Studied by 25 people
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.
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