Studied by 11 people
Appropriation
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.
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 noncriminal disputes between private parties.
Class action lawsuit
lawsuit brought on behalf of a class of people against a defendant.
Closed rule
Rules Committee rule that bans amendments to a bill.
Cloture
Senate motion to end a filibuster that requires a 3/5 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 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 "privileged" conversations from Congress or the courts.
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 requires 2/3 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.
Judicial review
power of the courts to review the constitutionality of laws or government actions.
Legislative oversight
ongoing process of congressional monitoring of the executive branch to ensure that the latter complies with the law.
Legislative veto
process in which Congress overturned rules and regulations proposed by executive branch agencies. Struck down in 1983.
Line item veto
power of most governors (and President Clinton for only a few years) to delete or reduce funding in a bill on a line by line basis.
Logrolling
when two members of Congress agree to vote for each other's bill.
Majority opinion
written to express the majority viewpoint in a Supreme Court case.
Mark up
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
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
reallocation 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 nongermane 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 chairman of that committee.
Spoils system
similar to patronage.
Standing committees
the permanent congressional committees that handle legislation.
Stare decisis
Latin for "let the decision stand." Supreme Court policy of 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.
Whistleblower
an employee who exposes unethical or illegal conduct within the federal government or one of its contractors.
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 high court.
Writ of habeas corpus
court order that the authorities show cause for why they are holding a prisoner in custody. Deters unlawful imprisonment.
Writ of mandamus
court order directing a party to perform a certain action.
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Flashcard (36)