AP GOVPOL VOCAB UP TO 151

Ambassadors

Official diplomatic representatives of countries

Bully pulpit

Brightly lit stage to pitch ideas to the American people

Cabinet

Principal officers in each of the executive departments

Chief of staff

President's gatekeeper and is responsible for the smooth operation of the White House

Commander in chief

Executive is given control over the military

Executive agreement

An agreement between two heads of state and resembles a treaty but does not need the Senate's 2/3 majority

Executive Office of the President

Office that coordinates several independent agencies and carries out constitutional duties that handle the budget, economy, and staffing

Executive order

Empowers the president to carry out the law or to administer the governmentthrough directives or regulations that have the force of law.

Executive privilege

The president's right to withhold information or their decision-making process from another branch

Honeymoon period

First 100 days of a president's first term where a president lays out plans, appoints his Cabinet, and first family decorates the White House

Impeachment

Accusation from the House and trial in front of the Senate

Imperial presidency

Powerful executive position guided by a weaker Congress

Inherent powers

May not be explicitly listed in the Constitution but are within the jurisdiction of the executive

Lame duck period

Time after the nation has elected a new president and before the exit of the old president

Line-item veto

A measure that empowers an executive to eliminate a line of spending from an appropriations bill allowing a partial rejection of a bill

National Security Council

Group that regularly informs the president to the dangers that America may face

Pocket veto

When a president receives a bill in the final 10 days of a congressional session and does nothing to a bill, it dies

Presidential Succession Act

Establishes 18 positions beyond the president in case of illness, impeachment, or death of the president

Recess appointments

President can temporarily create replacements for Senate until the Senate reconvenes and is able to vote

Signing statements

A president's interpretation of a bill and how to carry it out

State of the Union

Yearly address/speech to Congress to give the administration's views of the nation and plans for legislation

Stewardship theory

President should exercise as much authority as possible to take care of the American people

Veto

Rejection of congressional bills accompanied with the president's objections

White House Staff

President's immediate staff of specialists that run the White House Office

Baker v. Carr

Helped establish the "one person-one vote" principle that greatly expanded democratic participation and the voting rights of minorities

Cloture rule

Requires 2/3s supermajority to close up or stop debate on a bill and call for a vote

Committee of the Whole

Allows for longer debate among fewer people, vote as a group instead of individuals, and when they are done reshaping/examining a bill, returns it to Congress

Committee on Committees (R) and Steering and Policy Committee (D)

Both determine which of their members are assigned to the standing committees

Conference chair

Takes care of party matters like heading the organization of party centered groups

Conference committees

Created temporarily to compromise on similar bills that passed each house

Congressional oversight

Ensures that executive branch agencies carry out the policy/program as defined by Congress

Deficit

The difference between spending and revenue

Delegate model

Members of Congress trying to reflect the will of their constituency

Discharge petition

Brings a bill out of a reluctant committee to keep bills moving

Discretionary spending

Optional spending that congressional committees debate and decide how to divvy

Earmark/Pork barrel spending

Funds directed for a specific purpose

Expressed powers

Powers specifically stated in Article I Section 8 of the Constitution

Filibuster

Stall or even kill a bill by speaking for a long time to let time run out on a bill

Floor leaders

Lead debate among their party and guide discussion from their side of the aisle

Germane

Staying on the topic of a bill

Gerrymandering

Illogical district lines drawn to give the advantage to one party

Gridlock

Congestion from opposing sides that nothing can move forward

Hold

Measure to stall a bill

House Judiciary Committee

Draft crime bills that define illegal behavior and outline appropriate punishments

Implied powers

Powers not stated but required to fulfill duties via necessary and proper clause

Joint committees

Unite members from the House and the Senate and do routine research activities

Logrolling

Trading votes to gain support for a bill

Marginal seats/Swing districts

Districts with closer elections where the vote may go either way

Markup session

Process by which the bill is altered by conference committees

Multiple referral

Allowing several committees to review a bill simultaneously

Non-germane amendments/Riders

Additional bills that attach onto often an unrelated bill for someone else's benefit

