Politics 101 Exam 3

Administrator in chief

(formal) oversees the federal bureaucracy that is responsible for implementing laws passed by congress

Agency drift

when bureaucrats responsible for implementing government policies use their discretion in a way that deviates from the way congress thinks the agency should be run

Amicus briefs

documents filed on behalf of a plaintiff providing information the judges may find useful

Appellate courts

review the findings of a lower court's decision to ensure the law was correctly applied

Bureaucratic discretion

the power of agency leaders to interpret and implement the laws to support their own priorities and preferences

Chief diplomat

(formal) conducting diplomacy and foreign policy to advance American interests

Cloture

limits debate to 30 additional hours and then requires the senate to vote

Collective representation

adopts policies and takes actions that reflect the views of the majority

Concurring opinion

a justice's written opinion that agrees with the outcome but for different legal reasoning

Conference committees

a committee comprising members of the house and senate whose role is to iron out differences in both versions of a bill that passed in each chamber

Congressional oversight

monitoring and investigating whether bureaucratic agencies operate within the bounds of the law

Constituent representation

how well individual legislators advance the interests of citizens who live in their district or state

Circuit courts

the first level of appellate courts

Defendant

the person accused of wrongdoing

Descriptive representation

the degree to which elected officials reflect citizens' demographic characteristics

District courts

trial courts where cases are first heard and both parties present their evidence and arguments

Divided government

the situation in which no one party controls the house, the senate, and the white house

Executive orders

directives that have the force of law but have not been approved by congress

Factors that constrain judges' decision making

judges are bound by the text of statutes and the constitution, as well as by precedent cases

Federal bureaucracy

comprises the government offices within the executive branch that implement and enforce laws

Filibuster

a senate rule that allows members to deliver speeches of unlimited length on the senate floor with the intent of delaying a vote on a bill or killing it

Formal powers

powers of the president that are explicitly stated in article II of the constitution

Head of state

(informal) the chief public representative of the country, serving as the nation's public representative at home and abroad

Indirect lobbying

influencing government officials by mobilizing public opinion to support their cause

Informal powers

powers of the president that lack a constitutional basis but allow for considerable influence over the system

Judicial philosophies

overarching beliefs about how the constitution should be interpreted and applied

Legal bribery

the practice of lobbyists offering financial or other support to politicians without explicit expectation that the politician will act in the lobbyists' interests

Legislator in chief

(informal) must work with members of congress to forward a legislative agenda

Lobbying

the practice of trying to influence people in government to pursue a particular policy or action

Majority opinion

the final resolution of a case decided by the majority of justices

Markups

minor changes that can modify the language and clarity of the bill

Partisan in chief

(informal) serves as the leader of the party, responsible for setting the party's agenda, communicating the agenda to the public, and raising funds

Party polarization

the widening gap in political beliefs between democrats and republicans

Plaintiff

the person who files the lawsuit

Political institutions

the central components of government with the power to craft, implement, and review the nation's law

Principal-agent problem

when a principal delegates power and authority to an agent and the agent behaves in a way the principal didn't intend and can't control

Regular order

the conventional multistep legislative process

Revolving door

former government officials working for lobbying firms or businesses, or former lobbyists and executives starting to work for the government

Role of the majority leader

the party that has the most seats in each chamber and picks that chamber's party leaders

Role of the speaker of the house

the whole chamber votes, and the candidate that the majority favors is the elected speaker of the house

Rule of four

four of the nine justices must agree to hear a case for the Supreme Court to grant certiorari

The 3 essential tasks of committees

gathering information by holding hearings, amending the bill, and voting on the bill to determine if it will continue or die

The Hatch Act

1939 law that prohibits federal employees from working for political candidates or running for partisan office

The legislative process

both the house and the senate are organized by political party

The Pendleton Act

1883 law intended to end the spoils system by requiring merit-based selection for most federal employees

The Supreme Court

the highest court in the United States judicial system

Writ of certiorari

a petition to have a higher appellate court review a decision of a lower court