U.S. Government: Congress, Presidency, Judiciary, and Bureaucracy Key Terms

Congressional Committees

Small groups in Congress that review bills and handle specific policy areas.

House Rules Committee

A committee that sets the rules for debate and voting on bills in the House.

Speaker of the House

The leader of the House of Representatives and the most powerful member of the chamber.

Filibuster

A tactic in the Senate where a senator delays a vote by talking for a long time.

Cloture

A Senate vote that ends a filibuster and limits debate.

Conference committee

A committee that resolves differences between House and Senate versions of a bill.

Pork-barrel legislation

Funding for local projects meant to please voters and win support.

Logrolling

When lawmakers trade votes to help each other pass bills.

Gerrymandering

Drawing voting district lines to benefit a political party.

Trustee model

When representatives vote based on their own judgment.

Delegate model

When representatives vote the way their voters want.

Politico model

When representatives mix personal judgment and voter wishes.

Congressional Gridlock

When Congress cannot pass laws because of disagreement.

Political Polarization

When political parties become more divided and extreme.

Veto

The president's power to reject a bill.

Pocket veto

When the president ignores a bill and it dies because Congress adjourns.

Executive order

A rule issued by the president that acts like a law.

Executive agreement

An agreement between the president and another country that doesn't need Senate approval.

Signing statement

A written comment by the president explaining how they interpret a new law.

Cabinet

The president's top advisors who lead major departments.

Bully pulpit

The president's power to influence the public and promote policies.

Presidential Formal Powers

Powers written directly in the Constitution.

Presidential Informal Powers

Powers based on tradition, influence, and public leadership.

Agenda setting

The president's ability to shape which issues the government focuses on.

Judicial review

The courts' power to declare laws unconstitutional.

Stare decisis

The principle that courts follow previous rulings.

Legal precedent

Past court decisions that guide future decisions.

Judicial activism

When judges make bold decisions that change policy.

Judicial restraint

When judges avoid overturning laws and defer to elected branches.

Judicial independence

The idea that judges should be free from political pressure.

Jurisdiction

A court's legal authority to hear a case.

Case precedent

A previous case that sets a rule for similar cases.

Federal bureaucracy

The large system of agencies that carry out federal laws.

Executive Departments

Main government departments led by Cabinet secretaries.

Executive Agencies

Independent agencies that carry out specific government tasks.

Executive Commissions

Independent bodies that regulate parts of the economy.

Government corporations

Government-run businesses that provide services for fees.

Iron triangle

A tight relationship between an agency, a committee, and an interest group.

Issue network

A flexible group of experts, advocates, and officials who influence policy.

Civil service

Government jobs given based on merit, not politics.

Merit system

Hiring and promoting workers based on ability.

Political patronage

Giving government jobs to political supporters.

Discretionary authority

When agencies can make decisions on how to enforce laws.

Rulemaking

When agencies create detailed regulations to carry out laws.

Congressional Oversight

Congress's power to supervise and check the federal bureaucracy.