Unit II: Interactions Among Branches of Government

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the branches of government, their structures, presidential powers, the judiciary, bureaucracy, and key procedural concepts.

Standing committee

A permanent committee in Congress.

Speaker of the House

The highest ranking member of the majority party in the House of Representatives; third in line to be president after the president and vice president.

Filibuster

A delaying tactic, used in the Senate, that involves speechmaking to prevent action on a piece of legislation.

Cloture

A rule in the Senate that states that 60 out of the 100 senators must vote to end a filibuster.

Unanimous Consent

A request made by a senator on the floor to set aside a specified rule of procedure to expedite proceedings; if no senator objects, the Senate permits the action, but if any one senator objects, the request is rejected.

Rules Committee

A committee of the United States House of Representatives in charge of determining under what rule other bills will come to the floor, rather than being responsible for a specific policy area.

Party polarization

A situation in which members of Congress cannot or will not come to agreement with each other based solely on their political party's stance on issues.

Gerrymandering

The process by which a political party in the majority manipulates the creation of districts in their state in such a way as to give their party the advantage in elections.

Redistricting

The process of creating new districts after the census.

Divided government

A state of government where one political party controls the presidency and another political party controls one or both houses of Congress.

Lame duck period

The time period between the election and when the newly elected official takes office, during which the old elected official is still in office and does not have much influence.

Politico role of representation

An approach to representation in which a representative uses the trustee role sometimes and the delegate role sometimes.

Trustee role of representation

An approach to representation in which a representative votes based on what they think is best and does not follow what the majority of constituents want.

Delegate role of representation

An approach to representation in which a representative votes based on what the majority of their constituents want.

Formal (enumerated) powers

Powers of the president that are specifically stated in the Constitution.

Informal (inherent) powers

Powers not explicit in the Constitution but needed to carry out the enumerated powers in the Constitution.

Veto

A power of the president to stop a bill from becoming law.

Pocket veto

A way to kill a bill that occurs if the bill arrives on the president's desk, Congress adjourns within ten days, and the president does not sign it.

Commander in Chief

The presidential role signifying that the president is in charge of the military.

Executive agreement

A pact between the president and another country made without the need for congressional approval.

Executive order

Presidential directives that modify laws or create laws and public policies without approval of Congress.

Signing statements

A statement made by the president when signing a bill into law, explaining how he or she feels about the law.

Appointments

The process by which the president chooses individuals to fill certain cabinet, federal judiciary, ambassador, White House staff, or administrative positions, usually subject to Senate confirmation.

Twenty-Second Amendment

The constitutional amendment limiting the office of president to two terms of four years or a maximum of 10 years.

State of the Union

A constitutionally required speech given by the president at the beginning of the year explaining the current state of the country and outlining plans for the upcoming year(s).

Bully Pulpit

The term used to describe the immense audience and influence that the President of the United States commands when communicating to the world.

Judicial review

The power created by Marbury v. Madison (1803) allowing the federal judiciary to analyze government actions to determine if they are constitutional or not.

Life tenure

The constitutional provision that federal judges serve for life once appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate, though they can be impeached.

Precedent

A judicial ruling that serves as the basis for rulings in later cases.

Stare decisis

A Latin phrase meaning 'let the decision stand'; refers to judicial decision making based on precedent.

Judicial activism

A judicial philosophy whereby judges interpret existing laws and precedents loosely and interject their own values in court decisions.

Judicial restraint

A judicial philosophy whereby judges adhere closely to statutes and precedents in reaching their decisions.

Jurisdiction

The authority of a court to hear a case, or the geographic area over which a court or police department has authority.

Original jurisdiction

The authority of the court in which a case starts.

Regulation

A government rule that guides the operation of a government program, or an intervention in the economy by the government to promote policy.

Fine

A monetary penalty that a wrongdoer must pay.

Iron triangle

An alliance among an administrative agency, an interest group, and a congressional committee, where each member provides key services, information, or policy for the others.

Issue network

A network comprising policy experts, media pundits, congressional staff members, and interest groups who regularly debate an issue.

Civil service / competitive service

A system wherein employees of the government are selected and advanced based on merit rather than connections.

Merit System

The practice of being hired or promoted based on abilities rather than political connections.

