AP Gov unit 2 terms

Filibuster

A tactic through which an individual senator may use the right of unlimited debate to delay a motion or postpone action on a piece of legislation.

Cloture

Procedure through which senators can end a filibuster and proceed to action, provided three-fifths of senators agree to it.

Speaker of the House

acts as leader of the House. The Speaker of the House is second in line to succeed the President, after the Vice President.

House Majority Leader

Second in command to the Speaker

Whip

Rounds up votes for their party

House Minority Leader

Organizes opposition to the party in power

Senate Majority leader

acts as chief spokesperson for their party in the Senate. Less powerful than the Speaker

Minority Leader

acts as chief spokesperson for their party and negotiates with the majority.

Oversight

Congressional power over the Executive and the Federal Bureaucracy

Power of the purse

Congress’s constitutional power to control spending. Executive branch can submit a budget to Congress, but only Congress decides what gets funded and how much.

Discretionary spending

Spending for programs and policies at discretion of Congress and the president.

Mandatory spending

Spending required by existing laws that is "locked in" the budget.

Logrolling

Trading of votes on legislation by members of Congress to get their earmarks passed into legislation.

Pork Barrel Legislation

Legislation that directs specific funds to projects within districts or states.

Divided government

Different parties control the House, Senate, or Presidency

Apportionment

Process of determining number of representatives for each state using census data

Redistricting

States' redrawing of boundaries of electoral districts following each census.

Gerrymandering

The intentional use of redistricting to benefit a specific interest or group of voters.

Partisan Voting

When members of Congress vote on bills based on party affiliation

Delegate Role

A representative who sees themselves as an agent of those who elected them and will vote on issues based on the interests of their constituents

Trustee Role

A representative who will vote on issues based on their own knowledge and judgement.

Politico role

A combination of a delegate and trustee.

Pocket veto

An informal veto caused when the president chooses not to sign a bill within ten days, during a time when Congress has adjourned at the end of a session.

Executive Orders

Policy directives issued by presidents that do not require congressional approval.

Signing Statements

text issued by presidents while signing a bill into law that usually consists of political statements or reasons for signing the bill but that may also include a president's interpretation of the law.

Bully pulpit

Presidential appeals to the public to pressure other branches of government to support their policies

Judicial review

The authority of the Supreme Court to strike down a law or executive action if it conflicts with the Constitution. (Marbury v. Madison)

Federal court of appeals

The middle level of the federal judiciary; these courts review and hear appeals from the federal district courts.

Federal district courts

the trial courts of the U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each federal judicial district.

Stare Decisis

The practice of letting a previous legal decision stand.

Precedent

A past decision that influences future decisions

Judicial Activism

concept that judicial review empowers courts to overturn Constitutional and case precedent or invalidate legislative or executive actions

Judicial restraint

concept that encourages judges to limit the exercise of their own power and to uphold laws and precedents established by the legislative and executive branches