Unit 2 - Interactions Among Branches of Government AP GOV

Appropriation

money that Congress has allocated to be spent.

Appropriations Committee

congressional committee that deals with federal spending.

Casework

personal work done by a member of Congress for his constituents.

Closed rule

House Rules Committee rule that bans amendments to a bill.

Cloture

Senate (ONLY) motion to end a filibuster that requires a 3/5 vote.

Conference committee

a committee composed of both House and Senate members to reconcile and work out a compromise between differing House

Discharge petition

a motion to force a bill to the House floor that has been bottled up in committee. Requires a majority (218 votes) to pass.

Filibuster

nonstop Senate (ONLY) debate that prevents a bill from coming to a vote. A delaying or obstructionist tactic typically used by the minority party in the Senate. Can be used to block bills or presidential nominees from being confirmed. Can only be overcome with a 60 vote majority (the number needed for a cloture motion)

Finance Committee

Senate committee that handles tax bills.

Franking privilege

allows members of Congress to send mail postage free.

Gerrymandering

redrawing (every ten years after the Census) congressional district lines to favor one party at the expense of the other. Districts are usually drawn by state legislatures, therefore the party that controls the state legislature can gerrymander districts to favor their party. Methods include: "cracking," "packing," or bipartisan gerrymanders.

Hold

Senate maneuver that allows a single Senator to stop or delay consideration of a bill or presidential appointment.

Legislative oversight

ongoing process of congressional monitoring of the executive branch to ensure that the latter complies with the law.

Logrolling

when two members of Congress agree to vote for each other's bill.

Mark up

committee action to amend a proposed bill.

Open rule

House Rules Committee rule that allows amendments to a bill.

Pork barrel

appropriations of public funds by Congress for pet projects that serve the interests local districts these legislators represent, rather than the interests of the larger population. e.g. funding for a Lawrence Welk museum in North Dakota.

Quorum

minimum number of members needed for the House or Senate to meet and conduct business. (218 in the House, 51 in the Senate)

Reapportionment

redistribution of House seats to the states on the basis of changes in state populations, as determined by the decennial census. The Census Bureau determines how many seats each state will get in the House. The number of seats is capped at 435

Redistricting

After the census (every 10 years) redrawing of congressional district boundaries by the party in power of the state legislature, or (in the case of California) an independent redistricting commission.

Rider

amendment to a bill (Senate only) that has little to do with that bill. Also known as a nongermane amendment.

Rules Committee

the "traffic cop" of the House that sets the legislative calendar and issues rules for debate on a bill.

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.

Ways and Means Committe

House committee that handles tax bills.

Budget deficit

results when federal expenditures exceed federal revenues for a one year period.

Congressional Budget Office (CBO)

A non

Deficit spending

the federal government's practice of spending more money than it takes in as revenues.

Deregulation

elimination of federal regulations on private companies.

Discretionary Spending

Spending must receive annual Congressional authorization and makes up 1/3 of federal budget. Largest area is defense. Other examples: education, the environment, public parks, scientific research, housing, transportation, etc.

Entitlements

federal benefit payments to which recipients have a legal right if they meet certain criteria, e.g., Social Security. Also known as uncontrollables.

Excise tax

Consumer tax on a specific kind of merchandise, such as tobacco. Also known as "sin taxes."

Federal Reserve System

The system created by Congress in 1913 to establish banking practices and regulate currency in circulation and the amount of credit available. It consists of 12 regional banks supervised by the Board of Governors. Often called simply the Fed. Chairman is appointed by the President and must be confirmed by the Senate. Serves a fixed term and can only be removed for cause.Responsible for enacting monetary policy.

Fiscal policy

Government policy that attempts to manage the economy by controlling taxing and spending. (Congress is primarily responsible for this).

Mandatory Spending

Spending authorized by law and does not require annual Congressional approval. Makes up 2/3 of federal budget. Examples: Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, food stamps, interest on the national debt, unemployment insurance

Means testing

requiring that those who receive federal benefits show a need for them usually based on income levels. For example, Medicaid and food stamps.

Monetary policy

Federal Reserve Board's regulation of the supply of money in circulation and interest rates.

National debt

total debt owed by the federal government due to past borrowing. Also known as the public debt.

