Gov Vocab ch. 11-15

apportionment

the process by which seats in the House of representatives are distributed among the fifty states

bicameralism

the political proxess that results from dividing a legislature into two separate assemblies

bill

proposed legislation under consideration by a legislature

cloture

a parliamentary process to end a debate n the Senate, as a measure against the filibuster; invokes when three-fifths of senators vote for the motion

collective representation

the relationship between Congress and the United States as a whole, and whether the institution itself represents the American people

conference committee

a special type of joint committee that reconciles different bills passed in the House and Senate so a single bill results

constituency

the body of voters, or constituents, represented by a particular politician

delegate model of representation

a model of representation in which representatives feel compelled to act on the specific states wishes of their constituents

descriptive representation

the extent to which a body of representatives feel compelled to act on the specific stated wishes of their constituencies, such as class, race, ethnicity, and gender

enumerated powers

the powers given explicitly to the federal government by the Constitution to regulate interstate and foreign commerce, raise and support armies, declare war, coin money, and conduct foreign affairs

filibuster

a parliamentary maneuver used in the Senate to extend debate on a piece of legislation as long as possible ,typically with the intended purpose of obstructing or killing it

implied powers

the powers not specifically detailed in the U.S. Constitution but inferred as necessary to achieve the objectives of the national government

inherent powers

the powers neither enumerated nor implies but assumed to exist as a direct result of the country’s existence

joint committee

a legislative committee consisting of members from both chambers that investigates certian topic but lacks bill referral authority

majority leader

the leader of the majority party in either the House or Senate; in the House, the majority leader serves under the Speaker of the House, in the Senate, the majority leader is the functional leader and chief spokesperson for the majority party

markup

the amending and voting process in a congressional committee

minority leader

the party member who directs the activities of the minority party on the floor of either the House or the Senate

oversight

the right to review and monitor other bodies such as the executive branch

politico model of representation

a model of representation in which members of Congress act as either trustee or delegate, based on rational political calculations about who is best serves, the constituency or the nation

pork-barrel politics

federal spending intended to benefit a particular district or set of constituents

president pro tempore

the senator who acts the in the absence of the actual president of the Senate, who is also the vice president of the United States; the president pro tempore is usually the most senior senator of the majority party

representation

an elected leader’s looking out for constituents while carrying out the duties of the office

select committee

a small legislative committee created to fulfill a specific purpose and then disbanded; also called an ad hoc, or special, committee

Speaker of the House

the presiding officer of the House of representatives and the leader of the majority party; the Speaker is second in the presidential line of succession, after the vice president

standing committee

a permanent legislative committee that meets regularly

surge-and-decline theory

a theory proposing that the surge of stimulation occurring during presidential elections subsides during midterm elections, accounting for the differences we observe in turnouts and results

trustee model of representation

a model of representation in which representatives feel at liberty to act in the way they believe is best fir their constitutents

whip

in the House and in the Senate, a high leadership position whose primary duty is to enforce votinf discipline in the chambers and conferences

bully pulpit

Theodore Roosevelt's notion of the presidency as a platform from which the presidnt could push an agenda

cabinet

a group of advisors to the president, consisting f the most senior appointed officers of the executive branch and without formal consent by the Senate

Executive Office of the President

the administrative organization that reports directly to the president and made up of important offices, units, and staff of the current president and headed by the White House chief of staff

executive order

a rule or order issued by the president without the cooperation of Congress and having the force of law

executive privilege

the president’s right to withhold information from Congress, the judiciary, or the public

going public

a term for when the president delivers a major television address in the hope that public pressure will result in the legislators supporting the president ton a major piece of legislation

impeachment

the act of charging a government official with serious wrongdoing, which in some cases may lead to the removal of the official from office

king caucus

an informal meeting held in the nineteenth century, sometimes called a congressional caucus, made up of legislators in the Congress who met to decide on presidential nominees for their respective parties

line-item veto

a power crested through law in 1996 and overturned by the Supreme Court in 1998 that allowed the president to veto specific aspects of bills passed by Congress while signing into law what remained

Office of Management an Budget

an office within the Executive Office of the President charged with producing the president’s budget, overseeing its implementation, and overseeing the executive bureaucracy

rally around the flag effect

a spike in presidential popularity during international crisis

signing statement

a statement a president issues with the intent to influence the way a specific bill the president signs should be enforced

amicus curiae

literally a “friend of the court” and used for a brief filed by someone who is interested in but not party to a cause

appellate court

a court that reviews cases already decided on by a lower or trial court and that may change the lower court’s decision

appellate jurisdiction

the power of a court to hear a case on appeal from a lower court and possibly change the lower court’s decision

associate justice

a member of the Supreme Court who is not the chief justice

brief

a written legal argument presented to a court by one of the parties in a case

chief justice

the highest-ranking justice of the Supreme Court

circuit courts

the appeals (appellate) courts of the federal court system that review decisions of the lower (district) courts; also called courts of appeals

civil law

a non-criminal law defining private rights and remedies

common law

the pattern of law developed by judges through case decision largely based on precedent