Omnibus bill

A very large bill that takes care of several facets of laws or multiple programs

Politico model

Attempts to blend delegate and trustee model

President of the Senate

Vice president is the leader of the senate and can cast a vote to break a tie only

President pro tempore

Temporary president from the majority when the vice president is not in Senate

Reapportionment

Changing the distribution of US congressional seats according to census changes

Redistricting

Reshaping of congressional districts every ten years

Rules Committee

Reflects the will of House leadership and majority caucus and nothing gets to the House floor for debate unless it's allowed by this

Whip

Deputy floor leader in charge of party discipline and tallies votes for optimum voting

Safe seats

Districts where a party wins more than 55% of the vote consistently

Ways and Means Committee

Committee exclusive to the House that determines tax policy

Select committees

Created for a particular and temporary purpose to perform a study/investigation

War Powers Act

Gives president 48 hours to start combat and 60 days to fight, with an optional 30 day extension. If Congress does not approve funding, US forces must withdraw

Senate majority leader

Sets legislative calendar and determines which bills reach the floor for debate

Unanimous consent

Approval of all Senators

Sequential referral

Allowing one committee priority to review a bill before others

Trustee model

Representatives believe they are entrusted by their constituents to use best judgment regardless of how constituents may view an issue

Shaw v. Reno

Decided racial gerrymandering was unconstitutional

Standing committee

Permanent committees focused on particular subjects under rules of each house

Speaker of the House

Top of power pyramid in the House, recognize member for speaking, organizes committees, and has great influence in law making

Sponsor

Member who introduces a bill and typically assumes authorship

Affiliates

Smaller stations apart of a broadcast network

Big Three networks

ABC, CBS, and NBC set the tone for tv journalism with in-depth programming examining national affairs and international relations

broadcast network

Broadcasting from one central location to small stations

Commentary

When newscasters would read their opinion or interpretation rather than just the facts reporting

Confirmation bias

tendency to seek out ideologically oriented programming and interpret information in a way that confirms what they already believe

consumer-driven media

media whose content is influenced by the actions and needs of consumers

editorial board

a group of veteran journalists who guide the editorial philosophy of the organization

editorials

an organization's opinion pieces

Fairness Doctrine

a former federal policy that required radio and television broadcasters to present alternative viewpoints

Federal Communications Channel

Regulates electronic media and has authority over radio, tv, wire, and satellite broadcast

Freedom of Information Act

Allows the public access to nonclassified federal documents.

Gatekeeper

decides what information is newsworthy and the information the public will receive

Government Printing Office

permanent federal agency to print government publications

Horse-race journalism

Reporters discuss who is leading and falling based on public opinion polls

investigative reporting

Aggressive reporters offering in-depth stories on national issues

mainstream media

collection of traditional news organizations that still operates an objective news model

Narrowcasting

media outlets with a specific political agenda and a target audience

news bureaus

offices beyond a newspaper's headquarters

political analysis

a form of journalistic expression that explores and provides opinions in depth on a topic

political reporting

standard "just-the-facts" stories

scorekeeper

media tracks political successes and failures

sound bites

Short excerpts edited from a longer remark that can have drastically different effects on the public depending on how they are worded

watchdog

journalists' obligation to keep an eye on government or industry to look for corruption, scandal, or inefficiency

Amicus Curiae

"Friend of the court", where interest groups offer an outside, third party view on a case and why a court should side with them.

Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974

Created to examine a president's budget to ensure the president would not impound funds deemed necessary by Congress.

Bundling

Raising large sums from donors for a candidate that must be reported

Citizens United v. FEC

Declared corporations and organization have a similar right to free speech as individuals and can use funds from their treasuries to endorse/denounce candidates as long as they don't coordinate with candidates

Dark Money

Money donated to PACs that don't have to reveal their donors and that can be spent on elections as long as they don't coordinate with any candidate

Direct lobbying

Exclusive access to legislators to influence government policy