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

Presidential staff agency that coordinates budget requests and management improvements for government agencies. Prepares the President's budget.

Regulation

Efforts by government to alter the free operation of the market to achieve social goals such as protecting workers and the environment.

Progressive tax

A tax graduated so that people with higher incomes pay a larger fraction of their income than people with lower incomes.

Sequestration

automatic spending cuts (originally created by the Gramm

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. In US v. Nixon, 1974, the Supreme Court ruled that there was a constitutional basis for executive privilege in military and domestic affairs with an exception for criminal investigations.

Impoundment

refusal of a President to spend money that has been appropriated by Congress.

Legislative veto

process in which Congress overturned rules and regulations proposed by executive branch agencies. Struck down in INS v. Chada, 1981 as a violation of separation of powers and bicameralism.

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. Struck down in Clinton v. New York, 1997 by the Court stating that it was effectively allowing the president to "amend" laws and thus a violation of legislative procedures laid out in Article I.

Patronage

power to appoint loyal party members to federal positions. Also known as the Spoils system.

Pocket veto

The Constitution grants the president 10 days to review a measure passed by the Congress. If the president has not signed the bill after 10 days, it becomes law without his signature. However, if Congress adjourns during the 10

Recess appointment

an appointment made by a president of the U.S. under his constitutional powers to fill vacancies when the Senate is not in session subject to later confirmation by the Senate

Senatorial courtesy

tradition in which the President consults with the senators within a state in which an appointment is to be made.

Signing statement

A written statement issued by the President of the United States when signing a bill into federal law. The statement may address how the executive branch intends to interpret or enforce provisions of the new law. For example, a signing statement might declare that the president believes a part of the law is unconstitutional.

Bureaucracy

departments, agencies, bureaus, and commissions in the executive branch of government.

Cabinet

the highest

Discretionary Authority/Administrative Discretion

Greatest power a bureaucrat has: agencies have the power to choose various courses of action and shape policy when Congress writes broadly

Government corporation

a company owned by the government and operates with the same independence of a private business. They are usually created in industries where a natural monopoly exists, it's vital to the infrastructure of the country, valuable natural resources are at stake, or there is a general public benefit at stake. Ex: Amtrak, USPS

Independent Executive Agency

any agency established outside of the Executive Office of the President (EOP) or the 15 cabinet departments. Since these agencies are not required to report to a higher official within the executive branch, such as a department secretary, they may be considered independent. They can only be removed for cause and are insulated from political interference by the president or other elected officials. Ex: CIA, NASA, EPA

independent regulatory commission

established by Congress to have a certain amount of independence from the President and other elected officials. They have rule

Merit system

system of hiring federal workers based upon competitive exams administered by the OPM (Office of Personnel Management). System implemented after the passage of the Pendleton Act (1883)

Political appointees

those who have received presidential appointments to office which must be confirmed by the Senate (simple majority). Contrast with Civil Service employees, who receive federal jobs by competitive exams.

Red tape

complex rules and procedures required by bureaucratic agencies.

Whistleblower

an employee who exposes unethical or illegal conduct within the federal government or one of its contractors.

Appellate jurisdiction

authority of a court to hear an appeal from a lower court.

Civil law

concerns noncriminal disputes between private parties.

Class action lawsuit

lawsuit brought on behalf of a class of people against a defendant, e.g., lawsuits brought by those who have suffered from smoking against tobacco companies.

Concurring opinion

written by a Supreme Court Justice who voted with the majority, but for different reasons.

Dissenting opinion

written by a Supreme Court Justice (or Justices) who express a minority viewpoint in a case.

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 and stare decisis 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. Established by the Marshall Court in Marbury v. Madison, 1803.

Majority opinion

written to express the majority viewpoint in a Supreme Court case and includes the remedy imposed.

Original jurisdiction

authority of a court to first hear a case.

Remand

the Supreme Court's sending of a case back to the original court in which it was heard.

Rule of four

the Supreme Court will hear a case if four Justices agree to do so.

Stare decisis

Latin for "let the decision stand." Supreme Court policy of following precedent in deciding cases.

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.

Standing committees

the permanent congressional (both House and Senate) committees that have legislative, oversight, and investigative powers.