AP gov 4.5

AP gov 4.5

Cloture rule

A procedure to end a filibuster (requires 60 votes).

Committe chair

the leader of a committee who controls its agenda

congressional oversight

Congress monitoring the executive branch's actions.

Committee of the Whole

The House meeting under faster, less formal rules.

Enumerated powers

Powers specifically listed in the Constitution.

Expressed powers

Another term for enumerated (clearly stated) powers.

Floor leaders

Party officers who lead strategy on the House or Senate floor.

Germane

Relevant to the subject of the bill being discussed.

Gridlock

Relevant to the subject of the bill being discussed.

House Judiciary Committee:

Committee that handles courts, law enforcement, and impeachment.

Implied powers

Powers not written down but necessary to carry out expressed powers.

Interest on the debt

The cost of borrowing money to cover past deficits.

Joint Committes

Committees with members from both the House and Senate.

Markup session

A meeting where a committee rewrites or edits a bill.

Non-germane amendments

Additions to a bill that don't relate to its topic.

Politico model

A representative who switches between following voters and using their own judgment.

Pork barrel spending

Spending on local projects to help a politician get re-elected.

President of the Senate

The Vice President’s official role in the Senate.

President pro tempore

The senior senator who leads when the VP is absent.

Reapportionment

Moving House seats between states based on census population.

Redistricting

Drawing new boundary lines for legislative districts.

Riders

Unrelated additions "tacked on" to a bill likely to pass.

Safe seats

Districts where one party is almost certain to win.

Senate majority leader

The most powerful person in the Senate.

Sponsor

The member of Congress who first introduces a bill.

Unanimoius consent

An agreement by all senators to skip formal rules to save time.

Appropriations

The formal act of setting aside money for specific use.

Authorization of spending

The law that creates a program and sets its spending limit.

Ambassadors

Diplomats who represent the U.S. in other countries.

Cabinet

The group of department heads who advise the President.

Chief of staff

The President's top advisor and office manager.

Commander in chief

The President’s role as head of the military.

Executive Office of the President

Support agencies that help the President run the country.

Honeymoon period

The high-approval start of a presidency.

Imperial presidency

A term for a president who acts with too much unchecked power.

Inherent powers

Powers a president claims just by being the head of state.

Line item veto

Rejecting parts of a bill while signing the rest (illegal for Presidents).

National Security Council

Advisors on foreign policy and military safety.

Presidential Succession Act

The law stating who becomes President if the leader dies.

Recess appointment

Filling a government job while the Senate is on break.

State of the Union

The President's annual speech to Congress and the nation.

Concurring opinion

Agreeing with the majority but for different legal reasons.

Dissention opinion

A formal disagreement with the majority’s ruling.

Litmus test

Using a specific issue to judge a nominee's political leanings.

Per curiam opinion

A short, unsigned decision by the whole court.

Petition for certiorari

A formal request for the Supreme Court to review a case.

Petitioner

The person appealing their case to a higher court.

Precedent

An earlier court decision that guides future cases.

Senatorial courtesy

Asking a state's senators for approval on a local judicial nominee.

US Circuit Court of Appeals

The middle courts that review District Court trials.

US District Courts

The starting point (trial courts) for federal cases