AP GOV U2

legislative branch

branch of government which makes the law

simple majority

more than 50% of the vote

plurality

more votes than any other option

supermajority

a higher threshold than simple majority (typically 3/5, 2/3, or 3/4)

bicameral

a legislature composed of two houses/chambers

Senate Majority Leader

leader of the majority party in the Senate - de facto leader of the Senate

Speaker of the House

leader of the House of Representatives

Rules Committee

a House committee

Committee of the Whole

consists of all members of the House but is governed by more relaxed procedural and quorum rules

conference committee

a temporary joint committee that resolves differences between the House and Senate versions of a bill

discharge petition

a motion filed by a member of Congress to move a bill out of committee and onto the floor of the House of Representatives for a vote

filibuster

a tactic through which an individual senator may use the right of unlimited debate to delay a motion or postpone action on a piece of legislation

cloture

a procedure through which senators can end debate on a bill and proceed to action

appropriation

Congress directing money to be spend on a particular budget item

discretionary spending

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

mandatory spending

spending required by existing laws that is “locked in” the budget

entitlements

a program that provides benefits for those who qualify under the law

pork-barrel legislation

legislation that directs specific funds to projects within districts or states

logrolling

trading of votes on legislation by members of Congress to get their earmarks passed into legislation

census

the decennial population count mandated by Article I of the Constitution

reapportionment

the process of determining the number of representatives for each state using census data

redistricting

redrawing House districts after a census to ensure that each district within a state has the same population (see Baker v. Carr, Shaw v. Reno)

gerrymandering

the intentional use of redistricting to benefit a specific political party or voter group

lame duck

a period between the time the new President and Congress are elected in November and the time they are inaugurated in January during which the outgoing (lame duck) President and Congress are still in charge

divided government

control of the presidency and one or both chambers of Congress split between the two major parties.

executive branch

the branch of government which implements and enforces the law

Electoral College

the electors appointed by state governments to elect the POTUS

Cabinet

the advisory body to the POTUS consisting of the Vice President

formal powers

powers of the POTUS enumerated in the Constitution

informal powers

powers of the POTUS not enumerated in the Constitution

executive order

policy directives issued by the POTUS that do not require congressional approval

executive agreement

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

veto

the power of a president to reject a bill passed by Congress

pocket veto

an informal veto caused when the president chooses not to sign a bill within ten days

signing statement

written comments issued by the POTUS while signing a bill into law that usually consist of political statements or reasons for signing the bill but that may also include the POTUS' interpretation of the law itself

commander-in-chief

the power of the POTUS to command the US military

impeachment

the House bringing criminal charges against a member of the executive or judicial branch

removal

a government official being removed from office upon conviction in impeachment charges by two thirds of the Senate

22nd Amendment

a two-term limit for the POTUS

State of the Union

the annual speech from the POTUS to Congress updating that branch on the state of national affairs

bully pulpit

presidential appeals to the public to pressure other branches of government to support his or her policies

judicial branch

the branch of government which interprets the law

facts

the relevant events of a case that occurred before courts became involved

issue

a legal or Constitutional question the court considers in a case

holding

the court’s response to the issue being considered in a case

reasoning

the court’s explanation of a holding

decision

the outcome of a case that includes a discussion of the facts

opinion

an analysis of the court’s decision

judicial review

the power of the judicial ranch to overturn laws that violates the Constitution or executive actions that violate the law (see Marbury v Madison)

precedent

a judicial decision that guides future courts in handling similar cases

stare decisis

the practice of letting a previous legal decision stand

original jurisdiction

the authority of a court to act as the first court to hear a case

appellate jurisdiction

the authority of a court to hear and review decisions made by lower courts in that system

judicial activism

a philosophy of constitutional interpretation that justices should wield the power of judicial review

judicial restraint

a philosophy of constitutional interpretation that justices should be cautious in overturning laws

jurisdiction stripping

the power of Congress to check the judicial branch by limiting the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court or a lower court

writ of certiorari

the process through which most cases reach the Supreme Court; after four justices concur that the Court should hear the case

bureaucracy

a body of executive branch officials appointed to implement government policy

iron triangles

coordinated and mutually beneficial activities of the bureaucracy

issue networks

webs of influence between interest groups and policymakers which include a broader range of interest groups than iron triangles do

merit system

a system of hiring and promotion based on competitive testing results

patronage

filling of administrative positions as a reward for support

discretionary and rule-making authority

the power to interpret legislation and create rules given to the executive departments and agencies

Congressional oversight

efforts by Congress to ensure that executive branch agencies, bureaus, and cabinet departments, as well as their officials, are acting legally and in accordance with congressional goals

committee hearings

a meeting of congressional committee to obtain information and opinions on proposed legislation

power of the purse

the power of Congress to control the actions of the executive branch by withholding funding or putting stipulations on the use of funds