Studied by 1 personpork barrel spending
legislation that directs specific funds to projects within districts or states
Logrolling
trading of votes on legislation by members of congress to get their earmarks passed into legislation
oversight
efforts by Congress to ensure that executive branch agencies, bureaus, and cabinet departments, as well as their officials, are acting legally and in accordance with congressional goals
constituency
the body of voters who elect a representative for their area
Reapportionment
the process of determining the 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 gerrymandering
drawing of district boundaries into strange shapes to benefit a political party
majority-minority districts
a district in which voters of a minority ethnicity constitute an electoral majority within that electoral district
Malapportionment
the uneven distribution of the population among legislative districts
Incumbency
being already in office as opposed to running for the first time
incumbency advantage
institutional advantages held by those already in office who are trying to fend off challengers in an election
Speaker of the House
the leader of the House of Representatives, chosen by an election of its members
Political Action Committee (PAC)
an organization that raises money for candidates and campaigns
House Majority Leader
the person who is the second in command of the House of Representatives
Whip
a member of Congress, chosen by his or her party members, whose job is to ensure party unity and discipline
minority leader
the head of the party with the second-highest number of seats in Congress, chosen by the party's members
Senate Majority Leader
the person who has the most power in the Senate and is the head of the party with the most seats
committee chair
leader of a congressional committee who has authority over the committee's agenda
discharge petition
a motion filed by a member of Congress to move a bill out of committee and onto the floor of the House of Representatives for a vote
House Rules Committee
a powerful committee that determines when a bill will be subject to debate and vote on the House floor, how long the debate will last, and whether amendments will be allowed on the floor
Committee of the Whole
consists of all members of the House and meets in the House chamber but is governed by different rules, making it easier to consider complex and controversial legislation
hold
a delay placed on legislation by a senator who objects to a bill
unanimous consent agreement
an agreement in the Senate that sets the terms for consideration of a bill
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
a procedure through which senators can end a filibuster and proceed to action, provided 60 senators agree to it
Veto
the power of a president to reject a bill passed by Congress, sending it back to the originating branch with objections
Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
the executive branch office that assists the president in setting national spending priorities
entitlement program
a program that provides benefits for those who qualify under the law, regardless of income
mandatory spending
spending required by existing laws that is "locked in" the budget
discretionary spending
spending for programs and policies at the discretion of Congress and the president
budget surplus
the amount of money remaining when the government takes in more than it spends
budget deficit
the annual shortfall when a government takes in less money than it spends
national debt
the total amount owed by the federal government
Delegate role
the idea that the main duty of a member of Congress is to carry out constituents' wishes
Trustee role
the idea that members of Congress should act as trustees, making decisions based on their knowledge and judgement
Politico role
representation where members of Congress balance their choices with the interests of their constituents and parties in making decisions
Bipartisanship
agreement between the parties to work together in Congress to pass legislation
Gridlock
a slowdown or halt in Congress's ability to legislate and overcome divisions, especially those based on partisanship
divided government
control of the presidency and one or both chambers of Congress split between the two major parties
Lame duck period
period at the end of a presidential term when Congress may block presidential initiatives and nominees
Executive Branch
the branch of government charged with putting the nations laws into effect
formal or enumerated powers
powers expressly granted in the Constitution
Informal Powers
powers not laid out in the Constitution but used to carry out presidential duties
Treaty
an agreement with a foreign government negotiated by the president and requiring a two-thirds vote in the Senate to ratify
State of the Union Address
the annual speech from the president to Congress updating that branch on the state of national affairs
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
Presidential Pardon
presidential authority to release individuals convicted of a crime from legal consequences and set aside punishment for a crime
executive privilege
a right claimed by presidents to keep certain conversations, records, and transcripts confidential from outside scrutiny, especially that of Congress
executive agreement
an agreement between a president and another nation that does not have the same durability in the American system as a treaty but does not require Senate ratification
signing statement
written comments issued by presidents while signing a bill into law that usually consist of political statements or reasons for signing the bill but that may also include a president's interpretation of the law itself
executive order
policy directives issued by presidents that do not require congressional approval
War Powers Resolution
a law passed over President Nixon's veto that restricts the power of the president to maintain troops in combat for more than sixty days without congressional authorization
impeachment
the process of removing a president from office, with articles of impeachment issued by majority vote in house of representatives followed by a trial in the senate with a 2/3 vote necessary to convict and remove.
