AP Gov Unit 2 Vocabulary

Bully Pulpit

Bully Pulpit

The presidents use of prestige and visibility to guide or mobilize the American public.

“bully pulpit”

“Home Alone actor Donald Trump was fond of rallying his troops by using his Twitter platform to fear-monger and attack people.”

Cloture

A rule used by the Senate to end or limit a debate with a 3/5 vote.

“cloture”

“The _____ Rule was first invoked successfully when the Senate voted _____ to end, after 55 days, the debate over the Treaty of Versailles.”

Committee of the Whole

The committee that consists of every member of the House of Representatives. Its chief job is to give original consideration to all bills involving taxation and spending.

“Committee of the Whole”

“The Senate is considered more relaxed than the House because there are fewer factors that limit debate, including no _____ or Rules Committee.”

Congressional Oversight

Once a bill becomes a law, congressional committees hold meetings and hearings to assess the success of a legislation and how it is being implemented by the bureaucratic agency in charge of that policy area.

“congressional oversight”

“Many areas of _____, like budgetary review, personnel controls, and investigations, are designed to control the exercise of bureaucratic discretion. Other areas are intended to ensure the freedom of certain agencies from effective control.”

Delegate

The model of representation where legislators must vote based on the will of the people.

“delegate”

“The _____ model is more common in the House of Representatives, while the trustee model appears more in the Senate.”

Discharge Petition

A device by which any member of the House, after a committee has had the bill for 30 days, may petition to have it brought to the floor.

“discharge petition”

“Only about 2% of bills where a _____ is filed eventually become law, but they have been used on several important pieces of legislation that became law, such as the Bipartisan Campaign Act of 2002.”

Discretionary Spending

The amount of spending that is not mandated by law, but is instead set by Congress through the appropriations process.

“Discretionary spending”

“_____ includes defense, housing and community development, transportation, and education funding.”

Divided Government

One political party controls the White House and the other controls one or both chambers of Congress.

“divided government”

“For a short time, former president Barrack Obama was not faced with a _____, so he was able to pass the Affordable Care Act that was highly contested by the Republican party.”

Entitlement

A government aid program to which the government is legally committed.

“entitlements”

“The growing cost of _____ like Social Security has mad congressional budgeting increasingly difficult.”

Executive Order

A presidential directive that calls for action within the executive branch and has the effect of law.”

“Executive Order”

“On February 19th, 1942, two months after the Japanese attach on Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued _____ 9066, which authorized the mass internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.”

Filibuster

An attempt to defeat a bill in the Senate by talking indefinitely, thus preventing the Senate from taking action on the bill.

“filibuster”

“The longest _____ to date was delivered by Strom Thurmond and lasted 24 hours and 18 minutes.”

Gerrymandering

Drawing the boundaries of legislative districts in bizarre or unusual shapes to favor one party.

“gerrymandering”

“Racial _____ is the act of drawing districts to create a racial majority, which often translates to a party majority.”

Hold

An informal practice by which a senator informs Senate leadership that they do not wish a particular measure or nomination to reach the floor for consideration.

“holds”

“During the 118th Congress, Senator Tommy Tuberville put _____ on all military promotions and nominees because he opposed the Department of Defense policy to cover travel expenses for soldiers who needed out-of-state reproductive care.”

Judicial Activism

A more proactive role for the judiciary, where they take a more expansive view of their power ad actively seek to protect individual rights and liberties.

“judicial activism”

“The passing of Roe vs. Wade in 1973 is considered _____ because, although abortions are not protected in the Constitution, the SCOTUS justices used their power to protect an American woman’s bodily autonomy.”

Judicial Restraint

Emphasizes the important of adhering to precedent and the text of the Constitution and defers to the decisions of elected branches of government.

“judicial restraint”

“The overturning of Roe vs. Wade in 2022 is considered _____ because SCOTUS justices deferred the legalization of abortions to the states after concluding that the right is not protected in the Constitution.”

Lame Duck

An elected official whose term is coming to an end, so their power is perceived as being diminished and they have less influence in politics.

