Chapter 10: Congress

Race

Race

________- Issues like slavery, immigration, and civil rights necessitated agencies to carry out government regulations.

Hierarchy

________- The chain of command: a well- defined chain of superiors and subordinates.

Connecticut Compromise

________= one house Proportional and one is Equal.

Interest Group

A bill can be initiated by the Executive branch, ________, or the people.

Impeachment

________ is not being removed; it is the first step in the removal process.

Legal Precedents

________: past rulings often shape future decisions, but times change….

Constraints

________ of the Law: the specific laws that apply to the case.

Copyrights

Rights to reproduce, publish, & sell creative works

Patents

Rights to manufacture, use, or sell machines, art, or matter

Compromise Bill

If 2 versions of the bill exist they get merged here

Pocket Veto

If a bill is unsigned and Congress adjourns, after 10 days the bill dies

War Powers Resolution

Limits how long POTUS can take military action without further approval of Congress

Amnesty

Pardons groups, due to the act being forgiven

Bureaucracy

A structure within an organization that helps to coordinate the work of bureaucrats who carry out government policy

The Pendelton Civil Service Act

The law that broke the spoils system by requiring the federal government to hire well-qualified people

Economics

The government wanted to have more control over economic performance and created new offices and agencies to do that

Division of Labor

The work of the government is divided up and given to specialized experts

Routines

Following these ("just doing my job") can lead to public avoidance and mistrust

Red Tape

The paperwork and obstacles to getting help from the government

Imperialism

Agencies grow large and tend to compete for larger roles and larger budgets

Turf War

Large agencies compete with each other over who is responsible for what

Clientelism

Agency procedures can favor more powerful interests over less powerful

Jurisdiction

The authority of a court to hear a case

Exclusive Jurisdiction

Only heard by federal or state

Concurrent Jurisdiction

Tried in either federal or state court

Appellate Jurisdiction

Higher Court that reviews a decision

Custom

Senator from the state in which a lower-court vacancy has arisen should be consulted on the choice if the senator is the same party as the president

Original Jurisdiction

When a State is a party

Writ of Certiorari

Lower court sends case transcript of SC review

Rule of 4

Four Justices must agree to hear the case

Briefs

Written legal arguments that are submitted

Majority

The decision of the court, expresses the rationale

Concurring

Agrees with the majority

Dissenting

Disagrees with the majority

Stare Decisis

Deciding cases based on previous rulings

Constraints of the Law

The specific laws that apply to the case

Civil Law

Governs relationships between private parties

Procedural laws

Apply to the legal process

Statutory laws

Written by legislatures

Administrative laws

Rules and regulations set by government agencies

Personal Politics

Most justices do NOT change their political views over time and generally vote in line with their political beliefs

Judicial Restraint

The doctrine that the judiciary should closely follow the wording of the law, be highly respectful of the precedent, and defer to the judgment of legislatures

Judicial Activism

The doctrine that the judiciary should develop new legal principles when judges see a compelling need

Originalism Theory

A method for interpreting the Constitution that emphasized the meaning of the words at the time they were written

Living Constitution Theory

A method for interpreting the Constitution that emphasizes the principles it embodies and applying them to the changing times