PSCI 2306 Exam 2 UNT

advice and consent

Terms in the Constitution describing the U.S. Senate's power to review and approve treaties and presidential appointments.

agenda setting

Determining which public-policy questions will be debated or considered.

Alexander Hamilton

1789-1795; First Secretary of the Treasury. He advocated creation of a national bank, assumption of state debts by the federal government, and a tariff system to pay off the national debt.

Amendment V (5)

due process, double jeopardy, self-incrimination and private property

Amendment X (10)

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.

Amendment XIII (13)

abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime

Amendment XIV (14)

Requires states to provide to its citizens equal protection of the law

Amendment XVI (16)

the amendment made income tax constitutional

Article I

Legislative Branch

Article II

Executive Branch

bicameral

A legislature consisting of two parts, or houses

Bill of Rights

Added AFTER the Constitutional Convention; created to gain support of anti-Federalists; guaranteed rights of individuals

Block grants

Federal grants given more or less automatically to states or communities to support broad programs in areas such as community development and social services

bureaucracy

a system of government in which most of the important decisions are made by state officials rather than by elected representatives

categorical grants

Federal grants for specific purposes, such as building an airport

caucus

A meeting of local party members to choose party officials or candidates for public office and to decide the platform.

closed rule

A procedural rule in the House of Representatives that prohibits any amendments to bills or provides that only members of the committee reporting the bill may offer amendments.

Coat tails

popular candidates that carry less popular ones into office

Commerce Clause

The clause in the Constitution (Article I, Section 8, Clause 1) that gives Congress the power to regulate all business activities that cross state lines or affect more than one state or other nations.

Compound Republic

power divided between national and state government power from people (US)

Conference Committee

particular bill passed by each in different form.
A special joint committee appointed to reconcile differences when bills pass the two chambers of Congress in different forms.

Cooperative Federalism

A system of government in which powers and policy assignments are shared between states and the national government. They may also share costs, administration, and even blame for programs that work poorly.

De facto

actual or effective, esp. when without legal authority; in fact

De jure

segregation by law

Devolution

The process whereby regions within a state demand and gain political strength and growing autonomy at the expense of the central government.

Diversity of Faculties

in federalist 10, james madison argues that every society will have an unequal distribution of property due to natural human differences in each individual that he calls:

Dred Scott v. Sanford

The supreme court ruling that said that slaves were not citizens but property

Dual federalism

A system of government in which both the states and the national government remain supreme within their own spheres, each responsible for some policies.

Elastic Clause

Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution, which allows Congress to make all laws that are "necessary and proper" to carry out the powers of the Constitution.

Enumerated Powers

Powers of the federal government that are specifically addressed in the Constitution; for Congress, these powers are listed in Article I, Section 8, and include the power to coin money, regulate its value, and impose taxes.

Executive Agreements

Agreements with other countries that do not need senate approval

Executive Orders

Formal orders issued by the president to direct action by the federal bureaucracy.

Federalism

A system in which power is divided between the national and state governments

Filibuster

A procedural practice in the Senate whereby a senator refuses to relinquish the floor and thereby delays proceedings and prevents a vote on a controversial issue.

Fiscal Federalism

The pattern of spending, taxing, and providing grants in the federal system; it is the cornerstone of the national government's relations with state and local governments.

Foreign Policy

A nation's overall plan for dealing with other nations

General Election

An election held to choose which candidate will hold office

Gerrymandering

Process of redrawing legislative boundaries for the purpose of benefiting the party in power.

Gibbons v. Ogden

decided that regulating interstate commerce is a power reserved to the federal government

grants-in-aid

money given by the national government to the states

honeymoon period

The short period (days or months) following an election when a president's popularity and ability to influence Congress is at its highest.

House Democratic Caucus

Steering and Policy Committee

House Republican Conference

Guides GOP bills and agendas

implied powers

Powers not specifically mentioned in the constitution

Incumbency

the situation of already holding the office that is up for reelection

Inherent powers

powers claimed by a president that are not expressed in the Constitution but are inferred from it

Invisible Primary

Informal raising of support (and money) before first primaries

John Marshall

American jurist and politician who served as the chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (1801-1835) and helped establish the practice of judicial review.

Joint Committee

A committee composed of members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate; such committees oversee the Library of Congress and conduct investigations.

Judicial Review

Allows the court to determine the constitutionality of laws

Laboratories of democracy

A reference to the ability of states to experiment and innovate in public policy.

Lame Duck

a person still in office after he or she has lost a bid for reelection

Layer Cake Federalism

federalism characterized by a national government exercising its power independently from state governments.

Leaks

unauthorized disclosures to the press

Living Constitution

A way of interpreting the Constitution that takes into account evolving national attitudes and circumstances rather than the text alone.