“lame duck”

“In Obama’s _____ session in the spring of 2016, he attempted to appoint Merrick Garland to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court, but Senate Majority Leader McConnell declared any appointment by the sitting president to be null and void.”

Logrolling

Exchanging favors by reciprocal voting for each other’s proposed legislation.

“Logrolling”

“_____ is used to speed up the legislative process or to help guarantee the passage of a particular piece of legislation.”

Mandatory Spending

Government spending on certain programs that are required by law.

“mandatory spending”

“For _____ programs, the federal government does not decide to adjust the amount of money spent on these programs. The amount spent is determined by the eligibility rules and on who chooses to apply.”

One Person, One Vote

The principle that each legislative district within a state should have the same number of eligible voters so that the representation is equitably based on population.

“One Person, One Vote”

“The entire state of Wyoming is one congressional district because its total population does not reach the minimum requirement for a normal district.”

Pocket Veto

A bill fails to become a law because the president did not sign it within 10 days before Congress adjourns.

“pocket veto”

“A bill that has received a _____ cannot be brought back to life by Congress because Congress has adjourned.”

Policy Agenda

A set of issues and problems that leaders consider important. The mass media plays an important role in influencing the issues which receive public attention.

“policy agenda”

“The UN’s current _____ has revisited the Palestinian genocide multiple times now because of the international stir the injustice has created.”

Politico

The model of representation where legislators should follow their own judgement and act as a trustee until the public becomes vocal about a particular matter, at which point they should follow the dictates of their constituents.

“politico”

“The _____ model is considered a hybrid of the delegate model and the trustee model.”

Pork-Barrel Legislation

Legislation that gives tangible benefits to constituents in several districts or states in the hope of winning their votes in return.

“Pork-Barrel Legislation”

“Bills may contain money for local dams, bridges, roads, and monuments to appease to districts.”

Precedent

A legal decision or set of decisions made in earlier, similar cases that serves as a guide or reference for future cases.

“Precedents”

“_____ are not absolute — courts can overrule and establish new precedents — but they are generally followed to ensure stability, fairness, and the rule of law.”

Rider Amendment

An additional provision to a bill that has little connection with the subject matter of the bill so that it will “ride” through the legislative process.

“Rider Amendment”

“The Hyde Amendment was attached to the Appropriation Bill in 1976 to prevent Medicaid from paying for most abortions.”

Rules Committee

The House Rules Committee creates a “rule” for each bill that is to be debated. This rule sets the time the debate will take place, the time allowed for debate, and what type of amendments can be offered on the bill.

“Rules Committee”

“The Senate is considered much more relaxed than the House because there are fewer factors that limit debate, including no Committee of the Whole and a less strict _____.”

Signing Statement

A presidential document that reveals what the president thinks of a new law and how it ought to be enforced.

“signing statement”

“President Andrew Jackson issued a _____ in 1830 saying that a law designed to build a road from Chicago to Detroit should not cross the Michigan boundary.”

Stare Decisis

“Let the decision stand;” allowing prior rulings to control a current case.

“stare decisis”

“Courts practice _____ when they use a precedent as the basis for a decision.”

Trustee

The model of representation where legislators must vote independently based on their judgement of the circumstances.

“trustee”

“The _____ model appears more in the Senate, while the delegate model is more common in the House.”

Unanimous Consent

A device used to expedite the legislative process through the mutual agreement of all representatives or senators; if no members object to a motion, there does not need to be a vote on the matter.

“unanimous consent”

“Many requests for _____ are routine, but if any senator objects, the request is rejected.”

Veto

The power of a president to disapprove a bill, which may be overridden by a 3/5 vote of each chamber of Congress.

“veto”

“A _____ message is a statement that the president sends to Congress accompanying the bill in which the president sets forth reasons for not signing the bill.”

Whip

A senator or representative who helps the party leader stay informed about what party members are thinking.

“whips”

“Party _____ round up members when important votes are taken and attempt to keep a count of how voting on a controversial issue is likely to go.”

White House Staff

A group of employees who are responsive and who help the president carry out the role of Chief Executive Officer.

“White House staff”

“Almost all of the White House staff are political appointees of the president, do not require Senate confirmation, and can be dismissed at the discretion of the president.”