Political Patronage

A situation where an individual is rewarded for supporting a politician (such as through campaigning, voting, or exchanging money for support).

Administrative discretion / discretionary authority

The decision-making power granted by Congress to agencies to expand rules and carry out enacted laws.

Rule-making

The process agencies go through to make legally binding regulations and rules.

Policy Implementation

The stage of putting a plan or policy into action.

Oversight

The process by which Congress reviews the operations of an agency to determine if it is carrying out policies as intended.

Bureaucracy

A large, complex organization of appointed officials comprising all the agencies, people, and procedures through which the federal government operates.

Bureaucrat

Someone who works in the bureaucracy.

Cabinet department

One of 15 high-level executive branch organizations that assist the president in running the country (e.g., Department of Defense).

Independent agencies

Executive agencies outside cabinet departments whose heads are typically appointed and removable at any time by the president.

Regulatory commissions

An agency of the executive branch that controls some part of the economy.

Government corporations

A government agency that performs services that a private company probably would not provide (e.g., Tennessee Valley Authority).

Government by proxy

A system where federal services are performed by private contractors or state and local employees rather than federal employees.

Incrementalism

The slow but steady increase in program costs over time due to inflation and wages, or the slow, gradual change in policy rather than sudden change.

Deregulation

The reduction or elimination of government regulations, generally favored by Republicans.

Appropriation

An amount of money devoted to a special purpose, usually included as part of a bill considered by Congress.

Apportionment

The process of determining the number of representatives each state receives in the House of Representatives based on census data.

Bicameral

A legislature consisting of two houses, such as the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate.

Bill

A proposed law.

Conference committee

A temporary joint committee created to resolve differences between House and Senate versions of a specific piece of legislation.

Impeachment

The constitutional process where the House accuses an official of 'high crimes and misdemeanors', followed by a trial in the Senate for conviction or acquittal.

Incumbent

The person currently holding an office who is running for re-election.

Majority leader

The highest-ranking member of the majority party in the Senate, or the second highest-ranking member of the majority party in the House.

Minority leader

The highest-ranking member of the minority party in either the Senate or the House.

Minority party

The political party that does not hold the majority of seats in the House or the Senate.

President pro tempore

The longest-serving member of the majority party in the Senate, who presides when the vice president is absent.

Select committee

A temporary congressional committee created for a specific, designated purpose.

Senatorial courtesy

A custom whereby the Senate will not confirm a lower federal court nominee if opposed by the senior senator of the president's party from the nominee's state.

Seniority

Years of continuous, consecutive service in the House, Senate, or on a committee.

War Powers Act

A law limiting presidential deployment of troops abroad: the president must notify Congress within 48 hours and withdraw troops within 60 to 90 days unless authorized.

Whip

A legislative party leader who encourages party members to vote in accordance with the party's platform.

Executive privilege

The presidential claim allowing the withholding of information from the public or Congress in the public's interest.

Line-item veto

An unconstitutional power at the federal level to strike down specific provisions of a bill while signing the rest into law.

Pardon

The authority of the president to completely erase a conviction and restore the rights of someone convicted of a federal crime.

Amicus curiae brief

A 'friend of the court' brief filed by a non-party to persuade the Supreme Court to rule in favor of a particular outcome.

Appellate court

A court reviewing decisions of lower courts regarding errors in legal interpretation or procedural application, without admitting new evidence or witnesses.

Appellate jurisdiction

The legal authority of a court to hear appeals and review decisions made by lower courts.

Brief

A written legal argument submitted to a court detailing the facts and law supporting a party's position.

Civil law

The body of law governing non-criminal matters, such as contracts and private rights.

Criminal law

The body of law governing offenses against persons, property, or society as a whole.

Rule of Four

The Supreme Court convention requiring at least four justices to agree to hear a case before granting a writ of certiorari.

Solicitor General

The federal official responsible for arguing cases on behalf of the United States government before the Supreme Court.

Strict constructionist

A judicial philosophy interpreting the Constitution according to its narrowest, original meaning.

Trial court

The court where a case originates, featuring the submission of evidence, testimony from witnesses, and potentially a jury.

Writ of certiorari

An order issued by the Supreme Court directing a lower court to deliver records and transcripts of a case for judicial review.