PS Final Definitions

Reapportionment

The process of reallocating the number of Representatives per state based on state population after every census.

Gerrymandering

The manipulation of the shape of a legislative district to achieve a specific goal, which can result in unrepresentative results.

Hearings

Committee meetings where the primary purpose is to gather information.

Mark-up

The process of amending and voting on a bill in committee.

Filibuster

A tactic in the Senate where senators block action on a bill due to having unlimited time to speak.

Cloture

A procedure for ending a debate and taking a vote, requiring 60 votes in the Senate to end a filibuster.

Earmarks

Funding for specific projects in a representative's district or state.

Logrolling

The practice of exchanging votes so that each member gets what they care about, often used to pass bills with earmarks.

Standing committees

Permanent committees assigned to a given policy area.

Conference committees

Temporary committees appointed by leaders of both chambers to make a compromise bill when similar but different bills are passed.

Casework

Helping constituents with problems relating to federal agencies, such as social security checks or immigration issues.

Polarization

The growing divide of political views and attitudes, influenced by factors like partisan sorting and media consumption.

Centralization

The movement of policy functions from federal agencies into the Executive Office of the President, aiming to increase presidential control.

Politicization

The use of political appointees to influence policymaking in federal agencies, which can affect responsiveness and agency competence.

Signing statements

Statements presidents attach to bills when signing them, which are not legally binding but can shape interpretation.

Civil service system

Comprises career bureaucrats with job security hired and promoted based on merit, created by the Pendleton Act of 1883.

Red tape

Excessively complex or redundant rules that slow down government action.

Principal-agent problem

Challenges arising when a principal delegates tasks to an agent, leading to issues like hidden actions and conflicts of interest.

Marbury v. Madison

Established the principle of judicial review, which is the power of the Supreme Court to determine the constitutionality of laws.

Rule of 4

The practice that at least four of the nine Supreme Court justices must agree to hear a case before it is granted a writ of certiorari.

Jurisdiction

The authority to hear a case, with original jurisdiction being the first hearing and appellate jurisdiction being a review of a lower court's decision.

Stare decisis

The legal principle of determining points in litigation according to precedent.

Originalism

An approach to constitutional interpretation emphasizing the original meaning of the Constitution.

Living constitutionalism

An approach arguing that the Constitution should be interpreted in light of contemporary values and circumstances.

Amicus curiae briefs

Legal documents filed by non-parties to a lawsuit providing additional information or arguments to the court.

Writ of certiorari

a legal order issued by a higher court to a lower court, requesting the lower court's records of a particular case for review.