AP Gov Unit 2

filibuster

Senate-unique tactic where a senator or a group of senators uses the chamber's rule of unlimited debate to prolong discussion and delay or block a final vote on a bill, resolution, or amendment; requires 3/5 vote

united government

the same party controls the White House and both houses of Congress

divided government

one party controls the White House and another party controls one or both houses of Congress

constitutional procedure (Congress)

bill introduction >> committee consideration >> floor debate & voting >> repeat in other house >> bicameral reconciliation >> presidential action (veto, pocket veto, signed) >> (if vetoed) override by 2/3 vote in both houses

politico

emphasizes that Congress is a politicized body; members of Congress balance their choices with the interests of constituents and parties

delegate

voting the way their constituents wish; voters need to have a preference and to provide this information to the member for this to work

Article V

establishes the formal two-stage process for amending the U.S. Constitution, which requires a proposal stage and a ratification stage; proposal: by Congress (2/3) or state conventions (2/3) & ratification: by state legislatures (3/4) or by state conventions (3/4)

judicial review

review by the US Supreme Court of the constitutional validity of a legislative act

constitutionality

whether or not something is legal under the U.S. Constitution

trustee

member of Congress makes decisions using their own knowledge and judgment

oversight

power of Congress; carried out through hearings, investigations, and other techniques, to exercise control over the activities of executive agencies

gerrymandering

the intentional use of redistricting to benefit a specific interest or group of voters

cloture

a procedure for terminating debate, especially filibusters, in the Senate; 3/5 vote to end filibuster

cracked district

where the voting power of the opposing party's supporters is diluted across many districts

packed district

district where the opposing party's voting power in one district is concentrated to reduce their voting power in other districts

senator

@ least 30 years of age; 9 years citizenship; 6-year terms (divided into 3 classes, unlimited); entire state; originally chosen by state legislators (reformed by 17th Amendment) but now direct voting

limited government

a principle of constitutional government; a government whose powers are defined and limited by a Constitution

House of Representative

@ least 25 years of age; 7 years citizenship; 2-year terms (unlimited); districts

factions

political groups that agree on objectives and policies; the origins of political parties

federalism

a system in which power is divided between the national and state governments

discharge petition

petition that, if signed by majority of the House of Representatives' members, will pry a bill from committee and bring it to the floor for consideration

logrolling

an agreement by two or more lawmakers to support each other's bills

pork-barrel spending

allocation of monies to projects within districts or states

incumbency advantages

Franking, name recognition, pork barrel, redistricting, campaign finance, constituency service, access to media; greater in HoR than Senate

power of the purse

control government spending (Article I, Section 9); Senate is specifically allowed to pass budgets

"advice and consent

constitutional power of the U.S. Senate under Article II, Section 2 to approve or reject presidential appointments and international treaties

impeachment

removal of federal officers; HoR charges (simple majority); Sen. holds trial & convicts (2/3 vote - never happened before)

single-member districts

an electoral district in which voters choose one representative or official

apportionment

the process of determining the number of representatives for each state using census data (ex. HoR has 435 seats over 50 states)

redistricting

the redrawing of congressional and other legislative district lines following the census, to accommodate population shifts and keep districts as equal as possible in population; usually led by state legislatures

franking privilege

free use of mail for communications with constituents

Committee of the Whole

in the HoR all members can show up, wide-ranging debate; relaxed

hold

when a senator objects to a bill or part of a bill; must communicate reservations to majority leader; delays bill's passage

unanimous consent agreements

a unanimous resolution in the Senate restricting debate and limiting amendments to bills on the floor

pocket veto

a veto taking place when Congress adjourns within 10 days of submitting a bill to the president, who simply lets it die by neither signing nor vetoing it

gridlock

the inability of the government to act because rival parties control different parts of the government

bipartisanship

agreement between the parties to work together to pass legislation

Lame Duck Period

end of a presidential term, Congress can block all bills or initiatives

descriptive representation

Congress members mirror the makeup of the country

substantive representation

embers of Congress represent the interests and policy preferences of their constituents regardless of reflecting them demographically; bring underrepresented issues to light

mandatory spending

spending required by existing laws that is "locked in" the budget

entitlement program

program that provide benefits for those who qualify under the law, regardless of income; interest on federal debt

discretionary spending

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

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

the executive branch office that assists the president in setting national spending priorities

Social Security Act

treated in 1935 as old age pension/insurance via payroll tax; designed to be self-funding, but beneficiaries outnumber contributors

chief executive

power of the prez; head of the executive branch - carries out the laws of the nation; oversees bureaucracy

