AP Gov Unit 2 Vocab Terms

Appropriations

money that Congress has allocated to be spent.

Appropriations Committee

congressional committee that deals with federal spending.

Appellate jurisdiction

authority of a court to hear an appeal from a lower court.

Federal Bureaucracy

departments, agencies, bureaus and commissions in the executive branch of government.

Casework

personal work done by a member of Congress for his constituents.

Civil law

concerns non-criminal disputes between private parties; penalty is monetary.

Class action lawsuit

lawsuit brought on behalf of a class of people against a defendant, e.g., lawsuits brought by those who have suffered from smoking against tobacco companies.

Closed rule

Rules Committee rule that bans amendments to a bill.

Cloture

Senate motion to end a filibuster that requires a ⅗ vote.

Concurring opinion

written by a Supreme Court Justice who voted with the majority, but for different reasons.

Conference Committee

works out a compromise between differing House-Senate versions of a bill.

Constituents

the people who are represented by elected officials.

Discharge petition

a motion to force a bill to the House floor that has been bottled up in a committee.

Dissenting opinion

written by a Supreme Court Justice (or Justices) who express a minority viewpoint in a case.

Executive agreement

an agreement between the President and another head of state that, unlike a treaty, does not require Senate consent.

Executive order

presidential rule or regulation that has the force of law.

Executive privilege

the privilege of a President and his staff to withhold their conversations from Congress or the Courts if national security issues are involved..

Filibuster

nonstop Senate debate that prevents a bill from coming to a vote.

Finance Committee

Senate committee that handles tax bills.

Franking privilege

allows members of Congress to send mail postage free.

Gerrymandering

redrawing district lines to favor one party at the expense of the other.

Hold

Senate maneuver that allows a Senator to stop or delay consideration of a bill or presidential appointment.

Impeachment

House action that formally charges an official with wrongdoing. Conviction (the penalty for which is removal from office) requires ⅔ vote from the Senate.

Impoundment

refusal of a President to spend money that has been appropriated by Congress.

Injunction

court order that forbids a party from performing a certain action.

Judicial activism

philosophy that the courts should take an active role in solving problems.

Judicial restraint

philosophy that the courts should defer to elected lawmakers in setting policy, and should instead focus on interpreting law rather than making law.

Congressional oversight

ongoing process of congressional monitoring of the executive branch to ensure that the latter complies with the law.

Logrolling

when two members of Congress agree to vote for each others bill.

Majority opinion

written to express the majority viewpoint in a Supreme Court case.

Markup Session

committee action to amend a proposed bill.

Merit system

system of hiring federal workers based upon competitive exams.

Open rule

House Rules Committee rule that allows amendments to a bill.

Original jurisdiction

authority of a court to first hear a case.

Patronage

power to appoint loyal party members to federal positions.

Pocket veto

presidential killing of a bill by inaction after Congress adjourns.

Political appointees

those who have received presidential appointments to office. Contrast with Civil Service employees, who receive federal jobs by competitive exams.

Pork barrel legislation

wasteful congressional spending, e.g., funding for a Lawrence Welk museum in North Dakota.

Quorum

minimum number of members needed for the House or Senate to meet.

Reapportionment

reallocations of House seats to the states on the basis of changes in state populations, as determined by the census.

Redistricting

redrawing of congressional district boundaries by the party in power of the state legislature.

Red tape

complex rules and procedures required by bureaucratic agencies.

Remand

the Supreme Court's sending of a case back to the original court in which it was heard.

Rider

amendment to a bill that has little to do with that bill. Also known as a non germane amendment.

Rule of Four

the Supreme Court will hear a case if four Justices agree to do so.

Rules Committee

the "traffic cop" of the House that sets the legislative calendar and issues rules for debate on a bill.

Senatorial courtesy

tradition in which the President consults with the senators within a state in which an appointment is to be made.

Seniority system

tradition in which the Senator from the majority party with the most years of service on a committee becomes the chairperson of that committee.

Spoils system

see patronage above.

Standing committee

the permanent congressional committees that handle legislation.

Precedent/ Stare decisis

Latin for "let the decision stand." Supreme Court policy following precedent in deciding cases.

Sunset laws

laws that automatically expire after a given time.

Ways and Means Committee

House committee that handles tax bills.

budget deficit

results when federal expenditures exceed federal revenues for a one-year period

Writ of certiorari

issued by the Supreme Court to a lower court to send up the records of a case so that it can be reviewed by the higher court.