Executive Office of the President (EOP)
a collection of offices within the White House organization designed mainly to provide information to the president
bargaining and persuasion
an informal tool used by the president to persuade members of Congress to support his or her policy initiatives
Bully Pulpit
presidential appeals to the public to pressure other branches of government to support his or her policies
Going public
a tactic through which presidents reach out directly to the American people with the hope that the people will, in turn, put pressure upon their representatives and senators to press for a president's policy goals
Shaw v. Reno
NO racial gerrymandering; race cannot be the sole or predominant factor in redrawing legislative boundaries; majority-minority districts. (question: did it violate the equal protection clause 14th amendment)
Fed No. 78
argument by Alexander Hamilton that the federal judiciary would be unlikely to infringe upon rights and liberties but would serve as a check on the other two branches. (meant to be uninfluenced)
Fed no 70
deals with the presidency, values the unity in single executive so that people have one person to blame, multiple presidents cannot conspire to do less than admirable things with their power, avoid conflicts between presidents (quick, decisive, energetic leader)
Mabury v. Madison
Established judicial review (1803)
Senate
debates are unlimited (except if 3/5 vote to stop filibuster), passes bills with a simple majority (60 to avoid hold), 2 members per state (voted at same time), introduces bills, more insulated from voters, 6 year terms (direct vote of state people), must be citizen for 9 years and over 30
Baker v. Carr
case that est. one man one vote. this decision created guidelines for drawing up congressional districts and guaranteed a more equitable system of representation to the citizens of each state (1962)
Congress powers
LEGISLATIVE AUTHORITY ability to pass laws
BUDGETING PROCESS congress sets federal budget (power over policy making) can refuse to fund presidents proposal
POWER OF IMPEACHMENT majority vote in house and 2/3 vote in senate
House of Representatives
the lower house of Congress, consisting of a different number of representatives from each state, depending on population (elected by voters in district) must be 25 and a citizen for 7 years
bureaucratic adjudication
when the federal bureaucracy settles disputes between parties that arise over the implementation of federal laws or determines which individuals or groups are covered under a regulation or program
Implementation
the bureaucracy's role in putting into action the laws that Congress has passed
bureaucratic discretion
the power to decide how a law is implemented and to decide what Congress meant when it passed a law
regulation
the process through which the federal bureaucracy makes rules that have the force of law, to carry out the laws passed by Congress
issue network
webs of influence between interest groups, policymakers, and policy advocates
Iron Triangle
coordinated and mutually beneficial activities of the bureaucracy, Congress, and interest groups to achieve shared policy goals
political patronage
filling of administrative positions as a reward for support, rather than solely on merit
Pendleton Act
an act of Congress that created the first United States Civil Service Commission to draw up and enforce rules on hiring, promotion, and tenure of office within the civil service (also known as Civil Service Reform Act of 1883)
federal civil service
the merit-based bureaucracy, excluding the armed forces and political appointments
merit system
a system of hiring and promotion based on competitive testing results, education, and other qualifications rather than politics and personal connections
bureaucrat
an official employed within a government bureaucracy
federal bureaucracy
the departments and agencies within the executive branch that carry out the laws of the nation
judicial restraint
a philosophy of constitutional interpretation that justices should be cautious in overturning laws.
judicial activism
a philosophy of constitutional interpretation that justices should wield the power of judicial review, sometimes creating bold new policies.
majority opinion
a binding Supreme Court opinion, which serves as precedent for future cases
concurring opinion
an opinion that agrees with the majority decision, offering different or additional reasoning, that does not serve as precedent
Disserting Opinion
an opinion that disagrees with the majority opinion and does not serve as precedent.
precedent
a judicial decision that guides future courts in handling similar cases
stare decisis
the practice of letting a previous legal decision stand
Federal District Courts
the lowest level of the federal judiciary; these courts usually have original jurisdiction in cases that start at the federal level
federal courts of appeals
the middle level of the federal judiciary; these courts review and hear appeals from the federal district courts
Criminal Law
a category of law covering actions determined to harm the community
civil law
a category of law covering cases involving private rights and relationships between individuals and groups
Marbury v. Madison
the Supreme Court decision that established judicial review over federal laws
Judicial Review
the authority of the Supreme Court to strike down a law or executive action if it conflicts with the Constitution
Federalist No. 78
argument by Alexander Hamilton that the federal judiciary would be unlikely to infringe upon rights and liberties but would serve as a check on the other two branches
original jurisdiction
the authority of a court to hear a case first, which includes the finding of the facts in the case.
appellate jurisdiction
the authority of a court to hear and review decisions made by lower courts in that system.
Federal Judiciary
the branch of the federal government that interprets the laws of the nation
Supreme Court
the highest level of the federal judiciary, which was established in Article III of the Constitution and serves as the highest court in the nation
"Advise and consent"
the power of the senate to approve or disapprove of any of the president's appointments or treaties
Appropriation
A legislative grant of money to finance a government program or agency
Note
Flashcard