Cabinet

appointed by the president, confirmed by the Senate with majority vote; can be loyal to the department or a part of a special interest group - meant to represent diversity of Americans

chief diplomat

the role of the president in recognizing foreign governments, making treaties, and effecting executive agreements

chief legislator

the role of the president in influencing the making of laws

State of the Union Address

the annual speech from the president to Congress updating that branch on the state of national affairs; lays out legislative agenda to mobilize public suppor

commander-in-chief

term for the president as commander of the nation's armed forces

pardons

presidential authority to release individuals convicted of a crime from legal consequences and set aside punishment for a crime

executive privilege

a right claimed by presidents to keep certain conversations, records, and transcripts confidential from outside scrutiny, especially that of Congress

executive agreements

an agreement between a president and another nation that does not have the same durability in the American system as a treaty but does not require Senate ratification; not binding

signing action

written comments issued by presidents while signing a bill into law that usually consist of political statements or reasons for signing the bill but that may also include a president's interpretation of the law itself; method POTUS uses to control legislative action via bureaucratic execution

executive orders

policy directives issued by presidents that do not require congressional approval

FLOTUS

no formal role in the administration; link between people and president; modern spouses have an initiative or program to promote

Executive Office of the President

the cluster of presidential staff agencies that help the president carry out his responsibilities; currently the office includes the Office of Management and Budget, the Council of Economic Advisers, and several other units

going public

a strategy where the president promotes himself and his policies in Washington by appealing directly to the people for support

bully pulpit

appeal to the public to pressure other branches of government to support their policies

approval rating

pollsters take the national pulse on Americans' view of how well their presidents are doing

Unitary Executive Theory

theory which holds that POTUS possesses the power to control the entire federal executive branch.

legislation

power held by the legislative branch; the act of making or enacting laws

Social Security

federal program of disability and retirement benefits that covers most working people

entitlement programs

government benefits that certain qualified individuals are entitled to by law, regardless of need

polarization

the presence of increasingly conflicting and divided viewpoints between the Democratic and Republican Parties

representative model

members trying to reflect the will of their constituency

Article I

establishes the Legislative Branch

Commerce Clause

the clause in the Constitution (Article I, Section 8, Clause 1) that gives Congress the power to regulate all business activities that cross state lines or affect more than one state or other nations

War Powers Resolution

a law passed in 1973 spelling out the conditions under which the president can commit troops without congressional approval

Speaker of the House

the leader of the majority party who serves as the presiding officer of the House of Representatives

House Majority Leader

the person who is the second in command of the House of Representatives

House Majority Whip

tracks votes and enforces party discipline

President of the Senate

the presiding officer of a senate; in Congress, the vice president of the United States; in a state's legislature, either the lieutenant governor or a senator

President Pro Tempore

a high-ranking senator of the majority party who presides over the US Senate in the absence of the vice president

Senate Majority Leader

the person who has the most power in the Senate and is the head of the party with the most seats

Senate Majority Whip

counts votes and maintains party unity

delegated discretionary authority

the extent to which appointed bureaucrats can choose courses of action and make policies that are not spelled out in advance by laws

rule-making authority

the power of an executive agency to issue regulations that carry the force of law

regulation

the use of governmental authority to control or change some practice in the private sector

iron triangle

a close relationship between an agency, a congressional committee, and an interest group

Fed. 51

checks and balances, separation of powers. "If all men were angels..."

Gettysburg Address

a 3-minute address by Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War (November 19, 1963) at the dedication of a national cemetery on the site of the Battle of Gettysburg

Fed. 78

discusses the power of judicial review; argues that the federal courts have the duty to determine whether acts of Congress are constitutional and to follow the Constitution when there is inconsistency; Hamilton viewed this as a protection against abuse of power by Congress.

Fed. 70

Hamilton argues for a single executive to carry out US Law

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

established judicial review; "midnight judges;" John Marshall; power of the Supreme Court.

honeymoon period

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

veto

chief executive's power to reject a bill passed by a legislature

signing statement

a presidential document that reveals what the president thinks of a new law and how it ought to be enforced

Article II

establishes the Executive Branch

nomination

the process by which political parties select their candidates for election to public office

judicial appointments

nominate judges to the federal courts and justices to Supreme Court

tenure of judges

life tenure

Article III

establishes the Judicial Branch

precedent (stare decisis)

an example that may serve as a basis for imitation or later action in court

legitimacy crisis

when a significant percentage of the population no longer regards the legal system as legitimate, or worthy of their respect and obedience

Supreme Court role

interprets the meaning of the constitution; has the final say over whether a law is constitutional

judicial activism

where judges make policy decisions and interpret the Constitution in new ways

judicial restraint

where judges play minimal policy-making roles, leaving policy decisions to the other two branches

federal funding

money for state or federal programs that comes from the federal government