Logrolling

An agreement by two or more lawmakers to support each other's bills

Lyceum Address 1838

“The Perpetuation of Our Political Institutions”

Lincoln warned that mobs or people who disrespected U.S. laws and courts could destroy the United States

Majority Leader

The legislative leader selected by the majority party who helps plan party strategy, confers with other party leaders, and tries to keep members of the party in line.

Majority Whip

responsible for determining which bills will be considered on the House floor, and when they will be considered.

Marble Cake Federalism

System of government in which all levels are involved in a variety of issues and programs

Marbury v. Madison

Established judicial review

Mark-up

Revisions and additions to legislation made by committees and subcommittees. These changes are not part of a bill unless approved by the house of which the committee is a part.

McCulloch v. Maryland

Maryland was trying to tax the national bank and Supreme Court ruled that federal law was stronger than the state law

Minority Leader

the legislative leader selected by the minority party as spokesperson for the opposition.

Minority Whip

intermediaries between the leadership and the rank and file. responsible for making sure party members vote with the leadership on important bills

National Crisis

critical election periods are sometimes marked by a \________ and may require more than one election to bring about a new party era

Necessary and Proper Clause

Clause of the Constitution (Article I, Section 8, Clause 3) setting forth the implied powers of Congress. It states that Congress, in addition to its express powers, has the right to make all laws necessary and proper to carry out all powers the Constitution vests in the national government

New Federalism

system in which the national government restores greater authority back to the states

Open Rule

A procedural rule in the House of Representatives that permits floor amendments within the overall time allocated to the bill.

Pigeon Hole

to set a congressional bill aside in committee without considering it 10 days until it becomes a bill

Plessy v. Ferguson

a 1896 Supreme Court decision which legalized state ordered segregation so long as the facilities for blacks and whites were equal

pocket veto

A veto taking place when Congress adjourns within 10 days of submitting a bill to the president, who simply lets it die by neither signing nor vetoing it.

pork-barrel

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

POTUS

President of the United States

Primary election

Nominating election held to choose party candidates who will run in the general election

Progressive Era

1890 - 1920, Progressives tended to be women, middle class, and live in urban areas. Progressives sought to use government influence to solve societal problems.

Progressivism

The movement in the late 1800s to increase democracy in America by curbing the power of the corporation. It fought to end corruption in government and business, and worked to bring equal rights of women and other groups that had been left behind during the industrial revolution.

Reapportionment

Process by which representative districts are switched according to population shifts, so that each district encompasses approximately the same number of people

Recall Election

What type of election allows voters to vote an official out of office?

Referendum

A state-level method of direct legislation that gives voters a chance to approve or disapprove proposed legislation or a proposed constitutional amendment.

Reserve Powers

All powers not specifically delegated to the national government by the Constitution. The reserve power can be found in the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution.

rider

A provision attached to a bill - to which it may or may not be related - in order to secure its passage or defeat.

Rules Committee

A standing committee of the House of Representatives that provides special rules under which specific bills can be debated, amended, and considered by the house.

Seniority

Unwritten rule in both houses of Congress reserving committee chairs to members of the committee with the longest records of continuous service.

Sovereignty

Ability of a state to govern its territory free from control of its internal affairs by other states.

Standing Committee

A permanent committee established in a legislature, usually focusing on a policy area

Stewardship Theory

A theory that argues for a strong, assertive presidential role, with presidential authority limited only at points specifically prohibited by law.

Strict Construction

way of interpreting the Constitution that allows the federal government to take only those actions the Constitution specifically says it can take

Strings Attached Federalism

National govt's use of fiscal policy to influence states through the granting/withholding of appropriations

Sub-committee

smaller sections of one committee to studying various, more specific aspects of a committee

Supremacy Clause

Article VI of the Constitution, which makes the Constitution, national laws, and treaties supreme over state laws when the national government is acting within its constitutional limits.

Unfunded Mandates

actions imposed by the federal or state government on lower levels of government which are not accompanied by the money needed to fund the action required.

Veto

Chief executive's power to reject a bill passed by a legislature

War Powers Act

Act that grants emergency executive powers to president to run war effort

Whig Theory

A theory that prevailed in the nineteenth century and held that the presidency was a limited or restrained office whose occupant was confined to expressly granted constitutional authority.

White House Press Corps

24/7 coverage of pres. actions, considered great honor; beneficial because the president always has an audience to speak to; detrimental because they might pay attention to trivial things

Adelsverein Society

promoted German immigration to Texas in the 1840s

Anglos

immigration was encouraged from them

Art. I.8

Necessary and Proper Clause; elastic clause; commerce clause; enumerated powers listed here limits the Fed. Gov.

Block Grants

money given to states from the federal government with a specific purpose, but how the money will be spent is not specified