Deficit spending

the federal government's practice of spending more money annually than it takes in as revenue

Deregulation

elimination of federal regulations on private companies

Entitlements

federal benefit payments to which recipients have a legal right, e.g., Social Security. Also known as uncontrollables.

Judicial Review

powers of the courts to rule on the constitutionality of laws and government actions. Established by Marbury v. Madison, 1803.

Loose Constructionist

A person who interprets the Constitution in a way that allows the federal government to take actions that the constitution does not specifically forbid it from taking

NASA

an independent agency of the United States government responsible for aviation and spaceflight

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

monitors the stock market and enforces laws regulating the sale of stocks and bonds

Federal Election Commission (FEC)

a bipartisan federal agency of six members that oversees the financing of national election campaigns

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

an independent federal agency established to coordinate programs aimed at reducing pollution and protecting the environment

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

This department administers benefit programs for our veterans.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

Cabinet department created after the 9/11 terrorist attacks to coordinate domestic security efforts

Department of State (DOS)

This department is in charge of foreign policy (how the U.S. interacts with other countries).

Hatch Act (1939)

Prohibits civil servants from taking activist roles in partisan campaigns. This act prohibited federal employees from making political contributions, working for a particular party, or campaigning for a particular candidate.

political machine

A party organization that recruits voter loyalty with tangible incentives and is characterized by a high degree of control over member activity

Iron Triangle

The three-way alliance among legislators, bureaucrats, and interest groups to make or preserve policies that benefit their respective interests.

bureaucratic discretion

the power to decide how a law is implemented and to decide what Congress meant when it passed a law

regulations

acts of controlling business behavior through a set of rules or laws

federal bureaucracy

the collective agencies and employees of the executive branch

White House Press Secretary

Member of White House staff that controls flow of information from president, holds daily press briefings, tries to spin/control media

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

The office that prepares the president's annual budget proposal, reviews the budget and programs of the executive departments, supplies economic forecasts, and conducts detailed analyses of proposed bills and agency rules.

Imperial Presidency

Term used to describe a president as an "emperor" who acts without consulting Congress or acts in secrecy to evade or deceive congress

War Powers Act of 1973

Gave any president the power to go to war under certain circumstances, but required that he could only do so for 90 days before being required to officially bring the matter before Congress.

Bully Pulpit

the president's use of his prestige and visibility to guide or enthuse the American public

honeymoon period

the time following an election when a president's popularity is high and congressional relations are likely to be productive

State of the Union Address

A yearly report by the president to Congress describing the nation's condition and recommending programs and policies

Twenty-fifth Amendment

A 1967 amendment to the Constitution that establishes procedures for filling presidential and vice presidential vacancies and makes provisions for presidential disability.

Twenty-second Amendment

Ratified in 1951, this amendment limits presidents to two terms of office or up to ten total years if taking over for a president with less than two years left in their term.

Twentieth Amendment

Shortens the lame duck period by moving the presidential inauguration from March to January.

Advice and Consent Power

Under the Constitution, presidential nominations for executive and judicial posts take effect only when confirmed by the Senate, and international treaties become effective only when the Senate approves them by a two-thirds vote.

Cabinet

Advisory council for the president consisting of the heads of the executive departments, the vice president, and a few other officials selected by the president.

Commander in Chief

The role of the president as supreme commander of the military forces of the United States and of the state National Guard units when they are called into federal service

Veto

President's power to reject a bill passed by Congress

Formal Presidential Powers

Veto power, command armed forces, pardoning power, appointment powers, make treaties, convene Congress

Power of the Purse

The constitutional power of Congress to raise and spend money. Congress can use this as a negative or checking power over the other branches by freezing or cutting their funding. Bills for raising revenue must originate in the House of Representatives

consensus

general agreement

Partisanship

the strong support of their party and its policy stands

incumbency advantage

The assets available to elected officeholders that facilitate their chances of winning re-election (gerrymandering, franking privileges, donation advantages, name recognition, staff, etc.)

incumbent

an officeholder who is seeking reelection.

Omnibus Bill

One very large bill that encompasses many separate bills.

Earmarks

Special spending projects that are set aside on behalf of individual members of Congress for their constituents.

Medicade

A public assistance program designed to provide health care for poor Americans

Medicare

A federal program of health insurance for persons 65 years of age and older

Social Security

guaranteed retirement payments for enrolled workers beginning at age 65; set up federal-state system of unemployment insurance and care for dependent mothers and children, the handicapped, and public health

Mandatory Spending / Entitlements

Federal spending required by law that continues without the need for annual approvals by Congress.

discretionary spending

Federal spending on programs that are controlled through the regular budget process about which Congress is free to make choices