Unit 2 Vocab

Appellate Jurisdiction

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

Bureaucracy

Departments, agencies, bureaus, and commissions of the executive branch of government.

Baker v. Carr, 1961

Supreme Court ruled house districts can be challenged in court if they are unfairly drawn.

Closed rule

Rules Committee rule that bans amendments to a bill.

Cloture

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

Concurring Opinion

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

Conference Committee

Works out a compromise between differing House-Senate versions of a bill.

Constituents

The people who are represented by elected officials.

Discharge Petition

A motion to force a bill to the House floor that has been bottled up in committee.

Dissenting Opinion

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

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.

Filibuster

Nonstop Senate debate that prevents a bill from coming to a vote.

Gerrymandering

Redrawing district lines to favor one party at the expense of another.

Hold

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

Impeachment

House action that formally charges an official with wrongdoing. Conviction requires 2/3 vote from the Senate.

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 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 governmental actions.

Legislative Oversight

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

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.

Logrolling (‘pork barrel’)

When two members of Congress agree to vote for each other’s bill.

Majority Opinion

Expresses the majority opinion in a Supreme Court case.

Mark up

Committee action to amend a proposed bill.

Merit System

System of hiring federal workers based on competitive exams.

Open rule

House Rules Committee procedure that allows amendments to a bill.

Original Jurisdiction

Authority of a court to first hear a case.

Patronage

Power to appoint loyal party members to federal positions.

Pocket Veto

Presidential killing of a bill by inaction after Congress adjourns.

Pork Barrel

Wasteful congressional spending.

Reapportionment

Reallocation of House seats to the states on the basis of changes in state populations, as determined by the census.

Redistricting

Redrawing of congressional district boundaries by the party in power of the state legislature.

Red tape

Complex rules and procedures required by bureaucratic agencies.

Remand

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

Revolving Door

The cycle in which a person alternately works for the public sector and private sector, thus blurring the individual’s sense of loyalty.

Rider

Amendment to a bill that has little to do with that bill; can only occur in Senate.

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.

Shaw v. Reno

Supreme Court ruling that House districts cannot be drawn according to race; districts must comply with Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Spoils System

Patronage.

Stare Decisis

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

Sunset laws

Laws that automatically expire after a given time.

Ways and Means Committee

House committee that handles tax bills.

Whistleblower

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