects a bill; can be overridden by 2/3 vote in both chambers.

Pocket Veto

President takes no action within 10 days and Congress adjourns → bill dies.

Line-Item Veto

Rejects specific parts of a bill (unconstitutional for the President, allowed in some states).

Trustee

Votes based on personal judgment and conscience.

Delegate

Votes based on constituents’ preferences.

Politico

Blends trustee and delegate; acts as trustee or delegate depending on the issue or pressure.

Majority Opinion

Official Court decision; sets precedent

Concurring Opinion

Agrees with majority but for different reasoning

Dissenting Opinion

Disagrees with majority; no legal force but can influence future cases

Federalist No. 78

Judiciary = “least dangerous branch.”, Needs independence (life tenure, salary protection), Supports judicial review

Original Jurisdiction

Court hears case first; determines facts, SCOTUS has limited original jurisdiction (state vs. state, ambassadors)

Appellate Jurisdiction

Court reviews decisions of lower courts; focuses on legal issues

Judicial Activism

Courts should play bold role; willing to overturn precedent or strike down laws, expand rights, address social issues, or correct perceived injustices

Judicial Restraint

Courts should defer to other branches; avoid overturning precedent, elected branches represent the people, so courts should not easily interfere unless there’s a clear constitutional violation

Solicitor General

Top lawyer representing the federal government in the Supreme Court, Focused on representing the government in Supreme Court cases

Attorney General

Head of the Department of Justice; chief law enforcement officer, Focused on overall law enforcement and legal policy for the entire federal government

Senatorial Courtesy / Blue Slip Policy

Senators from a nominee’s home state can block district court nominees; Tradition, not law, Senate tradition where the Judiciary Committee sends a blue paper form to a nominee's home-state senators for their opinion on a federal judge or U.S. Attorney appointment; a negative or unreturned slip can effectively block the nomination, giving home-state senators significant power, especially those from the minority party

Litmus Test

Single-issue ideological test for judicial nominees (ex: abortion stance)

Stare decisis

follow precedent

Certiorari

Court agrees to hear a case (“grant cert”)

Amicus curiae

 “friend of the court” briefs by outside groups

Clinton v. New York (1998)

Line-item veto unconstitutional; violates separation of powers

U.S. v. Nixon (1974)

Executive privilege limited; president must turn over evidence in criminal cases

New York Times v. U.S. (1971)

Pentagon Papers; government cannot impose prior restraint (censorship) without heavy justification. ; Ruling: The government cannot censor or stop publication (prior restraint) unless it can show a very strong reason ; Significance: Strengthened freedom of the press under the First Amendment.

Baker v. Carr (1962)

Redistricting is justiciable (can be reviewed by courts), Leads to “one person, one vote.”

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

Establishes judicial review, Strengthens federal judiciary.(Federal power > state power)

Shaw v. Reno (1993)

Racial gerrymandering violates Equal Protection Clause if race is the dominant factor

The Amendment Process

Proposal: 2/3 congress OR national convention & Ratification: ¾ state legislature OR national convention

Pluralist Theory

Power distributed among competing groups

Hyperpluralist Theory

Too many competing groups having the power causes the central govt to be weak

Fed 51

Checks & Balances and seperation of powers are needed to keep those in power in check

Founding Principles of the Constitution

natural rights, limited gov, federalism, popular sovereignty, social contract, judicial review, rule of law, checks and balances, separation of powers

Failures of AoC

Weak central govt (couldnt tax, no military), no exec/judiciary, unanimous consent to ratify in constitution.

recall

voters can remove elected officials before their term ends

initiative

citizens propoise laws via petiton & vote 

referendum

citizens vote to approve/reject laws passed by legislature

Marbury v Madison

established judicial review

expressed powers

lay/collect taxes, borrow money, commerce, coin money + regulate value, post offices + post roads, armies + navy, declare war, treaties

concurrent powers

taxation, lawmaking, infrastructure, courts, banks