Unit 3 Test Review: Congress, the Executive Branch, and the Judiciary

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the key terms, institutions, constitutional clauses, and judicial doctrines outlined in the Unit 3 Test Review.

Bicameral

A legislative body characterized by having two separate chambers, referring to the structure of Congress consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Permanent Apportionment Act of 1929

total membership limit for the House of Representatives.

Reapportionment

The constitutional process of reallocating and distributing seats in the House of Representatives among the states.

Redistricting

The process of redrawing legislative and electoral district boundaries within a state, distinct from reapportionment and gerrymandering.

Gerrymandering

The practice of drawing electoral district boundaries to favor a particular political party or group, differing from standard reapportionment and redistricting.

Presiding Officer of the House of Representatives

The constitutional leader responsible for presiding over the proceedings and floor activities of the House of Representatives.

Senate Majority Leader

The head of the majority party in the Senate who holds primary responsibilities for managing legislative business and party strategy.

Standing Committee

A permanent legislative panel established in the House of Representatives or Senate responsible for specific areas of public policy.

Select Committee

A temporary or specialized congressional committee established to carry out a particular investigation or legislative task.

Joint Committee

A congressional committee composed of members drawn from both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

House Rules Committee

The committee in the House of Representatives responsible for setting the terms, rules, and conditions for floor debate and amendments on bills.

Conference Committee

A temporary committee formed with members of both chambers to resolve differences between House and Senate versions of a bill.

Congressional Oversight

The authority and process by which Congress monitors and reviews executive branch actions, supported by hearings and investigations.

War Powers Resolution

A statute requiring the president to notify Congress within a specified timeframe after introducing U.S. forces into hostilities.

Impeachment and Removal

The constitutional mechanism for holding federal officials accountable, dividing specific procedural roles between the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Twelfth Amendment

A constitutional amendment that modified the election process by separating the electoral ballots cast for president and vice president.

Twentieth Amendment

A constitutional amendment that established the official date and time marking the beginning of presidential and congressional terms.

Twenty-second Amendment

A constitutional amendment that sets a legal limit on the number of times an individual can be elected president.

Twenty-fifth Amendment

A constitutional amendment addressing procedures for presidential succession, vice presidential vacancies, and presidential disability.

Tariff

A tax or duty placed on foreign imports that can affect the retail prices paid by American consumers.

Article II Treaty

A formal international agreement negotiated by the executive branch that requires the consent of the Senate under Article II of the Constitution.

Presidential Pardon Power

The executive authority to grant legal forgiveness for offenses, which can be issued prior to conviction but cannot be used to prevent impeachment.

Executive Privilege

The asserted legal power of the president and the executive branch to maintain confidentiality and withhold communications from Congress or the courts.

Executive Order

A presidential directive requiring constitutional or statutory legal authority, which can be reviewed by the courts, restricted by congressional funding, or modified by future presidents.

Executive Office of the President

An administrative complex established in 1939 to support the president in managing and coordinating executive branch responsibilities.

White House Chief of Staff

The senior administrative official within the Executive Office of the President responsible for directing White House staff operations and advising the president.

Executive Departments

The primary administrative units of the federal executive branch that carry out broad governmental responsibilities and enforce federal laws.

Cabinet

An advisory body composed of the heads of executive departments and key officials whose primary purpose is to advise the president.

Regulatory Commissions

Government administrative bodies established to oversee, create rules for, and regulate specific sectors of economic or commercial activity.

Whistleblower

An employee or individual who exposes waste, fraud, corruption, or illegal activities within a government body or private organization.

Supreme Court

The highest court in the federal judiciary, whose existence is constitutionally required, although the Constitution does not mandate exactly nine justices.

Lower Federal Courts

Courts subordinate to the Supreme Court whose creation, organization, and judicial structure are determined by Congress.

Good-Behavior Provision

The constitutional clause governing the tenure of federal judges, granting them life tenure subject to maintaining good behavior.

Judicial Review

The constitutional doctrine that empowers the judiciary to examine and determine the legal validity and constitutionality of legislative and executive acts.

Dual Court System

The parallel organizational structure of the American judiciary, comprising independent federal court and state court systems.

Original Jurisdiction

The authority of a court to hear and decide a legal dispute in the first instance as a trial court, rather than on appeal.

Federal District Courts

The primary trial courts in the federal judicial system where evidence is introduced and witnesses are examined.

Federal Court of Appeals

Intermediate federal appellate courts that review decisions from district courts, normally using judicial panels rather than conducting a new jury trial.

En Banc Hearing

A proceeding in a federal court of appeals where a case is heard by all the judges of the court rather than the usual panel.

Rule of Four

The Supreme Court procedure requiring at least four justices to agree before a petition to hear a case is granted.

Writ of Certiorari

A formal order issued by the Supreme Court directing an appellate or lower court to forward the case record for review.

Briefs

Written legal arguments and supporting documents prepared by attorneys and submitted to a court in advance of oral argument or a ruling.

Amicus Curiae Brief

A 'friend of the court' legal document filed by an outside individual or entity that is not an original party to the case to provide additional perspective.

Oral Arguments

The courtroom phase of Supreme Court proceedings where attorneys present verbal statements and answer questions directly from the justices.

Majority Opinion

The official published legal explanation representing the binding ruling agreed upon by more than half of the judges on a court.

Concurring Opinion

An opinion authored by a judge who agrees with the majority's ultimate outcome but emphasizes different legal grounds or reasoning.

Dissenting Opinion

A written opinion by one or more judges who disagree with the final ruling reached by the majority of the court.

Judicial Interpretivism

An approach to constitutional interpretation described in the lecture that views the Constitution as a living document whose meaning adapts to modern circumstances.

Strict Constructionists

Judges or legal theorists who interpret the Constitution based strictly on its literal or original text rather than treating it as an evolving living document.