concurring opinion

an opinion written by a justice who agrees with the Court’s majority opinion but has different reasons for doing so

conference

closed meeting of the justices to discuss cases on the docket and take an initial vote

courts of appeals

the appellate courts of the federal court system that review decisions of the lower (district) courts; also called circuit courts

criminal law

a law that prohibits actions that could harm or endanger others, and established punishment for those actions

dissenting opinion

an opinion written by a justice who disagrees with the majority opinion of the Court

district courts

the trial courts of the federal court system where cases are tried, evidence is presented, and witness testimony is heard

docket

the list of cases pending on a court’s calendar

dual court system

the division of the courts into two separate systems, one federal and one state, with each of the fifty states having its own courts

judicial activism

a judicial philosophy in which a justice is more likely to overturn decisions or rule actions by the other branches unconstitutional, especially in a an attempt to broaden individual rights and liberties

judicial restraint

a judicial philosophy in which a justice is more likely to let stand the decisions or actions of the other branches of government

judicial review

the power of the courts to review actions taken by the other branches of government and the states and to rule on whether those actions are constitutional

majority opinion

an opinion of the Court in which more than half the nine justices agree

Marbury v. Madison

the 1803 Supreme Court case that established the courts’ power of judicial review and the first time the Supreme Court ruled an act act of Congress to be unconstitutional

oral argument

words spoken before the Supreme Court (usually by lawyers) explaining the legal reasons behinf their position in a case and why is should prevail

original jurisdiction

the power of a court to hear a case for the first time

precedent

the principles or guidelines established by courts in earlier cases that frame the ongoing opertion of the courts, steering the direction of the entire system

Rule of Four

a Supreme Court custom in which a case will be heard when four justices decide to do so

senatorial courtesy

an unwritten custom by which the president consults the senators in the state before nominating a candidate for a federal vacency there, particulary for court positions

solicitor general

the lawyer who represents the federal government and argues in some cases before the Supreme Court

stare decisis

the principle by which courts rely on past decisions and their precedents when making decisions in new cases

trial court

the level of a court in which a case starts or is first tried

writ of certiorari

an order of the Supreme Court calling up the records of the lower courts so a case may be reviews; sometimes abbreviated cert.

amendatory veto

a veto that allows a governor to send a bill back to the legislature with a message requesting a specific amendment

charter

a document that provides a framework and detailed account of local government responsibilities and areas of authority

commission system

an elected commission that serves as the governing body with a given county

consecutive term limits

caps allowing a member of the legislature to serve only for a specified period of time in either the state house or senate and forcing a wait before the member can run again

council-administrator system

an elected council that appoints an administrator to oversee the operation of the county government

council elected executive system

a county government in which voter elect both the members of the council and the executive

council-elected executive system

a county government in which voters elect both the members of the council and the executive

council-manager system

a structure of government in which elected members of the city council appoint a city manager to carry out administrative functions

delegate legislator

a legislator who represents the will of those who elected the legislator to office and acts in their expressed interest, even when it goes against a personal belief about what is ultimately in the constituency’s best interest

Dillon’s Rule

a legal principle that holds state power and actions above those of local governments and declares state governments to be sovereign relative to local governments

expressed powers

those powers specifically provided to the Congress and the president in the U.S. Constitution

formal powers

those powers a governor may exercise that are specifically outlined in the state constitution or state law

home rule

principle that provides local governments some degree of independence from the state government, typically detailed in a charter

implied powers

those powers not specifically detailed in the U.S. Constitution but inferred as necessary to achieve the objectives of the national government

individualistic political culture

a culture that views the government as a mechanism for addressing issues that matter to individual citizens and for pursuing individual goals

lifetime ban

a rule that members can serve only one time in the state legislature for the number of years allotted and may not run again

line-tem veto

a state governor’s ability to strike out a line or individual portions of a bill while letting the remainder pass into law

mayor-council system

a structure of government in which both ciy council members and the mayor are elected by voters

moralistic political culture

a culture that views the government as a means to better society and promore the general welfare

pardon

a governor’s action to absolve someone of blame for a crime and secure their release from prison

reduction veto

a governor’s authority to reduce the amount budgeted in a piece of legislation

term limits

rules that restrict the length of time a member can serve in the state legislature

traditionalistic political culture

a culture that views the government as necessary to maintaining the existing social order or the status quo

trustee

an officeholder who believes they were elected to exercise judgment and to know best by virtue of having the time and expertise to study and understand an issue

bureaucracy

an administrative group of nonelected official charged with carrying out functions connected to a series of policies and programs

bureaucrats

the civil servants or political appointees who fill nonelected positions in government and make up the bureaucracy

civil servants

the individuals who fill nonelected positions in government and make up the bureaucracy; also known as bureaucrats

government corporation

a corporation that fulfills an important public interest and is therefore overseen by government authorities to a much larger degree than private businesses

merit system

a system of filling civil service positions by using competitive examinations to value experience and competence over political loyalties